Child-Care Crunch Could Trigger a Double-Dip Recession for Women

Shanique Green, a single mother living in Boston, had no trouble finding a part-time customer service gig this summer to supplement her income from her regular job at a call center. Lining up the child care she needed to make it all work has been much more of a challenge.

Green, whose 8-year-old son is in primary school, used to rely on government vouchers to pay for child care for her 2- and 3-year-old daughters. But now there’s a long wait list at programs that accept them and space is tight at those that don’t. After much searching, she was able to find a nursery with room for both girls, but the $600 a week it cost would have gobbled up half the paycheck from her new job, jeopardizing her plans to build up savings to buy her first home. “It’s like a race. People have to go to work, so they’re trying to get day care as soon as possible,” says Green. “But the ones with better income take all the spots.”