Why Childcare is a CEO Problem: The Hidden Link Between Care, Staffing and Workforce Competitiveness

Childcare has quietly become one of the biggest pressure points in the labor market, reshaping how people choose jobs, stay in jobs and build careers. What was once treated as a private family problem is now showing up in employers’ bottom lines through absenteeism, turnover, delayed returns to work and unfilled roles. The pressure is especially acute in industries like healthcare, where work is often in person, shifts are long and staffing gaps can quickly affect both operations and patient care. With childcare costs now rivaling or exceeding major household expenses in many states, the question for business leaders is no longer whether families are struggling, but how much workforce stability depends on helping solve it.So if childcare is affecting who can work, who stays, who calls out and who accepts a job offer, why is it still so often treated as an HR side issue instead of a CEO-level business strategy?On this episode of I Don’t Care, host Dr. Kevin Stevenson speaks with Nicole Riehl, President and CEO of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, known as EPIC. Their conversation explores why childcare access is now tied directly to recruitment, retention, absenteeism, workforce planning and long-term economic competitiveness—and why business leaders may need to rethink what counts as core infrastructure for their employees.Top insights from the talk…Childcare affects business performance. Riehl explains that childcare shortages show up in turnover, call-outs, delayed returns to work, reduced productivity and difficulty filling specialized roles, especially in healthcare and 24/7 operations.Employers need better data before choosing solutions. EPIC works with employers to survey workers, assess local childcare supply, understand affordability challenges and identify whether solutions should include stipends, backup care, on-site childcare or partnerships with providers.Childcare benefits can produce measurable ROI. Riehl says employers often recover their investment through improved retention, faster recruiting, fewer absences and stronger engagement, with some childcare investments generating returns ranging from 100% to 400%.Nicole Riehl is President and CEO of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, where she helps employers, executives and policymakers address childcare as a workforce, economic development and business competitiveness issue. Her career spans early childhood education, nonprofit leadership, finance, program strategy and systems-building, including senior leadership roles at Denver’s Early Childhood Council and quality improvement work with Qualistar Colorado. Recognized by the Denver Business Journal as an Outstanding Woman in Business and Power Book honoree, Riehl brings deep expertise in employer childcare solutions, early learning policy, workforce retention and cross-sector collaboration.