The High Cost of Childcare
Raising a child is an expensive endeavor. Child care is an extremely pricey aspect and necessary investment if both parents continue to work. Monthly child care can cost on average $972 per month or around $12,000 per year, per child. For this reason, the percentage of stay at home parenting has risen from 23% to 29% over the last decade. As a parent, it is important to remain aware and determine if the cost is equal to the benefit.
Although the price of childcare is based on the economy of a geographic region, it has increased roughly 70 percent over all in the last 10 years. The increase is due to state regulations and the decline of public funding. Compliance with rules and regulations cause increased overhead for providers, which leads to a hike in price.
Recently, Child Care Aware of America initiated a survey that involved mothers with 4 year old children and infants. The results showed New York and Massachusetts, on average paid the most for child care. The lowest average amount spent on child care was in the Southern U.S. This may be due to lifestyle choices and traditions.
Although child care expenses are region based, there are other factors that influence the price:
Inner City -vs.-Suburbs
Day Care Center -vs. – In-Home provider
Private -vs.-Subsidized
The amount of time a child will spend in child care each week is also an important variable. When comparing options, determine what setting is best for the child. A decision based only on cost could be a poor match for your child’s personality and environment preference. Quality is the best choice in the long run.
The increase in stay at home parenting is not just about the cost. Child rearing customs and dietary selections are concerns that modern parents think about. A working parent may not spend as much time with their children as a one who stays home. This could affect the relationship with the child.
On March 22, 2015 the State of California Senate Budget Committee voted to put back into the Proposition 98 funding guarantee. The vote was also approved to put $332 Million which will open 4300 general childcare slots. For more information-
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2015/budget/prop98/prop98-analysis-021815.aspx
Below are links to Northern California Childcare
| Oakland Childcare Councilhttp://www.oaklandchildcare.org/
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Solano Family Children & Family Servicehttp://www.solanofamily.org/ |
| Children’s Council of San Francisco http://www.childrenscouncil.org/
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Contra Costa Childcare Councilhttp://www.cocokids.org/ |
| Alameda Early Care & Education Planning Councilhttp://www.acgov.org/ece/ | Child Actionhttps://www.childaction.org/ |
