Ryan Reding Myers
We don’t often talk about child care and paid parental leave in the same conversation when it comes to public policy.
But the reality is this: Our lack of statewide paid leave means many families need child care when their infants are very young – care that is expensive and harder than ever to get because of cuts to the state’s child care system.
As we work to address Indiana’s child care crisis, we have to start talking about paid leave as part of the solution.
Most parents in Indiana – about 79% – don’t have paid leave through their employers. They cobble together care in the earliest weeks, take unpaid leave through FMLA and then are faced with staggering infant care costs in addition to medical bills and lost wages.
Infant care is expensive, and some of the proposed solutions that could lighten the load on our child care system don’t apply to infant care. Providers must have one caregiver for every four infants – an important health and safety regulation for the most vulnerable kids in care, but one that leaves little room for cutting back on costs.
Families may find themselves spending more each month on child care than rent – without another option if they are required to return to work and don’t have a willing and able family caregiver nearby. The average cost for infant and toddler care in Indiana ranges between $9,333 and $15,713 per year, according to data from Brighter Futures.
And with tens of thousands of children on the waitlist for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers, no support is coming for families struggling to afford these costs.
No babies born in the last year have had access to child care support, and no babies born in the coming year will, either.
In addition to the cost, many families need to join waitlists before their baby is born and hope a spot becomes available by the time they must go back to work – for some parents, just a few weeks after the birth of their child.
There are other options. Statewide insurance-style models for paid family and medical leave reduce the burden on individual employers, provide access to leave for more families and cost as little as $1 per week.
Paid leave would allow parents to stay home longer with their very young babies – providing care, at home, in a critical developmental and bonding period. Many families prefer this option, and it would save them up to $400 a week in child care costs while on leave.
Paid leave benefits maternal physical and mental health, infant health and development, and family financial stability – all goals the state holds in ensuring Indiana is truly a family friend place to live and work.
Studies have shown access to paid leave increases the likelihood that employees will return to their jobs, providing benefits for employers by reducing turnover and boosting morale. An evaluation of Indiana’s paid leave program for state employees echoed positive impacts for employers.
Indiana’s child care system needs significant investment, and the availability of safe, reliable infant care will continue to be important. Paid leave alone can’t replace a full system of caregiving, but it could be a complement that makes life easier for families in those critical early months and reduces the demand for limited infant care spots for the families who do need them.
It’s long past time to consider paid leave as an essential part of our caregiving infrastructure, not an optional benefit.
Ryan Reding Myers is the senior manager of government relations and public policy for United Way of Central Indiana. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
