For many families that need it most, child care is increasingly becoming out of financial reach, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Database of Daycare Pricing, which examines child care prices in 2,360 counties across the country.
According to a Labor Department news release, the data, sponsored by its Women’s Bureau, found that prices fluctuate based on age, provider and the age of the child. For children under the age of 12, the study outlines median costs for centers as well as private providers. It is some of the most detailed publicly offered information on county-level day care.
“All across the country, families are facing burdensome childcare expenses,” Wendy Chun-Hoon, Women’s Care director, said in the news release. “The last few years have highlighted the tension parents experience when they need to go to work to provide for their families but have difficulty doing so if they can’t access affordable child care.”
Chun-Hoon also pointed out in the release that the database indicates that in areas where the cost of childcare is the highest, mothers are less likely to work outside the home, even if wages are higher in the area.
“Reducing out-of-pocket childcare expenses for families would support higher employment, particularly among women, lift more families out of poverty and reduce disparities in employment and early care and education,” Chun-Hoon said.
Moreover, Chun-Hoon pointed out that the data will drive researchers and decision-makers to detail the possible economic impact that affordable child care can have on the economy and seek options for the employment and economic security of women.
“We will give policymakers and advocacy organizations a tool to combine county-level childcare prices with local employment and economic indicators,” she concluded.
