For the most part, Americans have moved past the gender norms idealized by TV moms like June Cleaver from the 1950s sitcom Leave It to Beaver.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, about 1.8 million women exited the workforce, many of them working mothers who left due to childcare issues as schools and daycares closed across the country. Yet, even as women’s employment has bounced back as pandemic disruptions eased and schools returned to in-person schedules, accessing affordable childcare in the U.S. remains a challenge for parents.
