The last several years have served as one prolonged watershed moment for the early care and education sector.<\/p>
The pandemic and its many aftershocks \u2014 including a hit to\u00a0labor force participation among women<\/a>\u00a0and a severe\u00a0early childhood staffing shortage<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 helped many Americans unacquainted with these issues begin to understand the integral role that early care and education play in economic and social stability.<\/p> Many employers became more aware of the challenges of raising children in the United States, where child care and early childhood education are not guaranteed and, in many places and for many families, are\u00a0prohibitively expensive and inaccessible<\/a>.<\/p>