Child Care Costs Washington Families as Much as Mortgage, Tuition

I have baby fever like you wouldn't believe! But, unfortunately, one of the major concerns I have about having kiddos is the outrageous cost of child care. I've heard from many friends that the high cost of having their kids in a childcare program here in the Valley, is the reason they're not having any more kids or they're waiting several years longer than expected to begin expanding their family. That is just a bummer.

So how much exactly is it costing families? According to Childcare Aware of America, parents are shelling out nearly $20,000 a year in at least 22 states!! According to Childcare Aware of America, here in Washington, the average annual cost of an infant and four-year-old in care is over $24,000!! So what chunk of the paycheck is going to childcare? "Parents of 2 children living at the poverty line pay 99.5% of their household income for center-based child care." Infant care in the state is just over $13,000, that's more than a year's worth of tuition at a public Washington college ($12,820).

To get more statistics and a full breakdown, CLICK HERE.