Editorial: Child care is in crisis, but we can fix it — and help the economy, too

Our pandemic-stricken society cheered the brave first responders and medical crews who confronted COVID-19 risks every day, thanked grocery workers and tipped delivery people extra (you did, didn't you?). But one group of essential workers went almost unnoticed: The child care providers who made it possible for those essential workers to keep things running.

This generally low-paid industry took hits in every way. Demand and revenue plummeted while safety-related expenses raised costs. Caregivers who stayed open sometimes couldn't find enough employees because of fears of infection, and other times, those who worked were indeed infected. Meanwhile, 1 in 4 women who became