For a married couple making the median income in Michigan, putting a toddler in a childcare center costs more than 10% of their annual pay. For a single mom, it’s nearly 40%. That’s because the annual cost for a toddler in a childcare center is $11,309 on average, according to this year’s Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation
The lack of affordable, accessible childcare in the state is making it harder for parents to work — especially women. Some 14% of Michigan kids five and under live in a family where someone has had to quit, change, or refuse a job because of childcare problems.
And even if a family is fortunate enough to afford childcare, they may not be able to access it, said Anne Kuhnen, the Michigan League for Public Policy’s Kids Count director.
"A lot of parents have trouble finding childcare in the first place. Waitlists are long. And it can be difficult for families to find care that is compatible with their work schedules and their commute. Is it [the childcare] accessible by public transport, for example?”
Childcare costs in the U.S. “have risen 220% since…1990, significantly outpacing inflation,” the report finds. You can read the full report here.
