Childcare costs prevent would-be parents from having kids

Exorbitant childcare costs increasingly prevent would-be parents from starting a family. A research paper “The Price of Parenthood: Childcare Costs and Fertility” by Abigal Dow notes that fertility rates across the world are dropping, calling it a “crisis.” In the United States, families spend up to 16% of their median income on full-time care for one child (in some places it’s more than 20%), and costs often push mothers out of the workforce or force them to reduce their hours. The analysis says the childcare market is made up of mostly small businesses with “limited public involvement,” leading to a low supply of quality care that can be expensive.