Economics & Child Care: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Go?

Child Care Aware of America and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska cohosted a Roundtable on Economics and Child Care in October 2024, in Omaha. Twenty economists and early childhood experts from across the country gathered to discuss the challenges facing the child care field and make recommendations on how to use what we have learned to improve the child care system.

Participants focused on potential barriers to improving both the supply and demand for child care as well as affordability, while ensuring the highest possible quality for children. Multiple factors were considered, including direct subsidies to families, parental leave, and tax policies.

Throughout the discussion, there were several recurrent themes. Participants focused on the lack of early learning data, the cost, quality, and general shortage of child care, and the challenges faced by the child care workforce.