Kentucky Families Strain as Childcare Costs Surge After New LendingTree Report
Tuesday at 9: 14 a. m. ET, a new LendingTree report finds the average annual cost of care for two children — an infant and a 4-year-old — tops $28, 190, intensifying pressure on Kentucky households. The timing matters because federal guidelines define affordable childcare as 7% or less of household income, and the LendingTree figures show that meeting that standard would require a family income above $400, 000.
Childcare pressures in Kentucky: LendingTree figures and one family’s reality
The LendingTree number contrasts sharply with the federal 7% affordability benchmark: at $28, 190 a year for two children, the report indicates families far exceed that threshold. For many Kentucky families, the gap is immediate and personal — a single mother in Lexington, Alanna McGlothlin, described daily trade-offs between work, school and care for her three-year-old son, Elijah.
House Bill 6 and Joint Resolution 50: legislation developed with broad input
Advocates are looking to the Kentucky legislature for relief, and two measures — House Bill 6 and Joint Resolution 50, sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin — were developed over 18 months with input from more than 40 stakeholders. The proposals would modernize quality standards, streamline regulations, reform affordability programs, introduce child care micro-centers aimed at third-shift workers and rural communities, ensure fair provider payment, strengthen support for child care workers and children with special needs, and expand the Child Care Advisory Council.
Providers and officials respond: Child Care Council of Kentucky highlights cost drivers
Debbie Link, executive director of the Child Care Council of Kentucky, said inflation is squeezing both families and providers: higher costs for food and staffing push providers to raise tuition, which in turn hurts families’ budgets. She emphasized that switching from a market rate survey to a cost model is one proposed change aimed at lowering costs for families.
McGlothlin’s experience illustrates the program cliff many face: she initially qualified for Kentucky’s CCAP program with a $25 weekly copay, but a promotion pushed her above the income limit and her weekly cost jumped to roughly $250; when her son turned three the weekly charge fell to $225. She said that, after doing the math, childcare is nearly as expensive as her rent and that managing work and parenting has taken an emotional toll.
Link framed the issue in workforce terms: “Childcare is the workforce behind the workforce. If you don’t have childcare, you don’t have workers. ” She also urged families to contact the Child Care Council of Kentucky for support and guidance on navigating affordability programs and provider options.
Practical relief options in the proposals aim to address both supply and affordability by increasing provider payments and support for workers, while expanding program access for nontraditional hours and rural areas. For now, families facing rising bills must weigh changes in assistance eligibility and weekly copays as they decide whether to remain in the workforce or alter their employment.
Advocates are pushing for legislative action in Frankfort; more details expected 5: 00 p. m. ET. If lawmakers advance House Bill 6 or Joint Resolution 50, sponsors and stakeholders say implementation choices will determine whether costs for struggling families fall in the months ahead.
