Recognizing that a data-driven understanding of the impact of childcare breakdowns on working parents, their employers, and the state economy is prerequisite to creating meaningful solutions, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation partnered with the NC Chamber Foundation and NC Child to produce this report, which aims to understand the unique needs of working parents in North Carolina by exploring the current childcare landscape. The report estimates how often parents leave the workforce, are absent from school or work, or miss educational opportunities due to insufficient childcare support.
Data for this report was gathered by surveying a representative sample of 517 parents of children under the age of six across North Carolina. Survey results were then used to model an estimate of the direct financial impact of insufficient childcare coverage on North Carolina’s economy.
The results of this research during March 2024 suggest that insufficient childcare availability is costing North Carolina $5.65 billion in lost economic activity each year.
The report quantifies the direct economic impact due to childcare issues and builds on previous efforts to better understand the size of the childcare problem. Since 2019, the U.S. Chamber Foundation conducted studies in twelve states. In each state, childcare breakdowns resulted in hundreds of millions—even billions—of dollars of lost economic activity. As state leaders consider next steps to position North Carolina for continued economic success, childcare initiatives could enable the state to capitalize fully on its resources.
