Childcare costs peaked in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but care hasn’t been affordable for many families that need it over the last decade. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, childcare is affordable if it costs households no more than 7% of their income.
The average cost of childcare was not affordable for families making less than $75,000. Childcare was not affordable in 2021 for the average multi-racial, Black, or Native American family either, taking up nearly 9% of the average income for each of these groups.
