Night Workers Face Child-Care Problems

The lack of round-the-clock child care has created a serious problem for many of the 14 million Americans who work non-standard schedules, Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich said this week.

“Right now, the mismatch between workers’ fluid schedules and available child-care services is taking a toll on families and the economy,” he said. “We can and we must do better.”

A study released by Reich on Wednesday said night-shift workers at a Western Idaho food-processing plant reportedly left sleeping children unattended in cars outside the plant because they could find no way to care for them. The study also noted that more than half the employees of the 58 largest companies in western Idaho are scheduled for night or graveyard shifts.

The Labor Department estimates overall that about one in five Americans have non-standard work schedules, while most child-care centers operate on traditional schedules. Employees caught in the middle include an estimated 7.2 million women and 11.7 million children younger than 15, according to the study, which was conducted by the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau.

“Too many parents are worn thin by makeshift arrangements and have to choose between quality child care and keeping their jobs,” said Karen Nussbaum, the bureau’s director.

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