More Working Parents Can't Afford Daycare

A growing number of working parents are unable to pay for daycare, according to a story in the Washington Post. Although the article doesn’t specify hard numbers, it that code enforcers, social workers, and others are finding more young kids left home alone. Daycare centers that usually have long waiting lists are cutting staff and scrambling to fill open slots.

Daycare costs for preschoolers often rival rent costs, and subsidized slots are only available for families with extremely low income, if they can find providers who are willing to take the vouchers at all.

Unlike other industrialized countries, the US does not provide national childcare for pre-school age children. Federal law only mandates that employers provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave during any year.

Penn State economist Robert Drago takes an in-depth and comprehensive look at this and other work/life issues in his book Striking a Balance: Work, Family, Life.