Study: In some cities, full-time infant care rivals a second housing payment

(InvestigateTV) — Raising a child is expensive, and for many families, child care can feel like a second housing payment. A new LendingTree study found that in some parts of the country, that comparison is not far off.

Researchers compared the cost of full-time, center-based infant care in the 100 largest U.S. metro areas to the average rent for a typical two-bedroom apartment. In nearly a dozen of those metro areas, child care actually costs more than rent.

“There are definitely places in this country where child care is more expensive than rent,” said Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at LendingTree. “And it’s a really, really tough situation because it’s not like you can just cancel child care like a Netflix subscription.”

LendingTree’s analysis found that across the 100 largest metros, infant care averages about $1,280 a month. The average rent for a two-bedroom unit is about $1,716. But in 11 metro areas, parents pay more for infant care than for that typical two-bedroom.

Researchers combined data from Child Care Aware of America with federal housing and urban development rent figures to see where the gap between child care costs and rent is widest.

Springfield, Massachusetts, tops the list for infant care costs relative to rent, followed by metros like Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wichita, Kansas, Omaha, Nebraska, and Baltimore, Maryland. In many of those areas, Schulz said, a limited supply of child care spots can mean long waitlists and higher prices at centers parents’ trust.

“One of the biggest issues is that the supply doesn’t meet the demand in a lot of places,” Schulz said. “It’s not necessarily the case in big urban cities, but once you get into smaller, cities and even in rural areas and that sort of thing…there’s just not enough supply of child care to meet the demand of all of the families out there.”

“The really good child care places can basically charge what they want,” he added. “Because there are so many people knocking down their door to try and get in. So, it makes for a really difficult situation, especially when you’re in one of these childcare deserts—where actually child care providers are just so sparsely located that people have to go out of their way to find them.”

If you are worried about how to afford child care, Schulz recommends starting the conversation early, even before a baby arrives, and building those costs into your monthly budget.

Leaning on trusted family or friends for occasional help can sometimes reduce the number of hours you pay for, he added. In some areas, there may also be assistance programs or lower-cost options you have not heard about yet.

“Taking a simple step like googling child care resources near me can be a really useful step because chances are there are governmental organizations, non profits, religious groups, community groups, who may be able to help you in certain circumstances,” Schulz said.

For families considering a personal loan to cover child care or other related costs, he cautions that it is important to compare offers carefully and make sure any monthly payment truly fits your budget, so you do not create a new long-term problem while trying to solve a short-term one.

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