Families In Washington Face Staggering Childcare Expenses This Year

If you are now or have been a parent, you know how much it costs to raise a child. These days, it's even more expensive. The average household has both parents working, which means you need day care, which means the cost of raising your child goes up even more.  

Based on the research done by Child Care Aware, Washington State ranks 5th in the most expensive states for childcare. I remember when our family was young. (And this was a while ago.) We were a 2-income family, and we were making ends meet, but it was not easy. With the kind of income we were pulling down, I'm not sure we could make it in today's economy with the jobs we had back then.

According to axios.com,
‘Washington state has some of the highest day care center prices in the country, with the average infant tuition topping $21,000 per year, according to a new report.
Rising child care costs put a huge financial strain on families, forcing some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely’ 

So, what states are more expensive to raise children? Well let's see we've got Massachusetts at 47 thousand dollars a year, Maryland at 40.8 thousand dollars a year, Hawaii comes in at 38 thousand dollars a year, California at 39.3 thousand dollars a year, and the District of Columbia. (Sorry no number but it’s a lot.) 

The number for Washington was 38.3 thousand dollars a year. Think of it this way, in Washington state, the cost of childcare for an infant and a toddler for one year is about $8,000 more than a year of tuition at the University of Washington. 

It's hard enough being a parent in this day and age without having to worry about whether or not you can afford daycare for your child while you're trying to work and make a living.
If you're a new parent or a grandparent taking care of a child, the job seems to be getting tougher every year.
Washington state infant care averages over $21K a year - Axios Seattle
Child care costs more than college in Washington state - Axios Seattle
More Child Care Programs, Less Access: The Child Care Affordability Gap Widens
Affordability_Analysis_2024.pdf