LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — How much does it cost to have a child? Aside from the basics like food and clothing, most parents have to factor in daycare. Annual child care costs in Nevada far exceed the cost of college and surpass most mortgage or rent payments.
Natasha Maldonado knows that all too well. After working in banking for several years, she’s now an office manager at a landscaping company.
“This brought me a little more work-life balance,” she said.
After she had her daughter, Naimi, she wanted to be a hands-on mom.
“I wish I could stay home. But we can’t. We can’t. Even with us both working full-time, it’s even a struggle as it is,” she said.
For single parents that financial struggle is even more pronounced. Single mothers in Clark County spend, on average, 42% of their income on childcare, according to The Children’s Cabinet, a nonprofit that offers programs and services to Nevada families.
Maldonado said when she was looking for daycare for Naimi she was shocked at the cost. “About $400 a week was average of what I was finding and that’s more than our mortgage.”