On this week's episode of Real Work, Real Life, I'm talking with Stacie, an owner and operator of an accredited, licensed family childcare out of her home. You know this if you’re a working parent of small children, but childcare workers are in incredible demand right now, so if it’s a field that you’re passionate about, you will likely have your pick of jobs and options, and access to low cost or free education in the field. It’s also an opportunity to have a meaningful, impactful role in a child’s life, and as we talk about in the episode, for their whole family. Part of why it’s so in demand are the many challenges in the field. Relatively low pay, often no benefits, and a high degree of burnout, especially after the pandemic that put so many childcare workers in impossible situations daily. We get into this a bit in the episode, but childcare is at a breaking point in the US right now.  Slightly more than half the country lives in a “child-care desert,” which a report from the Century Foundation Think Tank defines as “an area where there are more than three children under age 5 for each licensed child-care slot.” Quoted from an article in the Atlantic this summer by Elliot Haspell “At its core is a financial paradox. Child-care providers have very high fixed costs due to the need for low child-to-adult ratios, so they can’t pay their staff well without significantly increasing parent fees (many child-care workers make less than parking attendants). In other words, child care simultaneously is too expensive for parents and brings in too little revenue for programs to operate sustainably. In fact, the industry is still down more than 50,000 employees from pre-pandemic levels. Centers have shut down for want of staff, long waitlists have stretched to the point of absurdity, and the rising cost of care continues to exceed inflation.” Those depressing statistics aside, Stacie’s thoughtful approach to childcare is beautiful hear, and while I think this episode would be great for anyone interested in working in this field, I think working parents everywhere will come away with a new appreciation for the value people like Stacie bring to our families. So let’s get into it! Sources:  “A Tragically American Approach to the Child-Care Crisis” by Elliot Haspell in the Atlantic Magazine,found here: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/06/child-care-united-states-employer-based/674269/ Century Foundation Report, “Child Care Cliff: 3.2 Million Children Likely to Lose Spots with End of Federal Funds”: https://tcf.org/content/report/child-care-cliff/  If you like the show, please rate and review on iTunes and Spotify  (linked below) and please share with a friend! You can also follow the podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Tiktok. And if you’d like to be interviewed here, or there is a particular job you’d like to learn about, please reach out at [email protected]. iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-work-real-life/id1673653251 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Cp0w2BjOtS8NWfj0NhmIg?si=ece5b6ad45274b73 Transcripts are now available here: www.realworkreallife.com