A Child Care Cliff is Coming

Author

Perrin Hood
August 24, 2023

Happy Thursday,

Today, we delve into the lengths parents are going to for family-building support, from taking side hustles for fertility benefits to exploring what happens to child care as pandemic support fades. As KFC Thailand initiates an effort to let moms relax, we also shed light on the relentless nature of stay-at-home parenting and the unseen work they do. Meanwhile, we confront 'toxic achievement' culture and offer a teething remedy for parents with a handy popsicle mold tip.

Let’s get into it!

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One Big Idea

Some parents are taking on side hustles for the fertility benefits

The U.S. job market's evolution is redefining the meaning of job benefits. Beyond just hourly wages, companies like Tractor Supply, Starbucks, and Amazon are now offering fertility benefits to even part-time employees. Driven both by the demand for workers in a tight labor market and the growing recognition of the high costs of fertility treatments, this perk is no longer exclusive to high-paid tech roles. The real stories? Workers like Courtney Lorenz and Jessica Porta, who specifically choose jobs, not primarily for the paycheck, but for the chance at motherhood. As fertility challenges align with prime working ages, these benefits can be life-changing, spotlighting the U.S.'s unique patchwork approach to health coverage and the lengths individuals will go to for family-building support.

Trending Stories & Insights

  • KFC Thailand Launches Operation ‘Let Mom Rest’ On Mother’s Day, where The Colonel challenged partners and family members to take over household chores / family care and to appreciate everything their moms do

  • Could a child care cliff weaken the labor market? As an infusion of $24B to the child care industry during the pandemic dries up, will more parents be forced to leave their jobs to attend to their children?

  • The work just never frickin’ stops, does it? And how it took being in that role to really understand how much real work stay at home parents do

  • Video: fighting back on ‘toxic achievement’ culture

Tip of the Day

  • Our daughter is currently getting 4 (yes, 4) of her top teeth all at once. These popsicle molds are lifesavers! #notsponsored

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It’s going to feel more like a slow roll, but then when the cumulative effect is in place, we’ll see that more women dropped out of the labor force; more businesses struggle to find people to hire

-Melissa Boteach

Question of the Day

Some kids breeze through teething, while others are miserable. What’s one remedy that has worked well for you in the past? Reply to this email and let us know!

Parenting Perspectives: Your Stories Shared

Today’s story is shared with us by Allison from Denver

When my son, Oliver, hit his teething phase, sleepless nights became our new norm. My husband and I tried everything: from cold washcloths to various teething toys, but nothing seemed to ease his discomfort. Then, during a particularly tough night, I remembered a remedy my grandmother once shared with us – soaking a soft cloth dipped in cold chamomile tea for the child to chew on. The difference was night and day! Not only did the chamomile soothe his inflamed gums, but it also helped calm him down for bedtime. Sometimes, the age-old remedies truly are the golden ones.

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