5 things to know about the child care crisis

Apr. 21—High costs and difficulty finding openings for quality child care and preschool are challenging families across the region, state and nation, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.

Here are five key things we learned:

1. The median annual child care cost in the Dayton/Hamilton/Middletown/Springfield region ranges from $3,620 for center-based school-age care in Champaign County to $14,189 for center-based infant care in Butler, Greene, Montgomery and Warren counties.

2. Waiting lists for a spot in a child care center or preschool can be as much as six months long.

3. New public money, much of it from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, has helped parents and providers, but that is one-time money that will run out.

4. Women left the labor force in record numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic as lack of child care made it impossible to work and companies continue struggling to find employees amid the child care crisis.

5. Studies show quality early learning prepares kids for kindergarten and helps them succeed in school and later in life.

SEE ALL THE STORIES IN OUR CHILD CARE CRISIS 2023 SERIES

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