The High, High Cost of Childcare- Part II

I posted here previously about the cost of childcare. I really didn't know what the going rate for childcare was. Today, however, I read an article that made my eyes pop out. The article was called The Childcare Crisis, and it was on the front page of MSN Money.

• One lady was paying $2,750/month for childcare for her two children. For the math-impaired, that's $33,000. You could buy a new car every year. A pretty nice one!
  
• The author of the article was happy to say that she was "only" paying $900/month for one kid. Hmmm....$10,800/year. That's two or three nice vacations!
  
• Child care for infants is running as high as $14,650 a year and care for a 4-year-old in a licensed center as high as $10,920. Child-care costs have outpaced what the average family spends on food.

Um, yeah. This sounds like something I want to do (not). I can think of a multitude of ways to spend that kind of money. And they're all much more enjoyable than adding a dependent to my life.

Some other (non-related) gems in the article:

• "The cost of child care in this country is one of those little secrets -- like leaky diapers and colic -- that parents just don't share with friends who are expecting." And why do we keep it secret? Maybe the "misery loves company" syndrome? Thanks for not being my friend!
  
• "It's a lot of rock-paper-scissors (to determine) who's going to drop him off and pick him up every day." Wow. Sounds like parents of the year! The article goes on to say that the same couple pays $1100/month for childcare for one child, and they want two more! Hey folks? If you can't afford one, chances are you can't afford three!

Of course, there are child-care credits which are subsidized by the people who have not reproduced. YOU choose to have a kid (or three) and expect everyone else to pitch in! Sounds fair, doesn't it? So quit your crying...I don't want to hear it!