Wall Street finance companies and the Big Three automakers aren't
the only businesses in need of a bailout these days. Higher
unemployment and a reduction in work hours at many businesses across
the country are leading to a downturn in another industry: daycare
centers.
Parents without jobs or those who have seen their
paycheck shrink have been forced to make some tough decisions in regard
to the care of their children. Faced with increasing household bills
and less money to pay them, parents are cutting back. In some cases,
that means reducing the number of days each week that they bring their
children to a daycare center. In others, it means their children will
stop going altogether.
Daycare operators worry that with few
other options, parents will bring their children to unlicensed daycare
centers. State licensing ensures that daycare centers have met certain
standards for safety, cleanliness and education. Unlicensed centers,
operating illegally, could pose certain hazards for kids.
According
to a report released earlier this year by the National Association of
Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the average price of
full-time care for an infant in a center was as high as $14,951 per
year. For a 4-year-old in a center, parents paid up to $10,787 a year
for full-time care.
"The cost of care is out of reach for too many families,"
said Linda Smith, Executive Director of NACCRRA. "No parent should
have to choose a poor-quality child care setting just because they
cannot afford anything better for their children."
Parents and the
High Price of Child Care: 2008 Update provides results from a 2008 survey of
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) State Networks, which asked for
the average 2007 prices charged by child care programs listed in CCR&R
databases. Located in every state and
most communities across the nation, CCR&Rs provide services in 99.3 percent
of inhabited zip codes. CCR&Rs work
with parents to connect them with the child care that meets their needs and with
caregivers to help raise the quality of child care in their communities.
To
download a copy of the full report, please visit www.naccrra.org.
To find a child care resource center near you, go to www.childcareaware.org.
