SEYMOUR (NBC 26) — Many parents in Northeast Wisconsin are struggling to find child care as rates increase and availability plummets.
Nearly half a million families in the U.S. don't have reliable child care, according to a new report by Wells Fargo economists. Data shows day care centers can't find enough workers, which has led to a more than 12% decrease in staff.
“I have been looking for child care around here for over a year," said Tiffany Pavek, Seymour.
Pavek is a single mom with two daughters. After not finding available child care within 25 miles of where she lives, Pavek decided to make some life changes: she started her own cleaning business and teaches yoga so she can bring her preschool-aged daughter to work.
“It’s been a struggle to find before school care for her, since she’s in just a half day of school," Pavek said. "And then after school care, it’s full at their school. So we don’t have an after school option. So I have to be home from work at 2:30 or 3 o’clock to get them. So I can’t even work a full day."
The high cost of care only adds to the challenge. Pavek said she pays close to $200 a week for her daughter's before school care.
“I want her to be taken care of, obviously. It’s important. I would pay anything, but at the same time I also have to pay the bills," Pavek said.
The latest data from the Economic Policy Institute shows the average cost of child care for a four-year-old is $10,197 annually, or $850 a month. Infant care is even more, ringing in at an average of $12,567 annually. That's $4,092 more per year than in-state tuition for a four-year public college.
“The child care landscape right now is pretty bleak," said Amanda Schuler, Child Care Resource & Referral, Inc. Fox Valley early childhood consultant. "We see a lot of child care centers that don’t have the capacity to offer to any of the families that are calling them. And for families, we're seeing the rising cost of child care be almost unattainable.”
In the Fox Valley, Schuler said families pay anywhere from $180 to upwards of $250 a week for one child.
“I’ve had parents, or I’ve had programs that tell me that parents who are even thinking about conceiving are checking child care first before they’re even making the decision to have children," Schuler said.
Inflated costs of supplies like food and diapers, along with some increases in wages for child care workers, are adding to family's tuition.
“This has been an ongoing, albeit a more silent issue, and it has been brought to the forefront because of the COVID pandemic and the need for child care with the worker shortage as it is," Schuler said.
As costs increase, availability is decreasing.
According to Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W., 39 programs permanently closed in Brown County between 2019 and last month. That means 643 slots are gone.
“Right now in Northeastern Wisconsin, our child care landscape does not look great," said Jamie Tramte Brassfield, Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. early childhood manager. "We have child care programs with classrooms that sit empty, not because there aren’t children to fill them, but because there aren’t staff to work in those classrooms.”
Tramte Brassfield said low wages are causing many workers to leave the field all together.
“It’s hard work. And a lot of times we are seeing staff and providers tell us that financially it just doesn’t make sense to continue doing the work in the way that it’s being done now," Tramte Brassfield said.
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families provides funding for child care programs, some of which goes directly to staff in the form of increased pay, bonuses, incentives or benefits. A newer program called "Partner Up" helps employers support costs of child care for employees.
The DCF also offers child care subsidies for parents. Some local programs will offer families financial aid as well.
Child Care Resources & Referral, Inc. Fox Valley and Family & Childcare Resources of N.E.W. will give free referrals to regulated providers.
Schuler and Tramte Brassfield recommend getting on a day care waiting list and checking with providers often to see if there's an opening.
Pavek said she's already looking for full-time summer care.
“It would be nice to have that stable care. Somebody who is around to help," Pavek said.
