The National SAFEKIDS campaign suggests that no kid under the age of twelve should be left home alone, but with costs of childcare, many kids are. In many states it has been calculated that childcare costs more annually than public college tuition. This causes many mothers not to go back to work because the cost of childcare outweighs the extra money they would be bringing in. Many families cannot make the money they need to support their families with only one parent working, so the mother needs to go back to work. Many families also only make enough to get by, and mothers go back to work to have a more full way of life. What can be done to allow these mothers to go back to work? There are several solutions, including job sharing, but none is better than workplace-provided childcare. While job sharing works for some, it will not work for all or even a majority. It does not allow you to bring in as much income, and it is very hard to make work. If companies provide childcare for workers, they will appear more appealing to potential employees, contribute positively to the lifestyle of Americans, and add to the economy.

In a radio interview, Sharon Johnson said of Washington DC, “I know that for infants, people charge anywhere from $300-$350 a week.” Others on the show said it was even more than that. One woman calculated it cost her $10,000 a year for a nanny. The overall consensus was that daycare costs way too much, and in some cases isn’t worth going back to work.

Is some cases, in order to avoid the high prices of childcare, parents work night shifts. This is what my parents did when I was young. My mother worked days and my dad nights. This puts enormous strain on a family. Not only do spouses not get to see each other very often, but they miss out on valuable time with their children. But, some people are forced to live with situations like this to make sure that their family is taken care of.

Oftentimes, parents will take their children to cheap childcare services: services that are not certified and may be a hostile environment for their kids. With these services, the child is entrusted to several different people and don’t grow up in a stable environment that promotes knowledge and helps them to become a contributor to America when they are older. Children raised in unstable, potentially hostile environments don’t grow up to be the strong citizens with a good work-ethic that they could be.

Some employers may be cautious because of the cost to them when providing childcare for employers, but it is worth it. With more people working and more children getting the care they need to become the citizens they can, it will cause a positive contribution to the economy and work towards lowering crime rates. Not only will this contribute to the economy, but also to strengthening families and showing prospective employees how important family is to a company.

America is built on ideas of unity and providing a way for families to go back to work with peace of mind will uphold these ideas. Children raised in a strong family where they can always feel safe are more likely to do something good with their lives. The domino effect of the small help of job-provided childcare is immense. It will provide jobs, attract prospective employees, allow more people to go back to work, give kids a chance at a good future, lead to more of our next generation going to college, and much more. It is a justifiable expenditure that will work towards making America the place our founding fathers believed it could be.

Some of the existing job childcare services have only limited space, so you are not guaranteed a spot for your child. With a little bit of government help, there could be more of these services with the necessary funds to accept more children and provide a safe place for them to spend their days. Several hospitals have begun to implement this work benefit and it has helped a lot of Doctors and nurses to work without worries over their children plaguing their minds. The focus of America needs to shift to the young… to our future.