May 29, 2025 - News
Mapped: Ohio's rising child care costs
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The rising cost of daycare is outpacing inflation.
Why it matters: Climbing 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.
By the numbers: In Ohio, the average annual cost of daycare tuition for two children — one toddler and one infant — was about $25,500 last year, per 2024 data from the advocacy group Child Care Aware.
- The average annual cost nationwide was $28,168 — about 35% of U.S. median household annual income.
Zoom in: In April 2023, the city of Cleveland used $4.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to fund programs to help make childcare more affordable, per Cleveland.com.
- One program, Starting Point, helped provide child care for 370 children.