For years, the child care crisis has been treated like a problem that child care providers alone are expected to solve—on razor-thin margins, with underpaid staff, and ever-growing expectations. But this model is not just broken—it’s unsustainable.
It’s time to stop treating child care as a private family matter or a niche industry concern. This is a workforce issue. A business issue. A community issue. And it’s time that employers step into their rightful place—not as bystanders or discount-seekers, but as partners in the solution.
The Problem: Why the Current Child Care Model Is Failing
Let’s start with the math.
The national average for infant care now exceeds $15,000 per year, outpacing the cost of public college tuition in many states. In Illinois, it’s not far behind—infant care averages $13,700/year, while the federal government defines “affordable” care as no more than 7% of a family’s income.
That means a family earning $60,000 per year can “afford” only $4,200 annually for care—less than a third of what it actually costs.
On the provider side, it’s no better:
- Child care wages have increased just $0.76/hour in the last four years—leaving early childhood educators earning $13.71/hour, or less than the average dog walker.
- Staff turnover in child care programs is upwards of 40% annually, robbing children of the stable relationships science tells us they need most.
- Costs for insurance, food, curriculum, and licensing compliance have all surged at nearly twice the rate of inflation, leaving providers trapped: raise tuition and risk pricing families out, or keep it low and risk closing the doors.
And across the country—and right here in McLean County—centers are struggling to keep doors open even with extremely long waitlists.
McLean County Snapshot
McLean County is the 13th most populated county in Illinois, with 171,284 residents, including more than 11,000 children under the age of 5.
Yet there are currently only:
- 26 licensed centers (3,108 total capacity)
- 70 licensed in-home providers (724 total capacity)
That’s capacity for only about 34% of children under age 5.
In a region where major employers like State Farm, Country Financial, Growmark, Ferrero, Rivian, two major hospitals, and two universities all call Bloomington-Normal home, families are waiting up to six months for a child care opening—just to return to work after parental leave.
This is not just inconvenient. It’s a threat to workforce participation, especially for mothers, and to the long-term economic health of our region.
Why “Preferred Provider Discounts” Aren’t the Answer
We’ve seen a growing trend of employers asking child care providers for discounts in exchange for being listed in an employee newsletter or intranet site.
But here’s the truth:
Discounts don’t create access—they undermine it.
That 10% discount might feel like a benefit to employees, but it comes directly from the revenue that pays staff wages, classroom materials, and health & safety compliance. It widens the already unsustainable gap providers face, forcing them to absorb costs they can’t afford.
What providers need is real investment, not shallow incentives that keep the system fragile.
What Does Work: Employer Partnerships That Invest
Across the country, forward-thinking employers are finding ways to invest in child care—not just list it as a perk. Here are a few models worth watching:
- Wegmans Food Markets partners with local centers to reserve slots for employees and contribute toward tuition.
- Booz Allen Hamilton pays a portion of employee child care tuition directly to providers, offsetting costs without asking for discounts
- Toyota in Georgetown, KY partnered with a child care center to build a new facility that prioritized its employees—but kept access open to the broader community.
- Bank of America provides monthly reimbursements (up to $275/month), and helps employees navigate local provider options.
- Cakes Body (e-commerce startup) covers up to 36,000 annually in childcare per employee under 6-part of a broader family-supportive benefits package.
These are not charity moves. These are strategic investments in talent acquisition, retention, economic development investments, productivity and bottom-line decisions grounded in the reality that parents can’t work if they don’t have care. A Boston Consulting Group study recently found employer-child care benefits yield a 425% return on investment, reduces absences by about 16 days/year, and boosts job satisfaction.
A Call to Action—Join The Farmhouse in Building a Better Childcare Model
At The Farmhouse Early Learning and Development Center, we aren’t just opening another child care center—we’re setting a new standard for what child care can and should be. We know that we don’t have all the answers but we recognize the role that The Farmhouse plays in the childcare crisis that we are facing and how we can help solve it.
As a new facility preparing to open in the heart of Bloomington-Normal, we have the rare opportunity to build a program from the ground up—designed intentionally to meet today’s challenges with tomorrow’s solutions. From inclusive classrooms and highly qualified teachers to thoughtfully designed spaces and a deeply rooted community mission, every detail has been crafted to support all children and families.
What Makes The Farmhouse Different?
We’ve built inclusion into the foundation of our center—not as an add-on, but as the guiding principle.
Through a groundbreaking community collaboration designed to address the childcare crisis in Illinois while expanding access to vital pediatric services, The Farmhouse has partnered with Ivy Rehab for Kids Pediatric Therapy. This innovative partnership will provide on-site physical, occupational, and speech therapy for children with disabilities. By Integrating therapy into a high-quality early learning environment, the center serves all children—regardless of developmental needs—creating a truly inclusive model. This model—one of the first of its kind in Illinois—allows children to receive therapy services within their child care setting, eliminating the need for multiple appointments, missed work hours, or mid-day transportation challenges.
When a child has a speech delay, sensory needs, or developmental challenges, it’s not just the child who’s impacted—it’s the entire family’s ability to participate in the workforce.
By incorporating these supports into our daily programming, we reduce those disruptions–benefiting not just families, but their employers as well.
This replicable approach fills critical service and childcare gaps in the Bloomington-Normal area and offers a promising blueprint for other Illinois communities–and we are proud to bring it to Mclean County as a model for what’s possible.
How Can Employers Join Us
In Bloomington-Normal, we pride ourselves on being a hub for innovation and progress. But when it comes to child care, we’re behind.
We can’t afford to keep losing working parents to a broken system. And providers can’t keep holding up the foundation of the workforce while barely staying afloat.
If we want a strong local economy, vibrant talent pipelines, and equitable access to opportunity, employers must step forward—
Providers can’t do this alone. Families can’t do this alone.
We are calling on local employers to join us in creating meaningful, lasting solutions to the child care crisis.
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Reserve Slots + Pre-Pay to Secure Access
Employers can guarantee child care access for their employees by reserving slots at our center and pre-paying tuition, even before a specific family is identified. This not only gives working parents peace of mind—it also provides critical upfront funding that helps us recruit staff, maintain low ratios, and ensure high-quality care.
Why Pre-Paid Slot Reservations Make a Big Difference
Even one pre-paid slot:
- Increases our financial stability to hire and retain high-quality educators
- Reduces risk, helping us maintain inclusive practices without sacrificing quality
- Gives working parents priority access in a market where six-month waitlists are the norm
- Strengthens your reputation as a family-friendly employer that’s leading the way
➡️ Bonus: You can leverage the Federal Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (IRS Section 45F) to offset up to 25% of those expenditures.
- Sponsor a Room Through Our “Make an Impact” Campaign
Your business can leave a legacy by helping furnish a classroom, therapy suite, or nature play space. Sponsors receive recognition through plaques, social media spotlights, and community-wide visibility—all while making child care more accessible to local families.
- Advocate for Systemic Change
Use your voice to support state and federal policies that increase funding for early learning, expand infrastructure, and better support working families. Join us in advocating for smarter public investments that ease the burden on parents, providers, and employers alike.
The Big Picture: We’re Opening Full—And It’s Still Not Enough
We haven’t even opened our doors yet, and we’re already predicted to reach full enrollment at launch. That’s a testament to the urgent need—but it also underscores the scale of the problem. Even fully operational, The Farmhouse will only serve a fraction of the families waiting for care in McLean County.
That’s why we’re asking:
Ready to Take the First Step?
If you’re a business leader, HR manager, or community advocate looking to make a real, tangible impact, we invite you to partner with us.
Because together, we can build more than a child care center.
We can build a better future—for children, families, and the workforce that powers McLean County.