As a small business owner, one of the most rewarding parts of my job has been employing people from all walks of life. Since I opened Twins BBQ Co. in 2015, we’ve built a team that feels more like family.
But along the way, I realized something heartbreaking: even with competitive wages and a tight-knit culture, it still wasn’t enough to support some of our team—especially those with young children.
Sierra was one of them. She was hardworking and passionate about her job. But like so many working parents, she found herself caught in the middle. She made too much to qualify for the state child care assistance program, but not nearly enough to afford quality care on her own.
Ultimately, the costs and commutes became too much and Sierra had to leave her job. That hit us hard—not just because we lost a great employee but because we saw firsthand how broken the system can be for working parents. No one should have to choose between a job they love and caring for their child.
Connecticut’s child care crisis is crippling businesses and families alike, and we need urgent action from the legislature to create a child care system that supports our workforce.
I’m not alone in feeling the impact that child care costs are having on our labor pool. When Connecticut business group CBIA surveyed nearly 3,000 executives last year, roughly 80% said they struggled to find talented workers, and 60% identified affordable child care as essential for attracting and retaining those employees.
The latest jobs reports bear this out as well. There are 73,000 open jobs across our state, a number that could continue to rise if families keep leaving the workforce or leaving the state altogether for better opportunities.
Child-care centers are also being hit hard by this crisis. My wife and I see this struggle daily, as we also own child-care centers. We pay our team at Honey Tree Preschools a fair wage, but we still can’t afford to pay them what they’re truly worth—because parents are already struggling to pay the tuition as it stands.
Child care is not just a family issue – it’s a workforce issue and an economic issue that impacts every taxpayer in our state. Where we should be thriving, our economy is stagnating from the lack of affordable care. In fact, our state’s economy loses $1.5 billion each year due to the lack of infant-toddler care alone, as parents miss out on hours and days of work.
Our state leaders must recognize the magnitude of this economic crisis and act accordingly. Luckily, there is transformative child care legislation on the table in Hartford this year that would truly make Connecticut a business-friendly state.
One such piece of legislation is the Workforce Child Care Bill (Senate Bill No. 1369), which would ensure no family pays more than 7% of their income on care. This would be a massive offset of costs for working families, who currently spend an average of 27% of their yearly income on care. Tens of thousands of parents like Sierra could be enticed back to the workforce by having an easy way to obtain affordable, reliable, quality child care starting at infancy.
Legislators seem to be listening to the growing calls to fix child care, and have made it a top priority this session. Lawmakers are considering proposals to boost free and affordable pre-school, expand subsidized care for low-income families, raise wages for early childhood educators, and more. As our state leaders decide what will move forward, the business community is hoping for nothing short of a bold solution.
This story isn’t just about Sierra—it’s about countless families and dedicated educators facing the same impossible math, pushed to the edge by systems that don’t support them. It’s about the need for real solutions that let people do what they love, provide for their families, and stay in the communities they help make better every day.
A better ending to these stories is possible if Connecticut lawmakers tackle our workforce child care crisis head on. The time to act is now.
Mike Gallop is the owner of Twins BBQ Co. and Honey Tree Preschools in Brookfield, CT.