When her oldest son was born three years ago, Laura Manion, president and CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, could not find childcare, writes Erin McCarthy for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Instead, she had to bring little Nolan to the office, taking calls while he was sitting on her lap or playing in a Pack ‘n Play across the room.
“Most parents who struggle to find childcare aren’t able to take their child to work,” said Manion. “I was lucky.”
The experience inspired her to start advocating for improvements to the Pennsylvania childcare system.
Last week, she spoke at a news conference attended by chambers of commerce representatives, directors of childcare centers, and business leaders. They are all pressing legislators to pass a budget that allocates $55 million for childcare worker recruitment and retention.
Proponents of the investment in childcare noted that it would help fill more than 3,000 vacant childcare jobs across Pennsylvania, creating space for approximately 25,000 children to receive care.
She has found childcare, but the price for two children under age 3 costs her about $35,000 per year.
“Childcare is infrastructure like roads and broadband,” said Manion. “When childcare fails, businesses fail.”
Read more about Laura Manion and how she is raising awareness for the lack of Pennsylvania childcare opportunities in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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