LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy and Kentucky Voices for Health surveyed 1,357 parents across 88 counties on child care, with results showing several families had to make sacrifices in their budgets to afford child care. 

Sixty-seven percent of parents surveyed said they have to reduce non-essential spending to afford child care, a little more than half reported delaying major purchases like buying a home or car.

Nearly 40% reported having to ask family for financial support to pay for their kids’ care, roughly one-third said they had to reduce essential spending, 32% have to dip into emergency savings and 30% said they have to delay or decrease their retirement savings.

In a virtual press conference on the survey, some parents said it’s more economical to quit their jobs than to pay for child care.

“I have a lot of pride in my work, and I’m really scared about having to give that up and having to live paycheck to paycheck or not be around my kids or face the option of having really low-quality child care, if we can find it,” said Kentucky mom Tiffani Hays.

The survey also found 62% of parents spend time on waitlists for child care because there aren’t enough spots for kids 4 and younger.

“I was on more than a dozen waiting lists at one point several before my babies were born in 2022,” said Kentucky Voices for Health Communications Director Kelly Taulbee, who’s also a mother of twins. “The first real phone call I got was when the babies were about 10 months old for a single slot, not two. I was willing to drive up to an hour away to make it work, and I’m still on at least seven waiting lists right now.”

More than 60% of parents surveyed said their child care tuition has increased, and 15% expected theirs to increase soon.

The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy is calling on the state to provide more financial support for families with young kids who need child care.