Since 2018, the estimated cost of infant center-based care in Virginia has increased more than 11% according to The Virginian-Pilot. Day care centers in some areas across the Commonwealth now cost equal to or more annually than in-state college tuition.

Not only have costs gone up, the waitlist for day care centers can be years long, leaving families without options for safe, accessible childcare. This is leading parents to quit their jobs or even decide not to have more children. In areas where childcare prices are high, mothers are less likely to be employed outside the home. 

Too many parents, particularly mothers, are being pushed out of the workforce by the lack of affordable, accessible childcare. Democrats and Republicans across the country agree that childcare is in crisis. We need to prioritize affordable childcare in Virginia.