Michigan Business Beat Carrie Rosingana CAMW! Capital Area Child Care Coalition Employer Roundtable

Michigan Business Network

Originally uploaded August 28th re-edited September 3rd. Chris Holman welcomes back Carrie Rosingana, , CEO, CAMW! Capital Area Michigan Works!, Lansing, MI, but serving Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties. THEME: Carrie recaps her presentation at the Capital Area Child Care Coalition Employer Roundtable on June 20 and discusses how employers can support their employees’ child care needs. Question: On June 20, the Capital Area Child Care Coalition hosted an Employer Roundtable to foster workforce engagement and enhance childcare solutions. What is the Capital Area Child Care Coalition and what was discussed at the recent roundtable event? ● The Capital Area Child Care Coalition is a group of community leaders in Eaton, Clinton and Ingham Counties who want to increase the supply of high-quality child care. It is co-led by Lansing Economic Area Partnership, Capital Area Michigan Works! and United Way of South Central MI. ● At the Employer Roundtable we addressed the impact of child care on the capital area region’s workforce. Our goal is to grow the Lansing region as one of the most innovative and prosperous communities in the country and ensure families have the support and resources they need to care for their families while entering or maintaining their position in the workforce. ● We not only reviewed the importance of accessible quality child care for economic prosperity and employment retainment, but we also covered strategies to support employees in overcoming child care barriers. ● The roundtable allowed employers and community leaders to gather together and brainstorm solutions to child care barriers that would transform challenges into opportunities for the capital area. ○ Collaborations between businesses, government and nonprofits can create effective child care programs, benefiting the entire community. Carrie, feel free to add any additional thoughts and information about why this topic is important to you. Question: How are child care disparities affecting the workforce today and why is it important to address? ● Unaffordable and non-available child care causes a decrease in employment retainment, increased stress on working parents and decreased workforce efficiency. ○ According to Michigan Advance, of the Michigan households who reported child care issues in 2024, 36% have cut work hours, 34% have taken unpaid leave, 31% have had to supervise their children while working and 26% have left a job due to child care disruptions. ○ Additionally, households with children under 12 that reported child care arrangement issues over the past four weeks climbed from 19.6% to 22.3% from fall 2023 to spring 2024. ● We are also seeing a mental health crisis impacting working mothers nationwide. According to reports in Talkspace, 66% of working moms say they’re not mentally healthy and 93% report feeling burned out. ○ Struggles listed by working mothers include: ■ Limited or no flexibility in scheduling. ■ Inadequate maternity leave and postpartum support. ■ Little compassion from leadership and coworkers. ■ Lack of child care options. ● In many cases, one parent is forced to stay home for extended periods of time to watch their children because there are no alternatives. Other times, families cannot afford to stop working and must financially strain in order to maintain child care. Question: How can people learn more about the Capital Area Child Care Coalition? ● You can visit the informational page on CACCC at puremichigan.com/childcare to learn more about their mission. ● If you are interested in joining the Coalition, you can submit a membership application at puremichigan.com/childcare/join. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/