Childcare Costs Are Higher than Mortgages, Rent, Food

A married couple in California with children under age 18 brings home a median income of $81,794. Then they pay out about 14 percent of that if they have an infant in a childcare center full time. That sum is just for one child.

Single moms carry an even greater financial burden. According to a report by the National Association of Childcare Resource and Referral Agencies, single moms in California earn an average of $28,579 and spend an average 41 percent of that for infant childcare if their infant is in a childcare center full time.

The statistics, compiled from research from a variety of sources including the US Department of Labor, show that Americans are spending more on childcare each month than they are on their mortgage, rent or food.

The association consists of childcare professionals, non-profit organizations, government agencies, trade unions and public arts organizations.

California has more than 6 million children through the age of 11, according to the association's report.

A family in the Golden State pays an average of $11,580 annually for full-time center care for one infant. The same costs for a 4 year old are $8,234.

On the other hand, the average costs for a newborn through age 4 in a family home childcare situation are $7,000 t0 $8,000, the association reports.

Before- and after-school care for a school-age child runs about $3,000 a year in Californa, whether it is a center or a home-based operation, according to the report.

California's figures for income and full-time childcare appear to be in the middle of the range of American statistics, based on this report. Before- and after-school care in California appears to be lower than in other parts of the country.