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Child care costs more than college tuition, report says. Why is it so expensive?
A new report finds that the cost of child care is more than in-state college tuition in California.
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Manoja Weerakoon
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LAist
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When a child is born, parents are told to start saving for college, if they can. But child care costs even more in California than in-state tuition, according to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute.
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Child care costs more than college in California, report says
Child care for an infant costs just under $22,000 a year, according to the analysis, compared with average in-state tuition of $8,786 annually for a four-year public college.
Care for a 4-year-old is $13,020 on average, which is less than a year of University of California tuition but more than a California State University school.
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While those numbers may not surprise parents, the report reinforces a long-standing reality across the United States: Child care is often unaffordable, even though providers themselves make low wages.
How to find child care in Southern California
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Infant and toddler care is the most expensive kind of child care and often the most difficult to find. The reality is that there are not enough spaces in Los Angeles for every kid that needs care. That's why LAist's child care guide can help you understand the wide variety of options, when to start your search, and one of the best-kept secrets.
How California compares to other states
California ranks fourth for most expensive child care in the country, behind only Washington D.C., Massachusetts and Minnesota.
Still, most of the country faces similarly steep costs. Economic Policy Institute’s analysis finds child care is more expensive than in-state tuition in 38 states. The report relies on state data obtained through the U.S. Department of Labor and the advocacy group Child Care Aware of America.
"One of the hallmarks of a middle-class lifestyle is the ability to invest in one’s children and send them to college. Families often save for years to afford public in-state tuition," reads a blog post on the data from the Economic Policy Institute. Yet child care can be an even larger burden, the authors write.
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Why does it cost so much?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, high costs stem from a "fundamentally broken child care market":
There are not enough child care programs to serve families who need care and many programs do not offer care during the hours or days families require. More than half of families in the United States live in communities where potential demand for child care outstrips supply by at least three to one.
That's especially true for infant care, which has higher associated costs than care for older children.
The department also benchmarks "affordable" child care costs at no more than 7% of a family's income.
Many families don't use subsidized child care
State subsidies for care are meant to address the issue, but in California, just 14% of eligible children were enrolled in subsidized care in 2023, according to the California Budget & Policy Center.
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" We have thousands of families that are making what's considered low income to moderate income wages that are expected to pay market price for child care, and it's just exorbitant," said Laura Pryor with the Budget Center. "It forces families to have to make impossible choices between finding care for their children, maintaining their employment, paying for rent, paying for food."
Elise Gould with the Economic Policy Institute said that reaching those levels will require more government intervention.
"There is not a market solution to this problem," Gould said. "And that's why we need public investments. We need better programs that we need the government to step in and help solve this affordability crisis."
Child care resources
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Finding child care
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MyChildCarePlan— A child care directory created by the state of California and local resource and referral agencies.
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Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles— A partnership of 10 partner agencies that help Southern California families find child care and support providers.
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Los Angeles Office for the Advancement of Early Care and Education — This division of the Department of Public Health created an online hub for resources that includes information for pregnant and parenting teens, and families with children at risk of developmental disabilities.
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Early Head Start— a federally funded child development program for low-income families with infants and toddlers.The Los Angeles County Office of Education Head Start and Early Learning Division provides referrals based on your location.
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Emergency child care for foster children— A statewide program intended to provide immediate child care access to families caring for children in foster care. Learn more about how to access the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children in Los Angeles.
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Evaluating quality
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A fill-in handout to take when you talk to providers and/or visit their facilities. The Child Care Resource Center defines the “keys to quality child care” as qualifications, cost, availability, learning, playing, health, safety, communication, COVID-19 precautions and caregiver/child interactions.
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California child care facility search: Look up inspection reports and licensing history from the state Department of Social Services.
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TrustLine Registry: A database of caregivers, including nannies and other un-licensed providers, who’ve passed background check that found with no substantiated child abuse reports or certain criminal convictions including murder and kidnapping.
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National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): This group of educators has published guides for finding a high-quality child care program for your infant, toddler and older children.
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California Department of Social Services guide to choosing child care: Answers to frequently asked questions and helpful checklist to take with you to child care facility visits.
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Know your rights
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Child Care Law Center— A California non-profit legal organization that advocates for families and providers. They’ve created an overview of affordable child care programs,
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For families of children with disabilities
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Special Needs Network— A Los-Angeles based non-profit that helps identify and get resources to “children of color ages five years old and younger who are at risk for developmental disabilities,” among other initiatives.
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Regional Centers— Community-based centers overseen by the state where families can get developmental disability assessments, case management support and learn about eligibility for therapeutic services.
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These resources were recommended by the people interviewed for this guide. Have a suggestion? Email mdale@scpr.org.
Senior editor Ross Brenneman contributed to this story.
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