Catherwood LibraryILR School

A new report from the Census Bureau shows that many families are seeking alternatives to paid child care, including after-school programs and relatives or friends. While the report found that people were paying more for child care, it also found that the number of families that reported using paid child care fell from 42% to 32%. The report also found that wages for child care workers have remained stagnant since the 1980's. Only about 6% of those paying for child care did so with help from the government. Families in poverty paid about 30% of their monthly income on child care, compared with just 8% of income for other families.