Remote policies helped women work. In-office mandates and childcare costs are driving them back out

""This is an uphill battle that, at some point, felt not worth fighting anymore," she said. "And that was difficult for me, because I loved my work, and I still do." While Engelbrektson still works the occasional shift, she said, "my job right now is to get these children grown.""

""I was paying literally every dollar to cover those hours somewhere else," she said."

""In Minnesota, it costs $22,569 a year on average to send an infant to daycare - more than in-state tuition for a four-year public college, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute.""

Low workplace flexibility and steep child care costs are pushing mothers with young children out of paid employment after pandemic-era increases in workforce participation. Families often face infant daycare costs exceeding $22,000 per year in Minnesota, surpassing in-state public college tuition. Many mothers find that managing differing schedules and logistics falls disproportionately to them, making paid work financially and practically untenable. Some mothers continue occasional shifts but prioritize childrearing. Families sometimes allocate nearly all income to cover care, and stay-at-home mothers frequently encounter limited community support and social stigma.

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