Rethinking Dependent Care Options

West Virginia Needs more talented people in the workforce, but the lack of reliable care for children and dependent adults forces caregivers to miss work or leave the workforce altogether. 

WHAT’S AT STAKE? 

West Virginia has an opportunity to be a leader in re-thinking dependent care that enables more people to work. With greater workforce participation, our economy could thrive. With only about half of women in the workforce, we are missing talent that can help increase prosperity.

Accessibility

Center-based infant care for one child costs almost a third of an average family’s income. Reducing cost is difficult. Most daycare costs are in staffing, yet the average pay for a daycare worker is $20,000. Challenges include high childcare costs, concern about quality or unavailability of care due to inadequate profit margins in some areas. 

Impact: 

If West Virginia slightly increased childcare accessibility from ranking 50th to 45th.

• Increase workforce participants by
  4,000
• Increase economic impact by
  300 Million

By addressing adult care services, these impacts can be even more significant.

2019 NEXT STEPS 

• Mapped licensed childcare providers. 
• Surveyed care providers to pinpoint top challenges. 
• Showcased creative models for care or flexibility at work. 
• Listed 250+ accredited summer care programs listed by county to display care options so parents or grandparents can stay at work when kids are out of school. 
• Completed economic impact analysis of moving from 50th for dependent care to 47th. 
• Looked at regulations and flexibility. 

2020 NEXT STEPS 

• Innovative business models. 
• Local, state and federal ideas. 
• Employer best practices. 
• Providing start-up information for dependent care services. 

GET INVOLVED. 

WV Women Moving Forward volunteers are supporting workforce flexibility, collecting data and exploring innovative solutions to accessible dependent care options. Support these efforts by emailing wvforward@mail.wvu.edu.