Childcare Costing Idahoans as Much as Mortgage and Tuition

I have baby fever like you wouldn't believe! But, unfortunately, one of the major concerns I have about having kiddos is the outrageous cost of child care. I've heard from many friends that the high cost of having their kids in a childcare program here in the Treasure Valley, is the reason they're not having any more kids or they're waiting several years longer than expected to begin expanding their family. That is just a bummer.

So how much exactly is it costing families? According to KTVB, parents are shelling out nearly $20,000 a year in at least 22 states!! According to Childcare Aware of America, here in Idaho, the average cost of an infant and four-year-old in care is over $13,000. So what chunk of the paycheck is going to childcare? "Parents of 2 children living at the poverty line pay 55.4% of their household income for center-based child care." Infant care in the state is just over $7,000, that's nearly the cost of a year's worth of tuition at a public Idaho college ($7,250).

To get more statistics and a full breakdown, CLICK HERE.