CARY, N.C. — An updated study from Readynation shows the country took a $122 billion loss in earnings, productivity and revenue due to working parents dealing with child care issues. 

The same study done in 2018 had a total cost of $57 billion annually. 

What You Need To Know

  •  The country took a loss of $122 billion in earning and productivity due to issues stemming from child care

  •  The total more than doubled from 2018 when the same study was done

  •  North Carolina alone took a hit of $3.5 billion

Regine Boykin is a member of Blush Cowork, a co-working space in Cary, and the first of its kind in North Carolina to also offer child care. 

“Child care is a job. People need to get paid to do that, so trying to do both at one time, like working my 9 to 5 and taking care of my son, for me it is literally impossible, and I think for a lot of women, mothers, that’s impossible so something like this is a godsend," Boykin said. 

Founder of Blush Cowork Alison Rogers says her own need to work and have child care sparked the idea for Blush. She was clearly not alone in what she was feeling. 

The Readynation report also shows North Carolina has an estimated annual economic impact of $3.5 billion due to the child care crisis.

“I was penalized at work for having these child care needs where I would have to leave early to pick up a child, or my child was sick and I was the one having to stay home, or things like that where I basically missed out on opportunities because I did not have that child care piece in place, even if it was just occasionally. So the information in this report really resonates with me," Rogers said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor states 80,000 child care workers left the industry during the pandemic.