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Working Mom Exodus of 2025 | Part 3: The Childcare Crisis
The childcare crisis is real. The average full-time daycare now costs $15,000+ per child annually. For families with two kids, that’s more than rent or mortgage in most states.
And here’s what’s breaking my heart: Women who built businesses from the ground up are returning to corporate jobs just to afford childcare—keeping their businesses as side hustles. Entrepreneurs forced to pause their dreams because the math doesn’t work.
When you’re earning $90,000 a year and childcare costs $30,000 for two kids, plus commuting and work expenses—you’re bringing home maybe $45,000 after everything. You’re working full-time, exhausted, missing your kids, for what amounts to part-time pay.
What if there was a way to cut childcare costs by 40% while keeping your full-time career trajectory—benefits, promotions, and all?
Why This Series Matters
Systems are being dismantled. Progress is being rolled back. With DEI under attack, the political climate unstable, and AI infiltrating everything, we need to understand what’s really driving women out—and create our own solutions.
Because we can’t afford to wait. And with job sharing, you don’t have to. You create your own path—with a partner, not AI.
In Episode 54, you’ll DISCOVER:
- ✔️ Why the $24 billion federal funding cliff changed everything
- ✔️ The impossible math families are facing (and the heartbreaking choices)
- ✔️ How 6-month childcare waitlists make returning to work nearly impossible
- ✔️ 3 things employers can do (on-site care = 7.4x higher retention!)
- ✔️ 3 strategic moves for working mothers facing crushing childcare costs
- ✔️ How job sharers cut costs by 40%—only needing 3 days of care per week
- ✔️ The promotion math that changes everything for your take-home pay
The Crisis By the Numbers
Federal childcare subsidies expired in September 2024. Centers closed or raised tuition dramatically. About 20% of childcare providers are immigrants, and mass deportations are worsening the shortage. Waitlists now average 6 months.
Families are spending 8.9-16% of their income on childcare for a single child. That’s between $6,552 and $15,600 annually—and those numbers have only gone up.
Here’s What Changes in the Childcare Crisis With Job Sharing
When you work 3 days a week instead of 5, you only need childcare for those 3 days. That’s 40% less in childcare costs—potentially saving $12,000+ annually for families with two kids.
But here’s what makes job sharing different from just going part-time: You’re still in a full-time position with full benefits—healthcare, retirement, PTO. And 70% or more of job share teams are promoted together.
When your job share gets a 20% raise, your 60% salary goes from $48,000 to $57,600. Another promotion? $69,120 for part-time work with full benefits and zero burnout.
What Comes Next In This Series
Over the next 5 episodes, we’ll explore the problem AND the solutions—what mothers can do, what employers should do, and how job sharing addresses each challenge.
- Next Episode (Part 3): The childcare crisis & affordability—heartbreaking choices families are being forced to make
- Full Series: Every other Tuesday through Dec 30
- ICYMI: Part 1: RTO Mandates
Featured:
- U.S. Department of Labor Analysis on childcare costs
- SHRM Report on employer childcare support
- TIME Magazine: “Why So Many Women Are Quitting the Workforce”
Resources & Links Mentioned:
- Join Work Muse Facebook Community: Job Share, Live Life + Slay Work
- The Work Muse Guide to Job Sharing – Your free roadmap to creating a job share ✅
More From Me:
- Share your childcare struggles DM me on LinkedIn
- Follow Work Muse LinkedIn
Share This Episode!
Know someone struggling with childcare costs? Share this episode—you might open up a possibility they hadn’t considered.
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️New episodes drop every other Tuesday through December 30! Thanks for tuning in to Jobshare Revolution podcast.
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Melissa Nicholson job shared for nearly a decade and is the Founder & CEO of Work Muse. Work Muse drives the adoption of job sharing in business as a source of competitive advantage while helping individuals find work-life balance. Join the #JobshareRevolution here.
