Massachusetts parents face nation's highest child care cost

[unhappycamper]

http://www.tauntongazette.com/article/20140322/NEWS/140328515/1994/NEWS



To solve the dilemma of balancing work and the cost of child care, one Taunton mother made child care her work: she opened Little Train Family Child Care, which she runs out of her home.

Massachusetts parents face nation's highest child care cost

The cost of child care rises each year, and Massachusetts families are being hit particularly hard.

With an average annual cost of $16,430, Massachusetts is the most expensive state in the nation when it comes to center-based child care for an infant, according to Child Care Aware of America’s 2013 report.

At the other end of the spectrum, that category of child care would cost an average of $4,863 in Mississippi.

“One concerning trend is that as the cost of care continues to increase, it continues to be a major expense, often exceeding the cost of housing, college tuition or even food,” said Lynette Fraga, executive director of Child Care Aware of America. “As we continue to look at quality issues, child care professionals continue to be one of the lowest-paying professional fields.”

[canoeist52]

1. It was 7,200. in the '80's.

And that was one of the richest suburbs in MA, where I worked for minimum wage. So the cost has more than doubled.