As Texas parents feel rising cost of child care, ABC13 examines data from new report

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The rising cost of child care: parents feel it every day, in all kinds of ways, big and small.

A new report from online marketplace LendingTree shows the cost to raise a child from birth through age 18 has climbed over $300,000. That’s a 28% jump from just three years ago.

While the report shows Texas is still one of the most affordable places to raise a child in the country, the average family income for families of four living in Texas cities is $127,000, which means raising a child costs about 16.5% of their income.

Records show infant daycare is the most expensive of all childcare, partly because Texas requires more staff to take care of babies than for older children.

According to Daycare Record, a web database that analyzes state records, parents are spending just over $45 a day for infant daycare. That’s cheaper than you’ll find in Austin, but more expensive than you’ll find in more rural places like the Valley.

There are several state programs available to help you pay for childcare. Most are for families who meet the federal poverty level. You can call 211 for more information.

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