A Fort Pierce mother has joined thousands of Florida families struggling with childcare costs that now consume a significant portion of household budgets. Siedah White left her job as a certified nurse assistant after paying up to $300 per week per infant for daycare for her four children. She estimated the costs took up about 20 percent of her household income.
White now hosts a video blog on Instagram and TikTok while caring for her children full-time. She was among over 100 people who commented on WPTV's Facebook page about childcare costs in Florida.
"Having four children in daycare is not sustainable for our family," White told WPTV. The infant rate she paid was $300 per week, and $275 per week for toddlers. "I was just working just to pay childcare, and we weren't able to meet our family goals as far as needing to move into a larger place and upgrading our family vehicle," White said.
A new Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta study found 85.4 percent of Florida families are estimated to spend more than 7 percent of their income on childcare. The benchmark for affordability established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is 7 percent. The estimated weekly costs for care of infant and toddler children in Florida are $268 and $208 for preschool-aged children.
The median percentage of income families would need to pay for childcare is 13.9 percent. The report examined childcare costs in Georgia and Florida.
From 2020 to 2024, childcare prices rose 29 percent compared to a 22 percent rise in overall prices, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Childcare costs now often far exceed the federal affordability benchmark. The study concludes the costs are putting significant financial pressure on parents and forcing difficult decisions on work hours and even leaving jobs. White's experience reflects these findings, as she determined working was no longer financially viable when childcare expenses consumed such a large portion of her household earnings.