The second shift: Child care crisis forces families into grueling schedules
“Child care costs have spiked 220% since 1990, and the crisis is especially acute in Washington state. It has the fifth-highest average weekly cost of child care in the nation, and Seattle is the second most expensive city, trailing only San Francisco. Even if parents can afford child care or receive government aid, they still face the hurdle of low availability. It’s typical for day cares to have years-long waitlists.”
“Those headwinds are forcing more families to take work and child care in shifts, according to Deeann Puffert, CEO of Childcare Aware of Washington. But she said that work-child care relay race comes with other costs for families.”
