140,000 American children lost a caregiver to the pandemic, deepening the childcare crisis
The pandemic has had a devastating impact across the world, with the US recently hitting 700,000 deaths from the virus. New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show just how much parents and children have suffered, and how big an impact it's had on the beleaguered caregiving sector.
"Children facing orphanhood as a result of COVID is a hidden, global pandemic that has sadly not spared the United States," Susan Hillis, lead author of the study, said in a."All of us — especially our children — will feel the serious immediate and long-term impact of this problem for generations to come."
The researchers also found that 65% of children who lost a parent or caregiver during the pandemic were of racial or ethnic minorities, reflecting the disproportionate impact the virus has had on minority communities. CDC's new data comes on the tail of a caregiving crisis caused by the pandemic. Insider previously reported on the"she-cession," or women leaving the labor force, during the pandemic, with a large factor being expensive and hard-to-find childcare options. In September, for example, women only