TAMPA, Fla. — Growing your family is a critical decision in 2025, especially with the increasing cost of childcare. A recent study from SmartAsset shows the cost of raising a child in major U.S. Cities. In Tampa/St. Petersburg, it's nearly $22,000 for a household with two working adults, and the cost of childcare is a big chunk of that.
“It is definitely an added expense to a lot of families, if you don’t necessarily calculate your budget, it’s a surprise," said Tampa mom Tiffany Hubert.
WATCH full report by Heather Leigh
Many of you tell us it’s a struggle.
A few months ago, research from WalletHub pointed out that couples in the Sunshine State spend nearly 10% of their annual income combined at a childcare facility, and a single parent spends about 28.6%.
“I have four kids and the oldest is 5, so you can do the math. There's a lot of little kids in my house," said State Representative Fiona McFarland. "I could not believe the cost of childcare and what a burden it was for me to have to navigate as a working mom and a working family.”
After being elected to the state house, McFarland began her quest to alleviate that burden and focus on policy changes for early learning.
“We know that a child's readiness in kindergarten is a huge indicator of their follow-on success in life. So, we should be doing everything we can from a policy perspective to help parents get access to that early learning education, if that makes sense for their families," she said.
Hubert said good quality early learning is one of the most important things to her.
“The key learning that they get, that’s where you get some of those key indicators. If there’s any issues, you know, sometimes those teachers, they’re around your children during those formative ages, and they’re the ones that are going to catch them first," she said. "It’s super important to have that extended village.”
McFarland championed a bill, which is now law, that incentivizes businesses with tax credits if they help their employees pay for childcare or offer on-site childcare for them. We first told you about that last year.
So far this year, the state has nearly half a million dollars of tax credits applied, which is more than this same time last year.
The new law, passed this summer, makes several changes on the provider side. It helps future teachers access training online or in person… to get certified. It’s a 40-hour course that, in the past, was paid for by that teacher or by the provider hiring them – now it’s free.
The new law also prioritizes the background check process to get more teachers into facilities faster.
“Sometimes the background review was taking a month, 2 months, and any employer out there knows, if you're waiting to offer that employee an offer of employment, and you can't give them that letter for two months, they’re going to leave. They're going to go take another job somewhere else," McFarland said.
Hubert hopes in the future, there will be more focus on paying childcare employees higher salaries.
“The cost, if any way, can go back to the teachers, the people that are pouring into the children, I think it's worth it," she said. "To have a facility that's safe, that's learning, that has all the right requirements and materials, I think, is important.”
The new law also exempts preschools from special assessments, which is a status that already exists for K-12 schools.
And McFarland says businesses that build their own childcare facility on site will now be considered “license exempt,” which is the same status given to childcare providers operating within churches.
To read the full text or summary of the law, click here.
If you have a childcare story you’d like me to look into, please reach out! Email me at Heather.Leigh@tampabay28.com.
Share Your Story with Heather
Heather Leigh was born and raised in Tampa Bay. She’s invested in telling stories from Seminole Heights and Ybor City, helping you find affordable childcare, and improving our roads. Send Heather a message with any ideas you’d like to share.
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