We need to talk about those 2.2 million women
By: Jen L.
Tags: Women In Business, Gender, Covid 19, Education, Workforce

Image by Firmbee from Pixabay

After my children’s daycare closed in mid-March due to county COVID-related restrictions, a friend of mine who also had two kids at that same daycare texted me to say, “I think around the country women are absorbing the bulk of the childcare burden. 🙄

I thought, “But isn’t this childcare crisis affecting all working parents of small children”?

I was so naïve.

A startling number of women in the U.S. have left the workforce between February and October: 2.2 million, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

A report by the Center for American Progress found that the risk of mothers leaving the labor force and reducing work hours to assume caretaking responsibilities amounts to $64.5 billion per year in lost wages and economic activities.

That will affect all of our pocketbooks.

Two of my friends voluntarily left the workforce primarily to help their children with virtual learning. I completely understand where they are coming from.

There are no good choices right now for parents when it comes to education and child care. There are only so many roles that moms (and dads) can juggle at the same time, before the other shoe drops.

Virtual school has been challenge, since my daughter is only 5 and learning foundational skills not easily taught over Zoom, no matter how awesome her teacher is. My husband has actually taken on the brunt of the work in that area, since he has a bit more flexibility in my schedule. I am one of the lucky few.

Before COVID, childless friends and co-workers would ask how I had two kids as a working mom. “You’re a rock star!” I wasn’t. I had a full support system that held me up: full-time daycare, which allowed me to do my full-time job while generally not needing to stay up late and get up early and put in some time on the weekends to get my job done. A cleaner that came over every three weeks. Parents came over to help us with the kids on the weekends and in-laws who stayed over once a month.

COVID came through and smashed much of my support system into smithereens.

This workforce change will affect families, children, communities when all is said and done.

Even if you are a single male or one who no longer has young kids to care for, it will affect you.

A realistic first step is for local governments do everything possible to open the schools (while ensuring that all CDC guidelines are followed to the maximum extent), but offer a virtual option for kids whose parents don’t feel safe sending them back.

If daycares, private schools, and indoor dining in restaurants can reopen, why not schools? Oh, and this is certainly a problem you can pay your way out of if you are willing to fork over thousands of dollars each year for a learning pod, private school, or virtual learning support.

Or willing and able to give up thousands of dollars per year in earnings.

Although my daughter is doing as well as any 5-year-old in a virtual school environment could probably do, it is so much harder to learn to write while learning on Zoom. My husband and I (and her grandmother, thankfully a retired Kindergarten teacher) have tried to supplement that part of her education as much as possible. Additionally, my mom has done hours of virtual play dates with her each week, which at this age, is an important part of her learning (and helps me a ton).

I’ve learned to manage interruptions in my day by getting up before dawn to get my focused work in and be extremely disciplined and strategic about my time. I am thankful for working on a team that gives me grace on bad days.

Our economic recovery depends on women going back to work — for those who wish to do so. And they can’t do that without reliable child care and open schools.