A Fort Pierce mother who left her job as a certified nurse assistant due to overwhelming childcare costs has become part of a growing trend in Florida, where the vast majority of families now spend far more than the federally recommended amount on childcare. Siedah White told WPTV on Tuesday that caring for her four children at daycare facilities cost up to $300 per week for infants and $275 per week for toddlers, consuming roughly 20 percent of her household income and forcing her to choose between working and meeting basic family goals. White was among more than 100 people who commented on the childcare affordability crisis, and she now hosts a video mom blog on Instagram and TikTok after deciding full-time employment was no longer sustainable for her family.
White said the financial pressure became unbearable as childcare expenses prevented her family from moving to a larger home or upgrading their vehicle. She explained that she was working just to pay for childcare, making employment financially pointless. Her decision to leave the workforce reflects a broader pattern identified in recent research on childcare costs in Florida and across the country.
According to a Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta study examining childcare costs in Georgia and Florida, childcare prices increased 29 percent from 2020 to 2024, outpacing the 22 percent rise in overall prices during the same period. The study found that 85.4 percent of Florida families are estimated to spend more than the 7 percent of income affordability benchmark established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The median percentage of income Florida families pay for childcare stands at 13.9 percent, nearly double the federal affordability guideline.
In Florida, the estimated weekly costs for care of infant and toddler children are $268, while preschool-aged children cost an estimated $208 per week. The Atlanta Fed study indicates these costs are putting significant financial pressure on parents throughout the state, forcing difficult decisions about work hours and prompting some parents to leave their jobs entirely. The research highlights how childcare expenses have become a major barrier to workforce participation for parents, particularly those with multiple young children or those working in lower-wage professions where childcare costs can consume a substantial portion of take-home pay.