The Commonwealth of Massachusetts just released a new report titled “PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS” https://www.mass.gov/doc/future-of-work-in-massachusetts-report/download  I encourage you to check out the whole report if you want to focus on child care, that is discussed on pages 23-25

Below are 5 key quotes from the report:

”Early surveys done by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) show that parents in hybrid work models may need more sporadic, part-time day care for the one to two days per week when they go into the office and that not as many families will seek five days of full-time care as they had before the pandemic”

“The location of childcare needs may shift; employees may seek childcare close to home rather than close to the workplace as they spend more days working from home. Increased demand for part-time childcare and changes in location preferences may further challenge the sustainability and viability of existing childcare models”

“Employers are beginning to recognize the need to support workers in finding flexible, affordable childcare options. In the Massachusetts Future of Work business survey, the number of respondents considering offering childcare support in the future increased by 72 percent from pre-COVID-19 numbers (from 22 percent to 39 percent of respondents)”

“As of April 2021, in Massachusetts, the labor force of female workers dropped by 5.1 percent relative to pre-pandemic levels, compared to 1.7 percent for male workers”

“Childcare needs are a top barrier to getting workers back into the office, according to survey respondents”