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Parents Now Pay More for Childcare Than Housing Across the U.S.

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Childcare is draining American families with a force that has begun to rival housing costs, and new national analysis shows that in cities across the country, parents are paying more to care for their children than to keep a roof over their heads.

Published

8 months ago

November 19, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Childcare is draining American families with a force that has begun to rival housing costs, and new national analysis shows that in cities across the country, parents are paying more to care for their children than to keep a roof over their heads. Researchers at LendingTree found that infant care exceeds average rent in 11 of the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, while childcare for two children exceeds rent in 85 cities across the country.

The spike in expenses lands at a moment when the federal shutdown has blocked funding for 140 Head Start programs that serve 65,000 preschoolers. At least 20 programs have partially or fully closed, directly affecting nearly 10,000 children whose families now face soaring out-of-pocket Childcare costs with no federal support.

Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst for LendingTree, called the price crush unavoidable for many families. “Spending almost $1,300 a month on Childcare is a massive burden for parents, but most families don’t have another choice,” Schulz stated. “They can’t stay home. They don’t have family or friends they can rely on for Childcare. They have no other option but to put up a ton of money each month for Childcare.”

According to LendingTree, full-time infant care across the 100 largest metro areas averages $1,282 per month, compared with $1,716 for a two-bedroom rental. But in cities like Springfield, Massachusetts, parents now spend $1,996 on infant care compared with $1,734 for a two-bedroom apartment. That fifteen percent gap is the highest in the country. Milwaukee follows at nearly fifteen percent. Wichita, Omaha, Baltimore, Buffalo, Syracuse, Spokane, Minneapolis, Toledo, and Worcester also report infant care costs that outpace rent by significant margins.

The financial blow becomes more punishing for households with two children. Families in Omaha are paying $2,891 a month for Childcare for an infant and a four-year-old, more than twice the city’s average monthly rent of $1,368. Milwaukee and Buffalo are close behind, with Childcare there also costing more than double the rent. Households in Springfield, Syracuse, Toledo, Spokane, Minneapolis, Wichita, and Rochester all face gaps of seventy percent or more between Childcare costs and rent.

LendingTree notes that while the situation is severe in many regions, the pressure is also felt in cities where rent is extremely high. In Miami, San Jose, and San Francisco, rent still exceeds Childcare costs, but Childcare remains a heavy expense that continues to climb. Nationally, the price of Childcare increased more than thirty percent between 2020 and 2024, driven in part by shortages of early childhood educators and widespread Childcare deserts in rural and low-income regions.

For many households, the federal shutdown has turned an already strained system into a breaking point. Without funding, Head Start programs in more than a dozen states have already halted classes or reduced hours. Advocates warn that families who lose subsidized early childhood education face few alternatives, especially in communities that already lack available Childcare slots.

Schulz said families should brace for continued financial pressure. “High rent and Childcare costs create massive challenges for most young families,” he said. “However, to the degree possible, it is important to not fully ignore long-term goals like retirement and emergency savings.”

District of Columbia Story

In Washington, Childcare Rivals the Region’s Soaring Rent as Federal Shutdown Cuts Off Funding for Thousands

In the nation’s capital, where the price of nearly everything feels inflated, Childcare has emerged as one of the most punishing expenses for families. New data from LendingTree shows that in the Washington metro area, full-time infant care averages $2,140 per month, almost equal to the region’s two-bedroom rent of $2,253. For households with two young children, the burden jumps even higher to $3,854 per month, seventy-one percent more than the region’s average rent.

The fallout from the federal shutdown is making the pressure even worse. As of November 1, 140 Head Start programs nationwide serving 65,000 preschoolers have received no federal funding. Twenty programs have been forced to fully or partially close, affecting nearly 10,000 children. Programs in the D.C. region warn that unless Congress releases funds, more families will be pushed into the already overburdened private Childcare market, where prices outpace salaries for many workers.

Nationally, the LendingTree analysis found that the cost of infant care exceeds rent in eleven cities and that the price of caring for an infant and a four-year-old is higher than rent in eighty-five cities. Washington ranks fourteenth on that list. The average D.C. area family with two children is paying $1,601 more per month for Childcare than for housing. Baltimore, also in the region, reports infant care costs of $2,084 compared with rent of $1,857, a twelve percent gap that adds to financial pressure across the wider metro corridor.

Matt Schulz of LendingTree said many families cannot escape the mounting costs. “Most families don’t have another choice,” he stated. “They can’t stay home. They don’t have family or friends they can rely on for Childcare.”

The tight supply of early childhood educators in the District, the high cost of commercial space for licensed centers, and the region’s elevated cost of living all contribute to the problem. Industry experts also point to the surge in demand as more parents return to in-person work.

Washington’s struggle mirrors national trends. Between 2023 and 2024, the average price of Childcare nationwide jumped more than thirteen percent. The District remains one of the most expensive cities in the country for infant care, exceeding the cost of public university tuition in many states.

Local officials have urged Congress to restart Childcare funding immediately. Without the federal support that sustains Head Start and Early Head Start operations in the region, families who already pay some of the highest Childcare prices in the country will face even fewer options.

Schulz warned that the situation demands urgent attention. “It makes an already difficult financial situation that much more challenging,” he said.

Stacy M. Brown

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Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

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The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
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He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.