EXCERPT: “When the pandemic hit, workplaces went dark and home offices became the new American job site. Even when employers were allowed to bring their workers back, many chose to keep them working remotely. Part of the reason, of course, was out of concerns with the virus — but a secondary consideration kept offices shuttered, too. With schools closed, parents had to either stay home and work while they cared for their children, or they had to pay for child care. A new study from GOBankingRates sheds some light on why that second option wasn’t really an option at all for millions of Americans. Using data from the Economic Policy Institute, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), GOBankingRates identified the cost of child care in each state. It also identifies the 10 states where child care is least affordable and most affordable in the context of each state’s median salary. Readers should keep in mind that HHS defines “affordable” as 7% of a person’s income. Using that criteria, not a single one of America’s 50 states offers its residents affordable child care.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/3pzk3YR
