Summary
The U.S. child care system is at a crisis point, costing families, providers, and the workforce dearly in both dollars and opportunity. In this POV, Resultant Early Care and Education Manager Amy Smigielski explores how outdated infrastructure and disconnected data systems have deepened inequities and blocked meaningful progress. But with the right tools, states can transform child care from broken patchwork quick fixes into a responsive, people-centered system. The piece outlines how modern data strategies, smarter public–private partnerships, and integrated platforms like Child Care Pulse can help states close gaps in care, empower providers, and support working families.
[Estimated read time: 7-6 minutes]
In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, lawmakers and communities are echoing the same message: the American childcare system is in crisis. Leaders came together to discuss the issues in the recent House Committee on Education and Workforce: Removing Barriers to Economic Growth hearing.
The statistics paint a grim picture, revealing that the U.S. loses a staggering $122 billion in economic productivity annually due to disruptions in childcare services. Shockingly, 31 percent of families struggle to access the care they desperately need.
Meanwhile, providers—many of whom are women of color—operate on razor-thin margins, if they can remain open at all.
At Resultant, we see child care not just as a social service but as foundational economic infrastructure. We believe this system can be reimagined, not through short-term fixes, but through bold, systemic modernization. And we don’t solve problems for people. We solve with them. This moment demands exactly that.
The working population vs. the child care crunch
The people working hardest to hold up our early childhood systems aren’t failing. The systems are failing them.
Despite the admirable efforts of dedicated educators and organizations, the foundation of the childcare system remains fractured, outdated, and bewilderingly complex. States often rely on disparate systems: licensing, subsidy, quality rating, and other systems that don’t talk to each other.
This disconnect leaves states unable to answer basic, essential questions:
- Is the problem lack of supply, or lack of the right type of care?
- Where are the infant care deserts, and how do they align with workforce needs?
- Why do some families wait months while others find immediate open slots?
Providers, largely private businesses, have little incentive or support to share data that could inform workforce and supply strategies. Meanwhile, these providers grapple with manual processes, delayed payments, and regulations that vary from program to program. Let’s be clear: even the best policy intentions fall flat without timely, accurate, human-centered data systems.
The core problem: A broken system that affects real lives
“The root of the crisis is we are relying on the private market to solve a problem it cannot.”— Dr. Ruth Friedman, former Director of the HHS Office of Child Care
As Dr. Ruth Friedman so aptly pointed out at the recent hearing, this isn’t just a system design flaw. It’s a human one.
Every outdated portal, every processing delay, every siloed database comes with a cost:
- A parent misses work.
- A provider closes its doors.
- A child loses a stable learning environment.
These are costs no spreadsheet can quantify, but every family feels them.
Outdated processes and disconnected data systems result in tangible costs. The impact is particularly severe on marginalized groups, with Black and Latina educators receiving inadequate pay and rural communities facing perhaps the most significant access challenges.
A solution-centric approach: Putting families and providers first
To address these systemic flaws, we need a comprehensive, people-centered approach.
There’s broad, bipartisan support for a mixed-delivery model that supports both parental choice and provider diversity. But if we’re serious about meeting families where they are, we need systems that can deliver flexibility, trust, and sustainability.
That means modernizing childcare infrastructure not just to collect data, but to mobilize it for the benefit of those who need it most.
Imagine the impact of:
- Timely provider payments that reflect the true cost of care rather than the lowest reimbursement rate.
- Integrated eligibility systems that allow families to stair-step off assistance without falling off a cliff.
- Dynamic dashboards that show state leaders where supply is lagging before parents feel the pain.
These aren’t tech upgrades. They’re quality-of-life upgrades for providers, families, and children.
Public–private partnerships? Yes. But only with better tools
Dr. Friedman pointed out that the private sector can’t solve this complex issue. Does that mean we should turn away entirely from the private market? No.
The answer isn’t less partnership—it’s smarter partnership.
In Iowa, Resultant helped design a local data strategy that empowered both public agencies and private providers with real-time insights. The result? A community that could align supply and demand, adjust funding strategies, and track outcomes with shared accountability.
Child Care Pulse uses a data warehouse solution and application programming interface (API) that connects provider Child Care Management Systems (CCMSs) with state systems. It has user-friendly tools and dashboards that makes things easier for providers and families. Users can view supply and demand based on county, age of child, and more, and parents can even find open availabilities on their routes to work or school.
This is what public–private collaboration should look like: rooted in reliable data, driven by shared goals, and built to last.
By providing real-time access to this crucial information, it’s anticipated that targeted interventions and programs will ultimately lead to an increase in child care availability across the state.
Because at the end of the day, data isn’t just for measurement. It’s for mobilization.
Conclusion: Embrace change to transition from crisis to competence
The child care system may be at a breaking point, but it’s also at a turning point. With the right infrastructure, we can transform crisis into capability. That transformation will require modern systems, inclusive design, and a commitment to solving issues with communities, not for them.
The time to reimagine child care isn’t later. It’s right now. And it starts with building the tools that make that future possible.
Let’s reimagine what’s possible for child care.
Learn how Child Care Pulse helps states uncover gaps, streamline systems, and support the people who matter most: families and providers.
