Parents worry about cost of child care after coronavirus pandemic: Survey
47% of respondents said they are more worried about child care costs after COVID-19 locksdowns than before
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the U.S. economy hard. In particular, parents are worried that the child care costs are just going to rise, according to a recent survey.
This week, Care.com released the results of two surveys. The first is the company’s “COVID-19 Childcare Survey,” and the second is its annual “Cost of Care Survey.”
In the coronavirus-focused survey, Care.com found that 52 percent of respondents expect that child care will be more expensive than it was before the coronavirus and 47 percent said they’re more worried about child care costs since the pandemic.
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“Parents across America were struggling to find affordable and accessible childcare prior to COVID-19, but this challenge has been exacerbated by the pandemic and thrust our nation’s care crisis into the spotlight,” Tim Allen, Care.com’s CEO said in a statement.
“Our economic recovery rests on people’s ability to get back to work and for parents, that makes childcare indispensable,” Allen added. “But with social distancing, remote work, and the closure of businesses that many parents rely on, a new dynamic of childcare is quickly emerging, and if we don’t take action now to solve this childcare crisis, there will be huge ramifications for all of us.”
Parents are worried about the cost of child care rising because of the coronavirus, according to a survey from Care.com. (iStock)
In fact, weekly child care costs have increased “significantly” since 2013, according to the child care cost survey.
According to the report, nannies cost $565 per week, child care centers cost $215 per week, family care centers cost $201 per week and au pairs cost $401 per week.
Family care centers had the highest increase in cost from six years ago, up 58 percent from $127 per week in 2013.
Meanwhile, the weekly cost of a nanny increased 20 percent from $472 in 2013, child care centers increased 16 percent from $186 in 2013 and au pairs increased 11 percent from $360 per week in 2013, according to Care.com.
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Overall, the survey found that 55 percent of responding families spend a minimum of $10,000 a year on child care.
However, the cost of child care depends on where you live, Care.com found.
According to the report, nannies are most affordable in New Jersey, Maryland, Alaska, Connecticut and North Dakota. Meanwhile, they’re most expensive in Mississippi, New Mexico, Arkansas, Arizona and Florida.
Parents who prefer child care centers will find that North Dakota, Utah, Delaware, New Jersey and South Dakota have the most affordable child care.
California, Oregon, New Mexico New York and Washington, D.C., have the least affordable child care centers, the survey found.
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Aside from child care costs, the coronavirus-focused survey also found that parents are worried about sending their children back to daycare centers.
According to the survey, 63 percent of respondents said they were “somewhat or very uncomfortable” with bringing their children to daycare centers. It also found that 35 percent are considering getting care in their own homes as an alternative.