Shaping Her Impact in the
Future of Work
A multi-pronged initiative aligning policy, employers, and community systems to reduce caregiving barriers and expand economic opportunity for women.
Caregiving responsibilities shape who can participate in the workforce and how long they can stay. For women, these responsibilities are often invisible, unsupported, and costly. SHIFT brings advocacy, storytelling, and practical tools together to drive lasting systems change in Iowa and beyond.
Across Iowa, women quietly adjust careers, reduce hours, or step away from work entirely because caregiving support is inconsistent or unavailable. When workplaces and childcare systems fail to account for caregiving realities, the burden falls on individuals instead of infrastructure.
SHIFT exists to change that by addressing caregiving at the policy, workplace, and cultural level, so women don’t have to choose between earning a living and caring for their families.
What SHIFT Delivers:
The Caregiver-Friendly Workplace Index turns caregiver-friendly benefits into measurable, comparable data points.
Employers, policymakers and workforce leaders can use this index to see where support exists, where gaps remain and how workplace practices impact women’s economic opportunity across Iowa.
Advocacy
Childcare and workforce policy advanced through public-private collaboration
Narrative
A documentary amplifying women caregivers’ lived experiences
Practice
A scalable toolkit for employers, providers, and communities
Short-Term Outcomes: What’s changing now
Short-Term Outcomes: What’s changing now
Supportive policies advanced
Policy language focused on childcare and workforce participation is drafted and advanced through collaboration with state partners.
Employer tools distributed
Save the Children Action Network and partners distribute caregiver-support tools and resources to participating business partners.
Employer practices shared
At least one practical caregiver-supportive policy or practice is identified and shared with participating employers.
Women’s experience case studies distributed
Caregiving experience case studies are captured and distributed through SHIFT networks to inform employers, policymakers, and communities.
Caregiving experience case studies are captured and distributed through SHIFT networks to inform employers, policymakers, and communities.
Long-Term Outcomes: What SHIFT is building
SHIFT’s long-term impact focuses on sustainable investment, improved access to care, and systems that continue to support women’s workforce participation.
Public investment in childcare networks
Improved access to childcare
Statewide and national
Public investment in childcare networks
Public funds are made available to support childcare providers and networks, with tracked dollar amounts tied to policy and public-private partnerships.
Improved access to childcare
Toolkit users report improvements in childcare access, including increased slots, affordability, and employer investment.
Statewide and national narrative reach
The SHIFT documentary is distributed through live screenings and digital platforms, capturing viewership and engagement data.