Optimizing Business Productivity via Investing in High-Quality Childcare for Low-Income Family Employees
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Authors
Bonds-Jackson, Chantelle
Issue Date
2026-04
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Business, Engineering, Science, & Technological Innovation , Childcare , Business Productivity , Low-Income Communities , Low-Income Childcare Communities , Investing in Childcare in Low-Income Communities
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore why the lack of quality and affordable childcare contributes to low employee performance among workers in low-income communities who required childcare services, and how employers could improve employee performance given the shortage of such services. The problem addressed in this study is the decline in employee performance among workers in low-income communities due to inadequate access to quality and affordable childcare. Guided by the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework, the study examined how childcare conditions affect attendance, productivity, and retention, and how employers can mitigate these effects through supportive policies and practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 low-income employed parents requiring childcare services for their children. Thematic analysis using Yin’s five-phase approach yielded eight major themes. For Research Question 1, four mechanisms of performance decline were identified: unstable childcare and attendance breakdown, cost stress and focus loss, inconsistent work schedules and care conflicts, and mental load with reduced engagement. For Research Question 2, participants identified four employer supports that improved performance: predictable and flexible scheduling, access to onsite or partnered childcare, childcare financial assistance, and supervisor understanding within a supportive culture. These findings support the SROI premise that childcare access generates or depletes value across multiple stakeholders, including families, employers, and communities, beyond direct wages or operational costs. Future research should use methods that rigorously test employer childcare supports for causal impact on performance, family well-being, and broader social value. The study contributes practical, stakeholder-informed insights for employers and policymakers seeking to enhance job stability and family well-being in care-scarce environments.