Current:Home > InvestParents pushed to their limits over rising child care costs, limited access to care -NextFrontier Finance
Parents pushed to their limits over rising child care costs, limited access to care
View
Date:2025-04-14 16:11:27
Millions of American families are burdened by the high costs of child care, spending over 25% of their incomes on care — when they can find it. Since the coronavirus pandemic, many facilities across the country have closed or faced challenges in rehiring workers.
With costs high and access scarce in many places, parents are being pushed to their limits.
Amelia Emmanuel, a 33-year-old working mother and college student, commutes an hour every morning so her 4-year-old daughter can go to a daycare on Boston's south side. Emmanuel, a single mom and low-income earner, managed to secure a voucher through her state, reducing her weekly daycare costs from $250 to just $11.35. However, she faced the challenge of finding eligible locations that accepted the voucher.
"If you don't have child care, then you now have to stay home. If you have to stay home, then you can't work. If you can't work, you have no income," she said.
Rising costs have become a widespread concern, with Massachusetts leading the nation in childcare costs. On average, an infant's care surpasses the expenses of some colleges, reaching over $20,000 annually, as reported by Child Care Aware, a national network of child care resources and referral agencies.
In addition to costs, access is a problem in many parts of the country. More than 50% of Americans live in child care deserts, where there's either no care or licensed slots are insufficient to meet demand. States such as Utah, Nevada, New York and West Virginia face particularly dire conditions, according to research conducted by the American Progress organization, a public policy research and advocacy organization.
The crisis is pushing parents to their limits. In Outagamie County, Wisconsin, with a population of nearly 200,000, over 1,200 children remain on a waitlist for available child care slots, according to the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation.
Confronted with the closure of their local daycare facility, working mothers Virginia Moss and Tiffany Simon took matters into their own hands. They purchased the building and, within two months, opened Joyful Beginnings Academy, enrolling 75 children and employing 20 daycare workers.
The facility now has a waitlist of almost 100 children.
"We've seen both sides, we felt the pain, both sides. Now we can go and try to get others to understand and educate that this is a problem, and we need to do something about it," Moss said.
For families who rely on the facility, the alternative would have been dire. Selling homes, moving in with family or even leaving jobs were considered last resorts.
"I think it's bonded our community together, especially living in a neighborhood with a lot of little kids," said one community member. "We all kind of went through this struggle together."
- In:
- Child Care
Meg Oliver is a correspondent for CBS News based in New York City.
TwitterveryGood! (238)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Q&A: Oceanographers Tell How the Pandemic Crimps Global Ocean and Climate Monitoring
- Richard Allen confessed to killing Indiana girls as investigators say sharp object used in murders, documents reveal
- Can air quality affect skin health? A dermatologist explains as more Canadian wildfire smoke hits the U.S.
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Texas appeals court rejects death row inmate Rodney Reed's claims of innocence
- Solar Boom in Trump Country: It’s About Economics and Energy Independence
- Payment of Climate Debt, by Rich Polluting Nations to Poorer Victims, a Complex Issue
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Biden Put Climate at the Heart of His Campaign. Now He’s Delivered Groundbreaking Nominees
Ranking
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- To Close Climate Goals Gap: Drop Coal, Ramp Up Renewables — Fast, UN Says
- Tax Overhaul Preserves Critical Credits for Wind, Solar and Electric Vehicles
- Jonah Hill Welcomes First Baby With Olivia Millar
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Cows Get Hot, Too: A New Way to Cool Dairy Cattle in California’s Increasing Heat
- This Shirtless Video of Chad Michael Murray Will Delight One Tree Hill Fans
- Once-resistant rural court officials begin to embrace medications to treat addiction
Recommendation
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
States Are Using Social Cost of Carbon in Energy Decisions, Despite Trump’s Opposition
After ex-NFL player Ryan Mallett's death at Florida beach, authorities release bodycam video and say no indication of rip current
Jonah Hill Welcomes First Baby With Olivia Millar
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
Britney Spears Shares Mother-Son Pic Ahead of Kids' Potential Move to Hawaii With Kevin Federline
Microscopic Louis Vuitton knockoff bag narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle sells for more than $63,000
How Fossil Fuel Allies Are Tearing Apart Ohio’s Embrace of Clean Energy