Mom Says She Pays The Same For Childcare That She Does For Rent
Many other parents are facing the same dilemma.
oliveromg / Shutterstock A mother is getting candid about just how much childcare costs. According to her, she spends just as much money on her children’s daycare as she does on her monthly rent.
Unsurprisingly, she is not alone.
The mother shared that her child’s daycare costs as much as her rent.
Sharing her frustrations to the subreddit. r/Mommit, the mom asked other parents how much they spend a month on their child’s daycare if they go.
She went first, revealing that it costs her $1,200 a month for just her one infant. “[It’s] actually not bad for how nice the daycare is and the curriculum (they do a lot of developmental things for the babies and send pics/videos about it),” the mother wrote.
However, the costs are nearly as much as what she pays her monthly rent.
Other parents shared that they too, pay an obscene amount of money on their children’s daycare.
“$1,500 for our 3 year old. $1700 for the infant. Both are for full-time care. So $3,200 total,” one Redditor commented.
“$14,500 annually x2 (twins) for half-day Montessori daycare,” another user wrote.
“$2,600/mo for our toddler in the Bay Area,” another user added.
Poppy Pix / Shutterstock
However, other parents revealed that they don’t pay nearly as much for daycare and that it all depends on the area you live in.
“I’m in Canada and lucky enough to get the $10/day child care for my 2-year-old,” one Redditor happily reported.
“Daycare in Norway is capped by law at approximately $300/month, and the cap will be reduced to $200/month this fall. It’s seen as a form of common public welfare to ensure access to childcare,” another user wrote.
“$700 a month in a small town in Southern California,” another shared.
Over the last few years, childcare costs in the U.S. have significantly increased.
According to the 2022 Cost of Care Survey, 72% of parents claim that care for just one infant costs 10% of their family’s income.
51% of respondents claimed that it was over 20%.
In most areas in the U.S., daycare costs exceed that of college tuition, and some parents have had no choice but to leave their jobs because they are priced out of childcare.
According to a survey conducted by Care.com, 44% of parents reported that they had to quit their job since they could not afford to send their children to daycare and 65% expressed their desire to return to work if childcare becomes more affordable.
While daycare workers and other childcare providers deserve to be paid fairly, the truth is that no parent should be on the brink of financial ruin all because they need a hand looking after their children while working.
They also should not have to pay the same amount they do for rent.
It is time we start having more discussions on how we can make basic childcare more affordable for hardworking parents so that they are not drowning in debt while already working their tails off.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.