When parents need back-up care, that typically means hiring a sitter, which costs an average of $25 per hour nationwide (and ...

Child care workers typically earned $13.71 an hour, or $28,520 a year, in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment remains lower than it was prior to the pandemic.

As students head back to school, many parents struggle to pay for child care for preschoolers, or for older children once school is done for the day.

The data shows child care costs range from 8% to 19% of a median family’s income per child. That’s anywhere from $5,357 to $17,171 per year when adjusted for inflation.

Hundreds of child care providers in 27 states and Washington, D.C., went on strike Monday to remind policymakers how essential they are, not only to families but to the nation’s economy.