A recent economic report shows just how much money Montanans spend — and how much they’re losing — because of the lack of available child care in the state.
The report, conducted by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research in Missoula and sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, found that 57% of Montana families with kids under the age of 6 have struggled to find affordable, consistent child care.
Yearly, over 60% of parents with kids under 6 have missed time from work because child care wasn’t available, and 12% have quit a job entirely.