WASHINGTON – It is a tough pill for new parents to swallow – learning just how much childcare costs.
A 2013 Maryland report shows the average cost for childcare for two kids in Montgomery County is more than $2,100 a month, which comes out to more than $25,000 a year.
In most counties in Maryland, childcare is the second or third-highest household expense, taking anywhere from 16 to 28 percent of the median household income. Montgomery County’s estimate of more than $25,000 per year puts it at the top in amount spent on child care annually by residents when compared to other counties.
Montgomery County councilmember Hans Riemer is proposing a plan to ease the financial burden on parents.
Riemer is introducing legislation that would incorporate childcare centers into every new school in the county.
Only two out of 28 school renovation projects in the county now includes childcare centers, he says.
Riemer is asking parents to take a survey here about the issue. The short survey inquires about the availability of high-quality child care in the area as well as how the cost affects parents and whether parents have sought government assistance to pay for child care.
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