Mapped: Childcare costs in Arkansas
The cost of child care in Arkansas is one of the lowest in the nation, but the cost of care for two kids still costs roughly 27% of the median household annual income, according to Census data.
Why it matters: Rising child care costs put a huge financial strain on families, forcing some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely, Axios' Emily Peck writes.
For single parents, the calculus can be even more painful.
It's also a drag on economic growth overall.
The big picture: The cost of child care in the U.S. just keeps climbing — a new report finds that prices rose 29% from 2020 to 2024, outpacing overall inflation.
By the numbers: The average annual cost of daycare tuition nationwide for two children — one toddler and one infant — rose to $28,168 last year, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group.
Zoom in: In Arkansas, it's $17,500.
Zoom out: The U.S. doesn't have publicly funded universal childcare.
However, the federal government does put money into the system for low-income kids through block grants to the states, as well as Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides childcare, nutrition assistance and other services to the nation's poorest families
There were worries that the White House would stop funding Head Start, but the administration has said that won't happen.
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