Kid-care costs - national household day-care and babysitting expenditures

American Demographics, Dec, 1997 by Diane Crispell

In 1995, one-third of married couples whose oldest child was under age 6 spent money on a day-care center, nursery, or preschool. The average amount these families spent was about $260 a month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. This total doesnt include care provided in private homes. Its also far less than what parents pay in some cities.

Minneapolis day care averages $640 a month for a 3-year-old who spends 40 hours a week in a private, for-profit center, finds a recent survey from Runzheimer International of Rochester, Wisconsin. Boston and New York City rank second and third, with costs averaging more than $600 a month. Parents in Tampa, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Billings, Montana, pay less than $300 a month for comparable day care. The median cost for the 65 metro areas studied was $393.

Parents who pay three times more than those in other parts of the country might argue with that word comparable. When youre spending that much, you like to think youre getting your moneys worth. But its natural that day care costs more in places where people have more money. For one thing, the staff at day-care centers in affluent areas need to make enough money to support their own families.

No matter where families live, child-care costs are a top expense that can approach or even surpass mortgage or rent payments. In most cases, however, parents can anticipate the end of child-care costs long before they can expect to burn the mortgage.

For more information about national household day-care and babysitting expenditures, contact the Bureau of Labor Statistics at (202) 606-6900; or see Web site http://www. bls.gov. For information about the Runzheimer study, call (414) 767-2200; or see Web site http://www.runzheimer.com. Diane Crispell