Child care costs going up and up
Despite the recession, child care costs continue to climb, according to a new report released this week by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.
The Arlington, Va.-based group found that the average cost for center-based child care for an infant exceeds the average annual amount that families spend on food in every region of the U.S.
Parents who choose child care in a center or a family child care home must pay a significant part of their income for this care. Low- and middle-income parents have limited access to affordable, quality care.
Among the report's findings:
- Since 2000, the cost of child care has increased twice as fast as the median income of families with children.
- In 25 states, the increase in the cost of infant care in a center far exceeded the rate of inflation.
- The average increase among all states in the cost of care for a 4-year-old in a center exceeded the rate of inflation.
Meanwhile, the report notes that unemployment is up among women with children.
The report provides average costs of child care in 2009 for infants, 4-year-olds and school-age children in centers and family child care homes in every state.
In Maryland, the average center-based child care cost was $12,367 for infants, $8,088 for 4-year-olds and $4,825 for school-aged children. For family child care, the average cost was $8,767; $7,063; and $4,401, respectively.
Do the costs seem too high, too low? Is affordable, quality child care still out of reach for most parents?
Comments
The high cost of childcare os one of the (many) reasons I stayed home until my mom volunteered to watch my kids one day a week so I could go back to work. I'm in a field with a limited earning potential, and most of my income would go to daycare and associated costs. 12K per year for a baby? Who can afford that?
Posted by: Kayris | August 6, 2010 2:18 PM