Florida
Working families in Florida need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Florida. But too many working families in Florida are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Florida economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 1.3M children ages 5 and under in Florida – 66% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Florida is around $13,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 18% of eligible families in Florida. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Florida earn just $29,360 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Florida’s economy loses $6.6B annually due to child care challenges
Florida: In The Headlines
‘A broken market’: Florida’s childcare system is failing. What can be done about it?
Miami Herald | December 11, 2024
Parents struggle to pay for childcare. Businesses struggle to stay afloat. Many are barely able to pay their staff livable wages, causing rampant turnover and a scarcity of educators, further worsening educational outcomes.
Parents facing soaring child care costs, fewer openings
Pensacola News Journal | sEPTEMBER 23, 2024
Along with the costs, the number of licensed childcare centers in Florida also has decreased steadily since 2020 when the state had 7,131 providers, according to CCAoA.
Lack of affordable child care is a big concern for working parents
Your Sun | sEPTEMBER 28, 2024
For a growing number of U.S. households, child care affects family budgets, and financial stability is barely sustainable, no matter how hard their members work.
Florida Resources & News
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