Go Ask Mom
Childcare is expensive! Here are the numbers
Whether you're a parent or not, it's no secret that childcare is expensive. These are the numbers.
Posted — UpdatedRALEIGH, N.C. — Whether you're a parent or not, it's no secret that childcare is expensive.
These are the numbers.
Families are spending more than a third of their income on childcare -- that's three times more than the amount recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to studies, 10 percent of a family's income is a benchmark for affordable care.
Currently, the average cost of day care in the United States is $9,589 per year! According to data from New America, a think tank in Washington, D.C., and Care.com, that's more than the average cost of in-state college tuition, which rounds out at $9,410!
Child policy advocates said that, in the 90s, North Carolina was home to the premier example of quality childcare that was affordable. But once the recession hit, that affordability and accessibility started swinging in the opposite direction.
To top it off, 31,740 children are on the waitlist for state funded childcare in North Carolina.
This week, WRAL will highlight these statistics and show some stories from real-life families who are struggling to afford decent childcare. Tune in to WRAL News on Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
