States Tackle the Childcare Shortage in Rural America with Tangible Results

Across the nation, the consequences of a childcare shortage are dire. Women leave the workforce. Young families move away. Employers can't find enough workers. The childcare providers who remain often leave the field for better-paying jobs, and those who stay may have to rely on public benefits to feed their own children.

Rural communities feel these pressures most acutely, as a report commissioned by United WE, a nonpartisan think tank in Missouri that focuses on women's labor participation, explains...