The Associated Press/MSNBC
Parents throughout the nation are scaling back or pulling their children from day care programs because they can no longer pay for the service, reports The Associated Press. Day care costs average between $3,380 and $10,787 annually per child, according to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.
While some parents have lost their jobs and are keeping their children home with them, others are working reduced hours and require less child care coverage. Care providers say children at centers are stressed by the upheaval that results when their friends suddenly stop showing up. And centers that once had long waiting lists for rare empty slots are now offering part-time services and changing hours to accommodate shift-work schedules. Nov. 9, http://www.msnbc.com.
