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Across the Fredericksburg area and the nation, the cost of child care continues to rise Date published: 10/5/2008
By CATHY DYSON When the director of a national agency talks about the cost of child care, she jokes that parents should send their 2-year-olds to college. "It would be cheaper," said Linda Smith, director of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. In 43 states--including Virginia--a year at a child-care center costs more than a year of tuition and fees at a four-year college. Most families pay more for child care than for food or rent, according to the national group. Child-care costs in the United States went up 7 percent last year, twice the rate of inflation. "It's a huge problem," Smith said. "We're stressing young families out beyond belief in this country." Rates for day-care centers in the Fredericksburg area vary, but average $165 a week for babies and $127 a week for preschoolers. For a family of four--with two kids in a center and both parents working--child care can eat up 20 percent of annual income, according to The Childcare Network in Fredericksburg. "It takes a huge chunk of your paycheck," said Dana Olson, a Stafford County resident who was thrilled when her only child started kindergarten this fall. Add a mortgage, which usually takes about 30 percent of income, and half the money made by working parents goes to taking care of the kids and keeping a roof over their heads. "I'm just shocked," said Linda Thomas, a Spotsylvania County mother who was able to stay home with her son until he went to school. "I had no idea it was that much." Child care is labor-intensive. Many centers are open 12 hours a day, five days a week. People who care for children in their homes tend to keep even longer hours. "If you look at it at an hourly rate, you're not paying an outrageous amount," said Sharon Veatch, executive director of the Virginia Child Care Resource and Referral Network. "But it is significant if you're only making $8 or $10 an hour." A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY?
Date published: 10/5/2008
... this involves everyone... Dont have kids if you cant afford one ... Dont have 2 kids if you cant feed your 1st kid .... Dont have kids at all if you dont like condoms or have intellectual difficulty to eat 28 pills/month.... Kids are NOT pets.. Dont have kids just cos someone else's kid makes you all warm inside .... PLAN ahead ... have a 5 year plan, then a 8 year plan, then a 12 year plan ... if you cant blame yourself, do not have kids !! .. i spent 7 years planning for my 1st child. i was prepared.
just because a couple has a child and has to put them in daycare that it is choice of lifestyle? Do you even have children? Probably not, you're too selfish to do so! I think there has to be something done for us that DO work and HAVE to put our children in a daycare. To charge $200 a week is insane. If I could afford to stay home and take care of my son I would but unfortunately this world doesn't give me that option!
You can't handle the heat stay out of the kitchen. Couples or single women make the choice to have children. Day care is a by product of having children. Especially if both parents need to work to make the bills, or chose that lifestyle.
I don't support gov't subsidizing childcare but there are better options for afterschool care that aren't being explored in this area to any extent that is beneficial. $20/wk x 25 kids will pay an aide a substantial sum to stay after school and supervise kids til 6 pm when parents pick up. It pays for itself and reduces cost for families and unsupervised latchkey kids.
Stop thinking people are lacking education and substantial incomes for not being able to pay for the rising daycare costs. I make close to 6 figures a year and still it's hard to pay for daycare, especially when you are saving for retirement, college, and don't forget if your kids are involved in other activities that have fees to pay. Now for the mothers who stay home, don't work living off the govt money, then that is a totally different situation.
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