Child care centers and providers often cannot charge what it costs to provide quality care because it would be costly for the families in their area to purchase. Like any business, if expenses exceed income, child care providers cannot keep their doors open. The increase in the number of families in need of child care is staggering. For example, recent released Census Bureau information reports that 59 percent of the 3.7 million American moms with babies had jobs in 1998, compared to 31 percent in 1976. An increase in demand often results in increases in the costs of child care, Abell says.
Child care is an even bigger issue for people trying to get off welfare.
Day care has been called an equal-opportunity budget buster. As parents become more aware of the importance of quality day care, it may get even more difficult. A small window of opportunity exists when nerve cells in young children's brains connect to each other. If young children are not in a positive learning and loving environment, those nerve connections may weaken or even fade away because they are not being used. The lack of quality interaction early can make a difference later in children's readiness and desire to learn throughout their school years.