On Friday, October 24th, Brittany Birken, director and principal adviser for Community and Economic Development, and co-leader for Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity joined MAX to preview recent research her team has conducted to understand the extent to which childcare affordability constraints may pose a potential barrier to work for families with young children. The key question the Atlanta Fed has been investigating is whether childcare expenses make it too costly to work for families with young children. Their research explored communities in Florida and Georgia, two southeastern states with several of the country’s fastest growing metro areas. Why? High childcare costs have the potential to prevent essential workers in high demand occupations from working, Birken points out.
Birken pointed out that the cost of childcare has been on the rise in the last four years and how increases to the cost have outpaced the national rate of inflation for other services. Furthermore, the research revealed the following:
- Working families in high-growth metropolitan areas of Florida and Georgia face substantial childcare affordability challenges.
- Childcare costs consume a disproportionate share of household income, particularly for single-earner families and those employed in lower-wage occupations.
- Childcare affordability varies dramatically by occupation and family structure.
- Regional variations in costs and wages create differential impacts across metropolitan areas.
This session of MAX Minutes was hosted by MAX board member Karen Leone De Nie, Chief Community Affairs Officer and Vice President of Community and Economic Development with the Atlanta Fed.
Click here for the presentation slides.
Click here for the recording.
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Launched in 2014, the mission of MAX is to advance economic resilience in the Atlanta region by strengthening connections, collaborations, and practices among workforce developers and organizations engaged in workforce development.
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