Raising children is the most important job parents and caregivers have. But it is rarely the only job they need. And in high-cost communities like Miami-Dade County, raising children while remaining an active part of the workforce is not always easy.
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For some working families, the promise of the American dream can come with a hidden penalty. For those working lower-paying jobs, as wages rise for their hard-earned work, their family’s access to services like help with child care costs can end abruptly, leaving them in a worse financial position than where they started. This reality is known as the benefits cliff, and it can leave many families caught between career progress and stability at home.
While this may appear to be just a family challenge, it is in fact a growing economic issue. The benefits cliff is a workforce constraint with real consequences for businesses of all sizes. In a high growth region like Miami-Dade, where demand for talent continues to rise, the cost of child care consumes a disproportionate share of income and limits workforce participation. It is both a present-day workforce challenge and a future one, affecting not only whether parents can work today, but whether children are prepared to succeed in the workforce tomorrow.
The findings from an October 2025 Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta study, Too Costly to Work? The Childcare Burden on Household Earnings, underscores what Miami-Dade stakeholders have long recognized: child care affordability is not a temporary challenge, but a persistent structural barrier for working families. Across the county, many households struggle to remain employed or pursue advancement because child care costs exceed what wages can reasonably support, with local prices continuing to outpace affordability. The study shows that the Miami-Dade sectors hardest hit by this workforce challenge include hospitality, service, health support, and even early learning. Ironically, those who provide child care are often among the least able to afford it themselves.
These pressures deepen economic instability and create broader workforce challenges, as employers struggle to retain workers and families are increasingly forced to consider leaving the region altogether. According to the Florida Chamber Foundation report Untapped Potential in FL, insufficient child care is costing Florida $5.38 billion each year.
As leaders of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, we recognize the scale of this challenge. Fortunately, Miami-Dade has not stood still. At the center of the community’s response are organizations like The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade.
Approved by voters 2-1 in 2002 and reauthorized for good by 86 percent of voters in 2008, The Trust utilizes ad valorem property taxes to fund programs, provide resources, and advocate on behalf of children and their families – the base of our present and future workforce.
Through its leadership of the Miami-Dade County Fiscal Cliff Collaborative, The Children’s Trust, the Beacon Council, and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, education and legislative leaders have helped reframe the conversation. This is no longer just about families; it is about aligning workforce needs with economic realities and advancing solutions that support both economic mobility and labor force participation.
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Through its early learning quality improvement system, Thrive by 5, The Trust is strengthening the early learning workforce itself. Its A$CEND salary supplement and tiered payment process directly support quality child care centers in high poverty areas and early learning employees working in those programs.
By providing these targeted financial incentives – tied to quality and professional development – The Trust is helping make these small businesses more economically viable, creating a domino effect in the industry and across the community.
At the same time, The Children’s Trust is expanding access for working families whose income levels disqualify them from child care support due to outdated federal and state program income thresholds. Through Thrive by 5 Families Forward scholarships, families who earn slightly too much to qualify for federal assistance can still access high-quality early learning programs, ensuring affordability does not come at the expense of quality.
The Trust has also leveraged strong public and private partnerships to scale its impact, helping stabilize providers, expand capacity, and keep more parents in the workforce. This is what leadership looks like: aligning resources, partners, and policy around tangible solutions.
As Florida’s economic future is debated in Tallahassee, quality affordable child care must be part of that conversation. Miami-Dade offers a clear model. When communities treat child care as essential infrastructure – like The Children’s Trust and the Miami-Dade Fiscal Cliff Collaborative pool do – our businesses, industries, and communities see the benefits.
Rodrick Miller is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Miami-Dade Beacon Council
Alfred Sanchez is President & CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
About The Children’s Trust
The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue, supported by ad valorem property taxes, that funds hundreds of programs across thousands of sites in Miami-Dade to directly serve children and their families. Local voters established The Trust in 2002, and 86% of voters permanently reauthorized it in 2008 to ensure it continues to positively shape Miami-Dade’s future. To learn more, visit www.TheChildrensTrust.org.
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