Work Isn’t Working for Women. It’s Time for a New Deal.

For decades, women have been told to “lean in,” stretch their education, and climb the career ladder, often with the promise that everything else, including family, would fall into place. But the truth is, our economy and workplace culture are not designed to support women, especially those who want both a career and children. And in rural communities, these barriers are even steeper.

As recently reported in Vox, the average age of first-time mothers is 27.5, a dramatic shift from age 21 in 1970. That change isn’t just about shifting values. It’s also about systemic design. Education timelines are longer, early-career wages remain low, and child care is increasingly unaffordable or unavailable, especially in Greater Minnesota. These trends make starting a family earlier feel nearly impossible, even for those who want to.

In a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) cut through the noise: child care is not a “women’s issue. ” It’s an economic one. She emphasized that nearly 60% of stay-at-home or part-time parents would re-enter the workforce if child care were accessible and affordable—a missed opportunity not just for families, but for the broader economy.

In response, U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer affirmed the concern and noted that during a recent agriculture listening tour, farmers and ranchers also cited child care as a significant barrier to workforce participation. Rural producers, who are among the most independent and essential sectors of our economy, are raising child care as a top concern, and this speaks volumes about how deeply this crisis cuts across industries and regions.

In Itasca County alone, 125 child care slots were lost this spring, leaving families with few viable options. Across Greater Minnesota, parents often drive 30 miles or more to find infant care if they can find any at all. These shortages are not only straining families but are actively undermining workforce participation and regional economic stability.

We can’t afford to treat these problems in silos. Families don’t experience their housing, education, and employment challenges in isolation, and our solutions shouldn’t either. What’s needed is a bold, systems-level response that combines public investment with private leadership.

That’s why public-private partnerships matter. Legislation like the bipartisan Child Care Availability and Affordability Act offers a way forward by pairing tax credits for child care with incentives for business participation. Meanwhile, creative housing developments that integrate child care centers onsite (as seen recently in St. Louis Park) show how developers can also be part of the solution.

It’s time for workplaces (especially in rural America) to stop asking women to wait. Let’s build an economy where parenting is not a liability, but a shared responsibility. That starts with aligning policies, partnerships, and infrastructure to meet real needs.

Because the future of our families, our workforce, and our communities depends on it.

Let’s Work Together

Solving the child care crisis takes all of us. Rural Pathways is proud to support providers and businesses who are stepping up to be part of the solution, and we’re grateful to Moms First for their partnership.

Citation: Anderson, Charity & Gilpin, Staci. (2025). Work Isn’t Working for Women. It’s Time for a New Deal. Rural Pathways News.