Finding affordable child care in San Diego is getting harder for parents as providers face rising costs to run daycares.

Why it matters: The rising prices are piling onto local families' growing expenses that make living in San Diego costly while forcing some moms out of their jobs.

Zoom in: San Diego parents can expect to spend between $16,500 and $21,100 for one year of infant care, and about $15,000 annually for a preschooler, recent YMCA data shows.

• That's more than double the cost of undergraduate tuition at San Diego State University.

By the numbers: The latest countywide averages from the YMCA cited by child care advocates show rates vary drastically based on a child's age.

For family child care homes:

• Infant: $318 per week
• Preschool: $290 per week
• School age: $259 per week

For child care centers:

• Infant: $406 per week
• Preschool: $293 per week
• School age: $243 per week

Context: Many middle class families don't qualify for financial support.

• "There's a very large child care chasm between those that can actually afford to pay for childcare and those that are income-eligible and can access subsidies," San Diego County YMCA senior vice president of social services Kim McDougal told Axios.
• The YMCA is the state-designated one-stop shop for child care resources and referrals.

Follow the money: The price of child care has gone up over the last three years as food, housing expenses, health care for staff, supplies and play materials have all become more expensive, McDougal said.

• It's also more expensive to provide care for babies than preschool-age children, primarily because babies require more attention and staff, she said.
• As a result, providers have decreased staff wages or kept them stagnant to keep their doors open and meet the needs of families, she said.

Case in point: Sarah Song provides child care at her National City home for up to 12 children, from newborns to 5-year-olds, with her husband and part-time employees.

• She recently raised her prices about $20 to $1,400 for infants and $1,260 for preschoolers per month.
• The cost of insurance, food, gas and electricity have gone up for Song recently, but she said she can't charge families that much more because they're facing the same affordability problems at home.
• "I'm undercharging families, but I'm aware of where I live and what I aim to provide," said Song, who has a master's degree in child development. "I'm just making enough so I can pay my bills and have a little extra."

Go deeper

Curious about where your ZIP code lands for child care costs?

Current full-time rates for infants and preschoolers range from $180 to $640 per week depending on where you live, YMCA data shows.

• La Jolla has the most expensive in-home child care options on average, while Rancho Bernardo and Solana Beach have the highest rates for child care centers, according to an Axios analysis.

Explore the maps

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Some low-income families can get on a waitlist for state-funded subsidies that cover the majority of the cost of child care — when money is available.

Zoom in: About 7,000 San Diego families were on a waiting list for state-subsidized child care as of September, CBS8 reported.

• The San Diego County YMCA distributes those child care vouchers to thousands of local families that qualify.

Friction point: But the program is "highly underfunded," and only about 22% of eligible families are able to access the subsidies that they're eligible for, according to Kim McDougal with the YMCA.

• The money fluctuates based on federal funding and state budget priorities, as dollars can be rerouted from child care to health care, food or housing, she said.

The latest: Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget did not fund his promised expansion of subsidized child care for the second straight year, the LA Times reported.

• That's a "blow for low- and middle-income working parents" across the state as high demand means families can be on waitlists for years, and many children age out before they secure a spot, per the LA Times.

What we're watching: Following the lead of other California cities, advocacy group Children's First Collective San Diego is working on a tax hike ballot initiative to develop a local dedicated revenue source for child care programs.

Go deeper

The San Diego County YMCA's child care supply map shows that some neighborhoods have a high concentration of providers, while others — so-called child care deserts — suffer a shortage.

By the numbers: More than two-thirds of local families live in these child care deserts, defined as "an area with at least 50 children under age 5 and having three or more children under 5 years old for every licensed child care slot."

Zoom in: Neighborhoods in central San Diego, including City Heights, North Park, College Area and Rolando, plus La Mesa, El Cajon, Chula Vista and South Bay communities, have a high concentration of child care facilities.

• But sections of those areas are also child care deserts, as are some coastal communities and much of East County.

The big picture

San Diego parents, how are you managing the cost of child care?

• What tips do you have for budgeting or finding care?
• Are there any questions you want us to look into?

Hit reply or send your thoughts to [email protected].