Daycare issues are one of the biggest concerns that American families have, especially if they have a low income. For many low income families, if both parents work there is a good chance that one of them will be doing so largely to pay for daycare. Finding cheap daycare for low income families is crucial to ensuring that they can make ends meet and get by each month.
Average daycare per month costs families around $700. That is more than a lot of people can afford. Being able to get help paying for it and finding more affordable options is a must for many families around the country. If you do not earn a lot of money then it would be extremely difficult to pay $700 per month for your daycare bill. It’s a bit of a vicious cycle, with parents needing to work to pay for the daycare, and them needing daycare to be able to go to work.
Each election cycle, those running for office say they will do something to help low income families be able to afford daycare. Yet when they get into office, there is not usually much that changes. Therefore, it remains an ongoing issue that people have to deal with in order to get by each month. Knowing where and how to get help with paying for childcare and how to find cheap daycare is going to be the best route you can take.
Help Paying for Daycare
While the federal government doesn’t yet offer a federal daycare assistance program, they do offer a couple of ways to help make your daycare bill more affordable. Taking advantage of using these programs can go a long way toward helping your family to keep more money in their pocket each month.
Here are some programs to consider that will help to pay for the cost of childcare:
Head Start – This is a federally funded program that will help low income families to pay for their childcare needs from birth to age five. The program will help families cover the cost of daycare and early childhood development. If your child is age five or under and you meet the low income guidelines then you may be able to get assistance from this program. There are head start locations around the country, so your child would go to daycare or early learning care at one of those approved locations. To get more information about the program, click here.
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten – Many states offer a program that is called Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten, or VPK. The program is funded by the state government and it pays for the child to go to a learning program, like a daycare, the year before they would start kindergarten. Children start this program when they are four years old and go to it for a year, and then the following year they would begin kindergarten. Contact your state’s department of education or your local early learning coalition to see if they offer a VPK program.
Early Learning Coalition – Around the country, there are Early Learning Coalition offices. These offices help people find and enroll in programs such as head start, VPK, and more. They can help people locate cheap daycare in their area. To see what type of information, referrals and assistance they can provide for your family, reach out to your county’s Early Learning Coalition.
Other Cheap Daycare Options
In addition to the programs listed above that may help you find cheap daycare or help pay for your bill, there are other options. You should be able to find some cheaper daycare options in your community. Consider the following ways to find more affordable options near you.
Ask Friends and Family – If you have friends or family members that you trust to watch your child and they have the free hours, consider asking them to watch your child. You could offer them a rate that is affordable for you and fits into your budget. Many people feel they don’t have someone they know that could do it, but you won’t know until you ask.
Stay at Home Moms – There are many moms who stay at home with their children, but they still love to be able to make some extra money. Reach out to some stay at home moms that you trust to see if they would be interested in providing childcare for your child for a fee. Offer them a rate that is affordable for you. By doing this, you will be helping yourself to find affordable daycare, and helping the stay at home mom to make some extra money on the side.
Contact Churches – Many churches offer daycare programs for young children. Contact some of your local churches to see if they have offer childcare programs and how much they are. Churches that offer such programs usually offer them at a cheaper rate than those offered by commercial companies.
Home Daycares – There are daycare programs offered by businesses and those offered at home. In home daycare programs are offered by someone who has a small daycare set up in the home and they tend to charge less. They are also usually in a smaller setting with fewer children for the person to watch at one time. Many people prefer in home daycares for their setting, size and cost.
Sibling Discounts – If you have more than one child in need of daycare, you will want to find a program that offers a sibling discount. You should be able to get a cheaper rate if you have more than one child that you will be enrolling in their program.
Retirees – Ask around to see if there are any retirees that would be interested in watching your child. This will give them a chance to make some money on the side, and help you with cheap daycare. Many people like this option, because it provides the child with a “grandmother” type of figure who will provide the care while you are at work.
