Child care costs are burdening Texas parents
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A lack of accessible, affordable child care is forcing some Texas parents to quit their jobs, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Why it matters: The report shows how deeply families struggle to stay afloat while working and paying for child care, writes Axios' Astrid Galván.
- In 2021, 12% of Texas children had a family member who quit, changed or refused a job because of child care issues.
By the numbers: The average annual cost for center-based toddler care in Texas last year was $8,718 ($727 a month), according to the report, which is based on the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 National Database of Childcare Prices.
- That's 28% of the median income for single mothers — the only single-parent data included in the report — or 9% for married couples.
- Home-based care cost an average of $7,933 ($661 a month), or 25% of a single mother's median income and 8% of a couple's.
Comparatively, the average annual cost of one year of undergraduate, in-state tuition at a public university is approximately $10,000, according to an analysis by College for All Texans.
Worth noting: Nearly 67% of Houston children under the age of 6 are in households where all parents work.
Zoom out: The average annual national cost of child care for one kid in 2021 was $10,600, the report found.
- Child care costs have increased by 220% since 1990, outpacing inflation, per the report.
The big picture: The inaccessibility of child care disproportionately affects women, single parents, families of color, immigrant families and those who live in poverty, experts say.
Meanwhile, last month, Harris County launched the Early REACH program, an initiative that provides child care to up to 1,000 kids with working parents, per the Houston Chronicle.
What they're saying: "The child care costs can be so burdensome that they struggle to pay their rent, to buy food, to buy diapers and clothing for their children," says Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.