Babysitting has gotten more expensive in Raleigh since the pandemic

• That's down 9.6% from $19.94 per hour in 2022. The rates for two children, though, has risen 5.2% to $21.26 per hour this year.
• Triangle rates are up compared to two years ago, however.

In comparison, Charlotte's rates were $17.27 for one child and $18.62 for two.

The big picture: North Carolina child care facilities have grappled with major financial fallout from the pandemic. Workers seeking higher pay were already leaving the profession in droves before that, however.

State of play: Last month, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper sent a letter to the North Carolina congressional delegation encouraging investment in child care, Axios Charlotte's Katie Peralta writes.

• The child care crisis, Cooper wrote, costs the state $3.5 billion every year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue.