That is less than secretaries, bus drivers, and flight attendants. In many cases, people manage to stay in the field only because they have a spouse with a good job. Parents would like to pay more, but often can't. Wendy Shepherd, a Commerce Township mother of two, said she did not work full-time when her children were young because she couldn't justify the child care costs. I had to make choices, and I gave up the pension and career at that point.
Child care costs a ton of money.
Mary Hamilton, a Detroit mother of three, pays about 40 percent of her income for child care. She said its tight, but quality is important to her. It is not that you can't find day care, but you can't find quality care, and when you do, you have to pay for it. Hamilton feels lucky. Parents are stretched, but workers aren't making a lot.