In March of 2020 when everyone was sent home, it was utter chaos. The worst kept parenting secret (ever) was exposed: it’s impossible to work without childcare. Parents scrambled but for once, not all of them had to go it alone. Many employers, perhaps motivated by self-interest perhaps by the greater good, stepped up to offer care supports to their employers. Those moves kept productivity up and workers engaged, and even helped bring some women back into the workforce. We’ve iterated many times in the intervening years and today sit at our latest “new normal,” remote or hybrid work. There’s been much said about the benefits of this new model…flexibility, greater work/life balance, and less stress, among others. But it begs the question: Does the modern workplace work for parents? Reshma, Tim and guest Blessing Adesiyan, founder of Mother Honestly (now MH Work Life), dig into new research from MH and Care.com that takes a hard look at where things stand. Some of the findings will surprise you. Our episode closes with Reshma and Tim’s thoughts on the conversations they’ve had throughout Season 1 of Why Care?.

It’s not often politicians on both sides of the aisle agree but care is one of the few topics where that’s the case. Everyone wants to help families and see them thrive. And most would even agree that fixing childcare is a huge part of that. Why? Because childcare is one of the biggest expenses for every family. And quality care in formative years leads to better outcomes and futures for our kids. And if people stop having kids because it’s too costly, as many are doing, the damage will be felt for years to come as our workforce shrinks. And because keeping moms in the workforce is a huge part of our economic growth. And…and…and. The list of reasons we should fix childcare goes on and on. Yet, despite those reasons and despite agreement on the importance of care, year after year, nothing is done. In a fascinating conversation with pollsters from both the Republican and Democratic parties, Reshma and Tim find out that it’s not a shortage of ideas that’s the problem. Tune in to find out what is. Programming Note: This episode was recorded just prior to the November mid-term elections.

For decades, women in the workforce has been the biggest driver of GDP growth in America. We’ve wanted them in our offices, our factories, and our stores but we’ve turned a blind eye to their other full-time job: mom. The government wasn’t investing in care so each family had to fend for itself. But in recent years, as the fragile care system crumbled and then finally collapsed, the tide turned. Employers across industries started to ask their female employees what they truly needed to be better at their jobs and the answer was clear: childcare and flexibility. And when those employers acted on this insight, amazing things happened: Increased productivity, loyalty, reduced turnover. It turned out the right thing to do was also the right thing to do for the bottom line. In this two-part conversation with leaders from Synchrony and Best Buy, Reshma and Tim explore how the private sector can lead in solving this very public problem.