A middle-class parent on Reddit sparked a heated conversation this week after posting a realization that hit many working parents hard: “I just realized that daycare in our area is double the cost of state college tuition,” they wrote. “It’d be cheaper to pay for my infant’s undergrad than to get him to public kindergarten.”
Daycare Bills That Feel Like A Second Mortgage
The post, shared in the r/MiddleClassFinance subreddit, quickly took off, with hundreds of parents chiming in about how child care costs have overwhelmed their finances.
One person noted, “We paid $32k in daycare last year for 2 kids. Normal center, nothing fancy. Nothing cheaper in our area outside of in-home centers.” Another added, “We'll pay a little more than $33k this year for two in full-time daycare.”
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Several people shared that child care often matches or exceeds mortgage payments. “The main reason I am having one kid,” someone shared, “My mortgage is less than daycare. My daycare for one kid is $27k.”
The Numbers Back It Up
Data from the National Database of Childcare Prices confirms what many families are experiencing. In 2022, full-day care for just one child ranged from $6,552 to $15,600 annually, eating up between 8.9% and 16.0% of a typical family's income.
Even part-day care for school-aged children, before and after school, cost families $5,943 to $9,211 per child annually, or about 8.1% to 9.4% of median family income. For comparison, the median annual rent in 2022 was $15,216.
Child care prices fluctuate based on location, the age of the child, and whether care is home-based or center-based. The most expensive option? Infant care in a center in a large metro area. The most affordable? Home-based preschool in a small county.
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Child Care Costs Are Reshaping Families’ Lives
Many said the cost of care forces one parent to stay home, even if it results in a career setback. “My wife stays home because after childcare costs, she wouldn't bring home anything, so there's really no point in working,” one person commented.
Another added, “That's what my wife did too. Problem is that if you have a second kid she’s probably looking at close to a 10-year employment gap.”
For others, it’s about survival: “Shift work. I work nights, wife works days. The lack of sleep is tough but better than putting daycare on a credit card.”
Social And Political Tensions Bubble Up
Some pointed out the broader political implications. “Having a child has radicalized me politically,” one person wrote. “We are failing young people and it's purposeful.”
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Another added, “Daycare isn't for the parents. They would prefer to be at home raising their children. Daycare is for the government, which wants those parents out there working and paying taxes. The government should foot more of the bill.”
Some compared U.S. child care to military benefits: “Ironically the military provides high quality and affordable childcare,” one said. But others pushed back, calling the quality inconsistent and the waitlists long.
The original poster summed it up: “It feels like there’s so much conversation about making college free or affordable and very little about what people are supposed to do with their actual children, especially when they might be early in their career or have less financial stability.”
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