TKW Consulting

FACT – Minnesota Parents Work:

• Nearly three-quarters of Minnesota mothers of young children work – among the highest percentage in the nation.
• This translates to more than 670,000 children statewide needing some kind of non-parental care.
• Nearly 7 in 10 Minnesota children under six had their parents in the labor force in 2000.

FACT – Many Working Parents Cannot Afford Child Care

• The average cost of 4 years of child care is over $30,000 – more than 4 years of tuition at the University of Minnesota.
• Minnesota’s traditionally excellent Child Care Assistance Program, which helps low-income working families afford child care, came under attack in the 2003 legislative session, cutting over 50% of the state’s funds for child care assistance, lowered income eligibility, and increased parents’ co-payments. There have been steps toward restoring some of those deep cuts in recent legislative sessions, but more work needs to be done.

I would just like to note that affordable child care is important, but quality child care is just as important. Let's make sure we don't sacrifice one for the other...

// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:11 PM