Moreil recently submitted this comment under a really old post about child care in the city, and I thought it was worth a new post and new discussion:
"Kate, Patrick, & Cynthia, what would consider afforable child care costs for an average 2 income family? I think of a saying, "you get what you pay for: these children are our precious babies. I'm at a loss because I want good service but I dont want to break the bank. Feedback pls......"
Moreil, I hear you. As I said in that old post, there was a time when we paid more for our two kids to be in day care -- more than $2,000 a month -- than we did for our mortgage. Fortunately, that wasn't a long period. Once kids get to be 2 years old, prices can drop by quite a bit. And we paid extra to go to a place that had particularly long hours, which we needed -- we were both journalists at the time.
Unfortunately, a good nanny can cost even more than that.
Obviously, that's still not something everybody can do. Nor should they necessarily have to.
There are good home-based day cares out there. Those can still be pricey -- in my experience, you may have to pay $700 a month per child to use them full-time, depending on the child's age and the neighborhood you live in.
A good way to find care -- and to talk about your options with someone who knows about child care in this area -- is to use LOCATE Child Care. That site allows you to look for state-licensed care online. You can also call the Child Care Resource Center in your area for help.
My day care days have passed, fortunately for my bank account. So I'd like to hear from readers using child care now. What's a reasonable price for high-quality care in Baltimore and its suburbs?
(First Lady Michelle Obama reads to children at the U.S. Department of Labor Day Care Center. TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)