Child Care is a policy issue that often cuts across many areas of public interest, including workforce participation, economic mobility, public health, and even energy and infrastructure. At the 2024 NGA Winter Meeting, child care was a hot topic, generating discussion in several sessions, pointing to this being a top policy priority for Governors in 2024.
“People say to me, oh [child care] is social policy. I don’t see it that way; I see it as workforce participation. If you want people to show up and work and be productive, you’ve got to figure out a way to take care of kids.”
Secretary Gina Raimondo
While discussions around the semi-conductor industry, mining of rare minerals and increasing workforce participation across the United States first dominated the conversation at NGA’s Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force session held during the 2024 NGA Winter Meeting, child care emerged as a standout topic of shared interest for the Governors in attendance. Midway through the conversation, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo highlighted this critical missing piece of the conversation when discussing lower workforce participation rates that are limiting economic growth across the country.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo highlighted the CHIPS and Science Act and the Department of…
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