Most young Virginia families can’t afford childcare, report says

Costly childcare impacting U.S. economy

The country is facing a childcare crisis and a new Ready Nation study revealed that the lack of access to high-quality and affordable childcare has more than doubled its blow to the U.S. economy over the last five years. It's costing the U.S. $122 billion a year in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue. Anne Hedgepeth, chief of policy and advocacy at Child Care Aware of America, joins FOX 5 to break down the situation.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Child care costs aren’t just high – according to a new report, many families in Virginia can’t afford child care at all.

The report was compiled by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Researchers found that throughout the Commonwealth, childcare is unaffordable for 85 percent of families with infants, 82 percent of families with toddlers, and 74 percent of families with preschoolers. The numbers were even worse for low-income families.

Also, on top of the high costs, the report concluded that there is a shortage of at least 140,000 childcare slots statewide.

Most young Virginia families can't afford childcare, report says

Child care costs aren’t just high – according to a new report, many families in Virginia can’t afford child care at all.

"In every region of Virginia, parents tell me about how difficult it is to find high-quality, affordable child care," Sen. Tim Kaine said in a statement in response. "This report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission underscores what I’m hearing and reaffirms that we have to do more to address the child care crisis, which is holding families, workers, and our economy back."

Parents who spoke with Fox 5 Wednesday in Arlington mostly said the report’s conclusion wasn’t a surprise.

"It’s too expensive," dad Juan Salinas said of child care costs.

Added Isaac Unciano, "I feel like it’s just a never-ending cycle."

To read the full report, you can click here