child care in cook county - Illinois Action for Children

B.TRENDS IN CHILDCARE RATESLike most expenses, child care coststend to rise every year. But the costof center care has risen more rapidlythan consumer prices nationally.Table I-3 presents the aggregaterate increases of centers and familychild care homes for Chicago andsuburban Cook County. The dollarcolumns show the most recent ratesfor each age group. Next to eachrate is a column that presents thepercent increase over the nine yearsfrom June 2000 to June 2009.Increases ranged from 13 percent to65 percent. Over the same periodof time, all consumer prices roseabout 25 percent nationally. 1 Whilemost licensed home rates increasednear or below this average inflationrate, center rates for almost all agegroups far exceeded it.It appears, then, that Cook Countyparents—or those parents who canafford to pay for care—have a demandfor center care growing faster thantheir demand for home care, especiallyin the ages above toddler.Two important exceptions wherehome rates have outpaced those ofcenters are infant and toddler carein Chicago and before- and afterschoolcare in both Chicago andsuburban Cook County.While suburban child care costs moreon average than care in Chicago,Chicago has experienced more rapidrate increases over the last nineyears than has suburban CookCounty. This is the case for both centerand home care for all age groupsexcept infant and toddler center care.Across age groups, the slowest risingcenter costs were that of infant andtoddler care, particularly in Chicagocenters where the average cost ofinfant and toddler care increased 20percent and 21 percent respectivelyover the last nine years. Still, infantand toddler care remains the mostexpensive of all age groups.The fastest-rising costs were those ofbefore- and after-school care, risingmore quickly in Chicago than in thesuburbs. The average cost of beforeandafter-school care rose by 65percent in Chicago licensed homesand 61 percent in Chicago centers.C.WHAT PERCENT OFINCOME IS REASONABLETO SPEND ON CHILD CARE?The numbers are clear; child careis an increasingly burdensomefinancial responsibility for families.According to the U.S. Census, thetypical (median) income for familieswith children under 18 in CookCounty was $61,306 before taxesin 2008, and even lower for Chicagofamilies at $46,069. 2 Care for oneinfant in a Chicago child care center,at an average cost of $210 perweek, or $10,500 over a fifty-weekyear, costs 23 percent of a typicalChicago family’s pre-tax income.At $10,000 per year, toddler caretakes up 22 percent. Licensed homecare for an infant or toddler is moreaffordable at $6,800 to $6,950 peryear, but even this is 15 percent ofa Chicago family’s income.Table I-3. 2009 Average Weekly Market Rates, and Rate Increases Since 2000Source: Illinois Action for Children Resource and Referral Program. Rounded to the nearest dollar or percent.Percent Percent Percent PercentGrowth Growth Suburban Growth Suburban GrowthChicago Since Chicago Since Cook Since Cook SinceAge Centers 2000 Homes 2000 Centers 2000 Homes 2000Infant $210 20% $139 26% $239 32% $154 17%Toddler $200 21% $136 28% $220 34% $150 18%2-year-old $173 52% $132 27% $196 41% $146 17%3- to 4-year-old $153 44% $127 27% $176 39% $142 16%5-year-old $150 42% $123 26% $171 36% $136 13%Before & After School $105 61% $100 65% $116 45% $100 46%School-Age Summer $131 51% $120 39% $160 34% $125 26%Percent growth in consumer prices nationwide since 2000: 25%7