Latest news with #childcare
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Most expecting and new mothers in poverty lack funds for basic necessities: survey
Around 80% of pregnant women and new mothers who applied to a nongovernmental organization for assistance with baby supplies say they don't have enough money to cover their basic living expenses, according to a recent survey by, according to a recent survey it conducted. Save the Children Japan, a local unit of an international NGO, began its Hello! Baby Box initiative in May 2022 to provide essential items for newborns, with the aim of reducing the burden of child care costs for women facing economic or other difficulties. The NGO conducted the survey between October and December last year among 254 women who had applied for support through the organization. All participants responded to the survey, the results of which were released last month. When asked about their specific concerns, 82% cited the cost of raising children, followed by 78% who said they lacked money for basic living expenses. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers. Among those who had received government assistance payments, over 40% said the funds were used for daily necessities, including utilities, as well as baby products. The findings underscore how state support is often diverted to cover essential day-to-day costs and consumables needed for child-rearing. A total of 49.2% of the respondents were unemployed. This trend has remained largely unchanged over the past three years, according to the NGO, with around 50% of applicants consistently declaring themselves as such. 'Part-time or temporary workers' accounted for 24.8% of respondents, and 'full-time employees,' 9.8%. Some 31.9% said they had never worked before while 25.6% revealed that pregnancy led them to quit their jobs. The results also showed that 78% of respondents were either single or raising a child alone. When asked if there was someone aside from a spouse or partner whom they could rely on, such as family or friends, 64.2% of respondents said they had 'no one.' Nearly half described their financial situation as 'barely getting by,' 30% said they were dipping into savings and 22% said they were incurring debt — meaning more than half were actively short on funds. 'Based on the results of this survey, we will continue to urge the Children and Families Agency, relevant ministries, and local governments to strengthen support measures — such as providing baby care items like diapers — for low-income households and especially vulnerable pregnant and postpartum women,' Save the Children Japan wrote in a statement.
CBS News
13 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Texas lawmakers approve historic new $100 million for child care
The 2025 Texas legislative session is ending with a historic investment in child care. Legislators agreed to add $100 million in new funding for child care scholarships that benefit working families and employers. U.S. Department of Labor "In Tarrant County, an average family can expect to spend 12% of their income on child care," said Stacy Agee Martin, executive director of Fortress, an early childhood development center in Fort Worth. "But for a family in poverty, a low-income earning family, that creeps closer to 35%, which makes it pretty obvious why people say, 'I can't afford to work.'" Thousands still on waitlist Currently, nearly 100,000 children in Texas are on a waitlist for state financial assistance to help cover child care costs. "About 90% of the families we serve are on the waitlist for that subsidy, which means Fortress has been filling that gap through funders and grants," Martin said. Relief for working families That's why she welcomed the news that lawmakers are allocating $100 million to expand access to child care scholarships. "I'm grateful," she said. "I'm excited about what this is going to do for our low-income families that are working so hard and who want to work." Advocates, businesses drove change The investment is the result of a coordinated effort by advocates, families, and private businesses to push for solutions during the session. "This is a historic day," said David Feigen, director of early learning policy at Texans Care for Children. "The state has never committed new funding in the budget for child care like this before. This is $100 million in new dollars for the child care services program, which helps working parents get scholarships that allow them to go to work. Their children are enrolled in really high-quality programs. So this is a huge step." Child care crisis impacts all Feigen said the move reflects growing recognition of the wide-reaching impact of the child care crisis. "This child care crisis impacts every Texan across the state," he said. "Whether you are relying on child care or not, you're probably relying on people who are relying on child care every single day. The more families that have access to this needed service, the more who can show up to work every day and support every aspect of our economy." Billions lost to inaction Studies show child care issues cost Texas more than $11 billion annually in lost productivity and revenue. "We all think of child care as an education issue, a family issue, a women's issue," said Kelsey Erickson Streufert, chief public affairs officer at the Texas Restaurant Association. "It is all of those things, but it is also really crippling our workforce and our businesses' ability to keep and attract the talent they need to keep the Texas miracle alive and continue to serve our state's growing population." Employers Join Advocacy Efforts The Texas Restaurant Association, in partnership with Early Matters Texas, the Texas Association of Business, and Texas 2036, launched the Employers for Childcare Task Force (E4C) to advocate for legislative change. Policy Changes Support Providers The coalition supported bills to create a free online resource hub for employers about child care, allow state agencies to share child care-related data, and prioritize subsidies for child care workers to help cover their own child care needs. "We want them to be at the front of the line, because if you can keep them in the classroom, then they can serve so many other families in the workforce," Streufert said. "That's another example of a policy we supported to address this challenge for working families." Funding Helps, But Not Enough While advocates say the $100 million investment is a major step forward, they also stress that it's only the beginning. "That's a lot of money, but it just meets the gap that's already there — and barely," Martin said. More Than 95,000 Still Waiting E4C estimates the funding will help serve about 10,000 additional children across the state. More than 95,000 remain on the waitlist. "Child care is such a huge need in our state that we want to be very clear this session was not a silver bullet," Streufert said. "We accomplished great things this session, but we have a long way to go. In fact, some of our biggest accomplishments this session really set the stage for the long-term conversations we need to really address this problem."
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Carleton North daycare facility to receive funding from New Brunswick government
The Step Ahead – Bath Family Learning Centre is receiving funding towards building a new educational daycare facility from the Government of New Brunswick. The centre, located in Carleton North, will receive $840,000 to support construction of an accessible 743-square metre facility. 'This funding will reduce waitlists and open more doors to ensure families in this region receive the services they need for their children,' said Environment and Climate Change Minister Gilles LePage, who is also minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation. 'This space will give children more learning opportunities, and help families access affordable childcare.' The initiative has also received support from the local community and $500,000 from the federal government through the Canada-New Brunswick Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The agreement is committed to creating 3,400 new designated early learning childcare spaces by March 31, 2026. 'I am incredibly proud to see the Step Ahead – Bath Family Learning Centre becoming a reality,' said Carleton North Mayor Andrew Harvey. 'This new daycare facility will be a game-changer for our local families, offering high-quality and affordable childcare right here in our community. It will mean that more children will have access to early-learning opportunities, which will help establish the foundation for their lifelong success.' The facility will offer child-care services for six infants, 56 children aged two to four, 10 preschoolers and 45 after-school participants. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Entrepreneur
a day ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
School's Out — How to Support Working Parents This Summer
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. When school lets out for summer, many parents struggle to piece together childcare, adjust their schedules and stay on top of work responsibilities, often with limited support. Becoming a parent has given me a deeper, more personal understanding of what working parents are juggling, especially when their support systems are stretched thin. I grew up watching two working parents handle it all. Even with just one child, I can feel how demanding it is. That lived experience has sharpened my empathy and made me more aware of how different each family's situation can be. So much of the load parents carry is invisible: coordinating school pickups, managing last-minute sick days, finding childcare or simply staying emotionally present while switching between personal and professional roles. Summer brings a different kind of unpredictability. Camps may only run for half the day. Family travel peaks. Normal childcare routines break down. Research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that mothers of children ages 6-12 spend 31 more minutes per day, and fathers 18 more minutes per day, caring for their children in the summer compared to the school year. This may not sound like a lot, but consider that extra time over 70 or 80 days of summer and add it to the already time-intensive responsibilities of parenthood. So, how can leaders better support working parents during these unpredictable summer months? Related: How to Create a Supportive Workplace Culture Without Sacrificing Productivity Make flexibility the norm, not the exception One of the most meaningful ways leaders can help parents navigate summer break is by embracing schedule flexibility. For some employees, that might mean working earlier or later than usual. For others, it means shifting to asynchronous collaboration to keep projects moving without everyone online at the same time. Implementing "core hours," a daily block of time set aside for live collaboration, with the rest of the day open for focused solo work, can help to balance team connectivity with individual productivity. Offer team-wide calendar reviews at the start of summer to reduce unnecessary meetings and empower time ownership. Doing meeting-free days, or even weeks, during peak school breaks can also help prevent burnout. These approaches allow people to work in ways that suit their lives while still maintaining momentum. Research from Future Forum supports this, showing that employees with schedule flexibility report 29% higher productivity and more than 50% greater ability to focus. Companies that go further, such as by offering stipends for summer childcare or providing access to virtual summer camps through employee perks platforms, are not just helping parents stay afloat. They're investing in long-term engagement and retention. Related: An Investor Doubted Me and My Business Because I'm a Working Dad — Here's Why You Don't Have to Sacrifice Work or Your Family. Don't assume top performers are fine A common mistake leaders make is assuming high-performing employees will figure things out. They're adaptable, resourceful and driven, so why wouldn't they manage just fine during a hectic season like summer? But that thinking overlooks a key truth: Even the most capable people have limits. And when leaders fail to check in or offer support, those employees may not speak up. Instead, they may quietly burn out or disengage. The better approach is to create space for open dialogue. As a leader, I've learned the importance of checking in proactively, not just to ask about work, but also how people are really doing. Employees who feel supported by their manager are over three times more likely to be engaged at work. That starts with creating space for honest conversations. Encourage managers to normalize conversations about caregiving and offer micro-flexibility (i.e. shifting hours, no-meeting blocks) as a baseline for supporting parents. Broader company-wide conversations can happen through short surveys or structured feedback from employee resource groups. The goal with these initiatives is to listen. Salesforce, for example, found that employees who feel heard are over four times more likely to feel empowered and do their best work. Often, people don't expect you to solve everything; they just want to know someone sees what they're carrying and cares enough to ask. Lead by modeling boundaries and presence Since becoming a parent, I've also had to change how I manage my own time. I've become ruthless about timeboxing. I give each task, meeting or decision a hard boundary and focus deeply within that window. When the time's up, I move on. That discipline has helped me avoid dragging work into every corner of the day and allowed me to be more present both at home and at work. Presence is something we sometimes underestimate in leadership. It's not about always being available. It's about fully engaging in the moment, whether in a one-on-one meeting, a group brainstorming session or at your kid's first swim lesson. Everyone's version of presence will look different, and that's part of the point. When leaders model this, it sets a tone and gives others permission to be human, too. One study found that 96% of employees believe empathy from leadership improves retention. Empathy doesn't have to be dramatic. Sometimes, it just looks like a calendar that reflects your priorities and a culture that supports others in doing the same. Related: You Don't Need to Sacrifice Your Family to Pursue Being an Entrepreneur. Here's How to Save Yourself 500 Hours Per Year. Summer is a chance to rethink what support looks like Every summer, families shift their routines to keep everything moving, and employers should do the same. As leaders, our responsibility is not to expect everyone to adapt to a rigid system but to create a workplace flexible enough to adapt to people's lives. That starts with trust, empathy and a willingness to lead with curiosity rather than assumptions. Parenthood has helped me see all of this more clearly. And while my daughter isn't in school yet, the lessons she's already taught me about presence, patience and what really matters are shaping how I show up for my team every day. When we create room for those kinds of human moments at work, we get better results while building stronger, more resilient cultures that last long after the summer is over.
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
How 2 Halifax pro athletes balance parenthood with sport
Competing in professional sports is difficult, but it's especially hard when you're a parent and have to figure out child care, travel and expenses associated with the job. Giuliana Grillo spoke to two athletes who are making it work, but say more support should be available.
