High Cost Of Child Care Strains Families Across The Country

The soaring cost of child care is one of the most pressing issues facing families nationwide. The annual cost of child care rivals the cost of a college education in many states, according to a recent analysis from the Economic Policy Institute. 

Except for Washington, D.C., Massachusetts has the country's most-expensive child care. For a 4-year-old, that cost averages $15,000 per year. It's almost $21,000 for an infant. By government standards, only 5% of Massachusetts families can afford infant care. 

"It doesn't work for anybody," said Lauren Cook, who runs the Ellis Early Learning Center, a Boston institution since 1885. "Nobody wins. Everyone suffers, literally everybody." 

Ellis Early Learning Center, a nationally accredited nonprofit, provides childcare for 270 kids and has a waiting list more than double its enrollment. Tuition is as high as $30,000, but without donations, the center would close. 

"We lose money virtually on every child we serve," Cook told CBS news. 

Charging families more for the care, Cook said, "would break families." 

At Ellis, two-thirds of the kids have subsidized tuition based on low family income. Without that subsidy, Aleathia Graham's child care for her 3-year-old Aryelle would cost more than her rent.