Why Girls Who Code Founder Reshma Saujani Says Affordable Childcare Is More Important For American Innovation Than The Growth Of AI

Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First and Girls Who Code, emphasizes the crucial role of affordable childcare over advancements in AI for American innovation.Expressing concerns about the expiration of emergency federal support for US childcare, Saujani highlights the potential impact as funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) ends. The cessation of nearly $40 billion in aid, intended to bolster an undersupported childcare sector, risks closure for around 70,000 childcare centers and displacing roughly 3.2 million children.

This funding, part of the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, aided childcare businesses during the crisis and even helped maintain lower prices for parents.

The termination of this support could lead to significant economic repercussions. The closure of childcare programs may exceed 70,000, affecting over three million children, potentially causing parents to lose a collective $9 billion in earnings if they withdraw from the workforce to care for their children.

Speaking at the Forbes Power Women Summit, Saujani underscores that affordable childcare isn’t merely a social issue but an economic imperative for the nation’s competitiveness. Despite widespread attention on AI-driven advancements, she argues that enabling a fully engaged workforce through accessible childcare may hold greater potential for American innovation and competitiveness.

Saujani emphasizes the universal impact, irrespective of political affiliations or geographic locations, highlighting the imminent societal consequences should this issue continue to be overlooked, stating, “It’s devastating. And it just shows that we live in a country that doesn’t put families first.”