What the data tell us
Access to affordable, reliable child care is critical to family well-being and economic growth. Here’s what the data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation tells us about the current landscape in the Kenai Peninsula Borough and across Alaska:
The Kenai Peninsula Borough is a child care desert.
A “child care desert" is defined as a census tract with more than 50 children under age five and either no child care providers or more than three times as many children as available licensed slots.
The KPB meets this definition.
4,072 children under age five live in the KPB.
Of these, 29% have no access to child care (about 1,198 children), 21% are currently covered by licensed slots and 50% are not in need of care due to an adult not in the workforce.
77% of Alaska parents missed work due to child care problems.
Averaging 17 missed workdays annually.
This local data underscores how care gaps can limit workforce engagement. These parents left the workforce due to not having a choice.
About 7% of parents in the KPB voluntarily left a job due to child care challenges.
The average cost of full-time licensed child care in the KPB is $15,697 per year.
That’s higher than Alaska’s statewide average of $13,695.
Child care costs consume a significant share of household income.
On average, 15% for married households, 24% for single male households and 49% for single female households in the KPB.
What these numbers mean for the Kenai
Behind every data point is a real family trying to make it work, a business struggling to fill shifts, or an overextended provider. The child care shortage is more than a statistic — it’s a challenge that touches nearly every part of life in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
Inadequate child care costs business owners millions each year.
When parents are forced to miss work due to inadequate child care, the lost productivity, shift coverage costs and temporary labor needs cost Alaska employers $111.2 million each year.
This isn’t a question of work ethic. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 74% of parents say they have missed work in the last three months due to lack of child care. The average parent misses 17 work days a year to care for a child. Those absences aren’t just bad for family finances — they’re bad for businesses’ bottom lines.
Poor access to child care can force parents out of the job market.
40% of parents reported a change in their job in the past year, like reduced hours or turning down a promotion. 16% expect to leave their jobs in the next year. Of them, 39% cite child care as the reason.
When parents exit the workforce, they lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential earnings.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation estimates parents who exit the workforce for three years may incur more than $500,000 in lifetime economic losses. That means missed wages, missed wage growth and diminished retirement savings.
Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step in exploring local solutions. The good news?
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