New numbers from a group called the Economic Policy Institute find child care in a majority of states, including Arizona, is more expensive than college.
The data for Arizona shows the average cost for infant care is more than $15,000 per year; the number is closer to $12,000 a year for a 4-year old. Infant care tends to be more expensive because of the lower ratio of professionals to infants. EPI finds the average annual cost for college here is less than $12,000.
Melinda Gulick, CEO of First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood agency, says these numbers generally mesh with what she sees. Gulick says the average cost of child care for a preschooler in Arizona is roughly $14,000 a year, although she’s seen the costs for infant care as high as $25,000 a year.
Gulick joined The Show to discuss what numbers mean for Arizonans who are struggling to figure out if they can afford child care.
