Massachusetts' economy loses $2.7 billion due to child care problems every year, new report finds - GBH
By Mark Herz
Massachusetts’ economy is losing an estimated $2.7 billion every year because working families can’t afford or find child care, according to a report released on Thursday by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
A little over 60% of that money comes in the form of lost wages by parents who aren’t going to work, and 30% of it comes in the form of money lost by employers in lower productivity and turnover costs. The nonpartisan public policy organization’s report said the average cost of infant care in Massachusetts is $21,000 a year — the most expensive in the nation. Experts say that continued support from the state and federal government is necessary to support providers and bring down the costs of child care.
Issues with child care and its high costs lead to parents missing work, moving from full- to part-time jobs and some leaving the workforce altogether, the foundation found.
“If you’ve got a infant and you’re in the city of Boston, I mean, you're paying college tuitions,” said William Eddy, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Early Education and Care. “If you're making $75,000 a year in Boston and you're paying a third of that for your child care costs, and then together with your rent, your food — you know, the ability to live a quality life is really impacted.”