Child Care and Family Leave Essential for Working Women

by Karen Schulman, Senior Policy Analyst, 
National Women's Law Center 

Two recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and in The Economist highlight the expanded participation of women in the workforce—the proportion of the workforce accounted for by women is approaching 50 percent—while also pointing out that supports for women’s participation in the workforce have failed to keep pace with that change. 

The U.S. continues to lack paid family leave policies that would allow parents to take time off to care for their very young children without giving up needed income, and does not even require employees to offer paid sick days so parents could take time off when their children are ill. Moreover, child care policies remain far from adequate—while the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant program provides some assistance to some low-income families, many low- and moderate-income families cannot get help paying the high cost of care, and high-quality care is scarce, particularly for parents with infants and parents working hours other than the standard 9-to-5. The shortcomings in U.S. policies are particularly striking compared to the more generous benefits offered in most other developed nations.

The trend in women’s workforce participation is unlikely to be reversed. Working women have become essential in contributing to their families’ income and to the nation’s economic growth. Yet whether women will be able to work with peace of mind that they are meeting their commitments to their children and families will depend on whether the U.S. makes more progress in its work-family policies. As women continue to enter the workforce in growing numbers, expanded supports for high-quality, affordable child care and family leave are fundamental to enabling them to balance their responsibilities to work and family.