While every family could benefit from early childhood education, not everyone is able to enjoy its benefits. The rising cost of childcare is a significant issue that has far-reaching implications, particularly for low-income communities. In our view, unaffordable childcare is at the root of a national crisis that impacts many American families.
According to a recent study, American parents pay between 18 and 36% of their household incomes on childcare for young children, with families living below the poverty line being affected most severely. These costs far exceed the 7% threshold the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services uses as the expected sum for affordable child care. A new tool created by MarketWatch shows the average amount families spend on infant care, toddler care, pre-K care, and beyond. In Los Angeles, families pay between $14,000 and $20,000 per year on infant and toddler care – and as our team knows well, these early years are vital in forming children’s sense of psychological safety and supporting their cognitive capacity to mature into healthy people. This economic strain continues to burden families who struggle to keep up with inflation and a general spike in the cost of living. Parents receiving unemployment assistance may still struggle to afford rent, food, and clothing for themselves and their children. In Los Angeles, prices continue to creep up after a staggering 8% leap in 2022. Nearly 1 in 4 American families lack childcare support because they cannot afford it. Limited access to affordable childcare can perpetuate cycles of poverty as parents struggle to work and provide for their families while facing high childcare costs. Children who do not have access to quality early education may enter school less prepared, potentially leading to academic challenges later on. On the other side of the equation, inflation is impacting childcare centers and schools as well by driving up core costs, from infrastructure to staffing.
The stakes are high for affordable child education and care. At Maryvale, we take on the critical work of creating opportunities for affordable early childhood education to support Los Angeles’ most vulnerable families. We are intimately familiar with the delicate needs of infants and young children and are firm proponents of the critical importance of a nurturing, healthy early education. Our early childhood education centers remained open continuously during the pandemic. Families with two working parents have relied on Maryvale to provide quality care and education for their children each day so that they can earn a living. We have offered various in-person and virtual programs to supplement learning material for young children and ease parents’ burdens. To learn more about our early childhood education programs, read about our unique approach to working with young children. To find out if your family is eligible for subsidized preschool at Maryvale, please get in touch.
