Child care has long been seen as a problem for mothers to solve. Now employers see it's their issue too. In Alabama, a carmaker is working with a tech company to help employees find and pay for care.

For many families, 2020 ended up being a year with fewer child-care expenses. Now parents with unspent funds in their dependent-care flexible spending accounts are trying to figure out what to do.

The unequal division of household work leads to the "mom penalty." For highly educated, high-income women, it could mean losing promotions, future earning power and roles as future leaders.