Child Care Costs

Posted on December 8, 2010 by townsend

• Why is child care so costly in Minnesota?, By Jeremy Olson, December 6, 2010, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: “Minnesota child care leaders are meeting this winter to address a lingering dilemma: the high cost that produces quality child care in licensed centers — but prices some families out of the market. While officials have long known that Minnesota’s child care costs are among the highest in the nation, they have been reluctant to propose cuts that might sacrifice quality. The urgency to address cost has grown, though, as the economy has eroded family incomes and child care has eaten up more of the average family budget. Minnesota now ranks No. 3 nationally by one measure of child care expenses. The average cost of full-time care for one infant in a licensed center reached $13,650 in 2009, exceeding 15 percent of household income for a two-parent family. Only New York and Massachusetts were higher, as a share of income…”
• Child-care subsidy spotty for federal employees, By Joe Davidson, December 7, 2010, Washington Post: “Uncle Sam strives to be a model employer, as least for now. That goal could take a hit with plans for pay freezes and workforce reductions, but he remains a cut above many private employers, particularly when it comes to benefits. One benefit he provides, at least on paper and to some workers, is child-care subsidies. It’s certainly a good investment to support day care for the children of low- and moderate-income federal workers…”