TAMPA, Fla. — Early education is costly, but the benefits are undeniable.
“I can only do so much at home, I mean, most kids only take so much from their parents," said Ashleigh Harrison, with a smile. "So, being around their friends and learning and seeing how they take in their surroundings is huge.”
She and her husband decided to enroll their son part-time when he turned two, but quickly went to a full-day when she got pregnant with her second.
WATCH full report by Heather Leigh
“He’s got all the energy in the world, he’s gotta go full time," she said, recalling why they made the decision. And, as they started to do the math, they realized if they kept their daughter home till she's two, they could avoid having both kids in care. "By the time he goes to kindergarten, she’ll be ready, and I was like that’s like a perfect transition.”
It’s true, and I’ll tell you why, but first, if you’ve got a chair nearby, you may wanna take a seat. The data Lending Tree just laid out is pretty alarming.
It finds that, on average, nationwide households with an infant and a 4-year-old need to earn about $402,708 a year to comfortably afford childcare.
The group notes that under federal guidelines, childcare is considered “affordable" when it uses up no more than 7% of a household's income.
And Lending Tree said the financial strain of childcare isn't felt equally. "By race, American Indian and Black households face the largest gaps between what they earn and what’s required to meet federal affordability guidelines," the study said.
If we zoom into Florida’s data, we can see the local impact, and it’s slightly better. Households with two kids need about $320K a year because the cost of care for an infant and a 4-year-old is cheaper at about $22,420.
Even still — the average income for a household with two kids in Florida is $132,519 — so parents are falling really short.
“Thankfully, we won’t be paying for two, and it helps a little bit with the costs," said Harrison.
A flexible job is key — she chose a work-from-home position so she could watch her younger daughter until she’s two.
“It helps me keep costs down, and it helps me take care of my children, so I can juggle both," she said. "I can still be my own individual, contributing to the household, but also taking care of my children and being present.”
Lending Tree advises to help cut costs, combine multiple strategies, such as:
- Ask your employer about any childcare benefits they may offer.
- Explore federal, state, and local assistance programs… and take advantage of the child and dependent care tax credit.
- Shop around — you may find hiring a nanny, or finding a school that offers part-time care.
- If you or your partner can, adjust your hours and schedule to cut down on the number of paid care hours needed.
- Ask the childcare facility if they offer discounts for siblings, payment flexibility, or sliding-scale fees based on income.
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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