The cost of raising a child in the United States is rather
high. The
Institute for Family Studies says that it costs about $230,000 to raise an
average American child from birth to age 17. The cost is lower in rural areas,
but it’s still high at around $190,000. These totals don’t include college
expenses, which can be $20,000 yearly or greater.
The worries you might have over raising
a child can be substantial, as the cost can be exorbitant. You’re spending
money on food, housing, health care, clothing, transportation, and many other
things.
There’s also the concern associated with getting child care services. Low-income families need to hire child care groups to help care for their kids’ needs while
they are at work or school. It’s critical for low-income households to be able
to work, but it’s also essential to ensure their kids are being cared for well
while doing so. Proper care is necessary for the youngest children, as those
from birth to kindergarten require the greatest care for their development.
The good news is that you can receive financial help in
giving your kids to care they deserve. There are many forms of child care assistance you can use to help cover many of the
costs associated with raising a child, including for daily care services. You
can use these services if you’re in a low-income household and require help.
Many child care assistance programs
you can use include various day care services where people can take care of
your children and meet their needs. Much of this work covers proper feeding and
emotional and mental support.
Many states have different programs available for children,
with many of these focusing on helping these kids develop early skills. An
example of this is in Florida, where the state’s School
Readiness Program helps children prepare for learning while conducting
proper developmental screenings.
Day care services are designed to help give children the
support they need to grow, plus they help monitor their development and how
well they respond to care services. Early observation and care are critical to
fostering a lifetime of health and good behavior, so having financial support
for child care needs is a necessity. You can also
receive referrals from these services for situations where your child requires
further support or help.
These programs are a critical part of child
care and are only a portion of what a child requires. While you will
still be responsible for many aspects of rearing a child, child
care services can still help ensure your children develop well while you
continue to earn an income. Considering how low your household income may
already be, having child care services on hand to help
is a necessity.
Many day care services available through low-income child care programs help children through all the critical
developmental milestones. The CDC lists
various milestones for children to meet as they develop. For example, at
nine months, a child should be able to show multiple facial expressions while
getting to a sitting position on one’s own. At thirty months, the child should
be able to say about fifty words and follow two-step instructions.
A child care program can review how
your child is developing and see if any corrective measures or other forms of
care are necessary. This effort from low-income programs will help children
grow well and develop the abilities and functions they need to be healthy and
happy.
You can receive financial assistance to cover the cost of child care through various voucher programs. A child care voucher provides financial support to families
who need help paying for child care services. These vouchers make it easier for
families to have their kids receive care while the parents go to work.
The child care voucher works with a
few points. First, the state or territory will pay a portion of the cost of child care. You’ll still have to pay for some of those
expenses, although the total will vary by situation. The amount still won’t be
as much as what you’d pay without support.
The child care service provider will
then receive funds from the state or territory to support your child’s needs.
This measure allows you to send your child to whatever child
care facility you want to use.
Each state
has different guidelines for how you can get financial assistance. For
example, Tennessee
has a program where you can receive subsidized child care for your child
from six weeks to kindergarten. This program is available to Tennessee parents
who are working or are enrolled in a post-secondary education program for at
least 30 hours a week. This program is available to parents whose household
income is below the 85th percentile of state median income. In this
case, a household of four can qualify if their monthly income is less than
$6,388.95, while that total is $8,433.42 for a household of six.
A
similar example comes from Rhode Island, as that state offers a child care voucher program where parents can receive support
for sending their children to day care services. Families who meet the state’s
income eligibility standards of below 200 percent of the federal poverty limit
and work at least twenty hours a week at the state’s minimum wage or greater
can qualify.
The total amount you’ll receive through your child care voucher will vary depending on your state,
household income, and child’s age. The funds you’ll receive through that
voucher will immediately go toward the cost of the child care
service. In most situations, the voucher should cover the entire cost of
whatever child care service you utilize.
You’ll find many child care centers
in your local area that will participate in low-income child support programs.
You can visit a center and consult employees and staff about how they care for
kids and observe their growth and development needs.
You can conduct an online search to find child
care centers near you. Be sure whoever you contact is qualified to
handle your child’s needs and that you’re entering a situation you feel
comfortable with.
Most child care services are suitable
for children up to kindergarten age, but you can also qualify for child care
assistance for older kids. Many states have such programs available to help
families with kids who are in primary school. For instance, Illinois allows
support for children under the age of thirteen who require care while you
are at work or school.
You may also qualify for some discounts depending on where
you go for help. Some organizations may offer sibling discounts where you can
receive additional vouchers if you have siblings that will attend the same day
care service together. Military discounts may also be available to people
actively enrolled in the military who need assistance getting their kids into
the necessary day care services.
After determining if you qualify for child
care assistance, you can contact your local service provider for
information on what is available and how to enroll your children into a
program. You can consult a local child care center in
your area for details on the government programs it participates in. From
there, you can work with a government official to help you enroll your
children.
You’ll likely require some documentation to confirm your
children can enter a program. Some of these documents include proof of income
and details on your current work or education needs. Details on whatever
children require services will also be necessary.
The child care agency can then
review your data and provide a solution to how your kids can receive support.
You’ll receive information on what you qualify for following a review, although
the timeframe for when you’ll get a response will vary.
You’ll also have to report any changes to your family or
living situation as necessary. Such changes might influence your eligibility
for benefits.
For example, you might have a change in your job or your
employment status. You could also change your address
or the family size has changed for any reason. All these factors can change
your income standards, especially if there are more or fewer people in your
household.
The next point to review for child care
assistance involves getting support for kids with special needs. Parents of
children with unique mental or physical health care needs can qualify for
special assistance programs.
One such example involves the Children’s Health Insurance
Program. This Medicaid-supported program offers health insurance to
children who qualify. This program works for families whose incomes are too low
and who can’t afford private health insurance. Families whose incomes are too
high to qualify for Medicaid can also use CHIP.
CHIP eligibility rules vary by state, with some states
letting households with incomes at 400 percent of the federal poverty level
qualifying. You can check with your state to see what’s open.
Many states also have rules that allow children with special
needs to receive care longer than others. Going back to Illinois, while that
state has child care assistance programs for kids up
to 13 years of age, the number rises to up to 19 years for those with special
needs.
While there are many ways to get money for child
care, there are cases where you might have already paid for your child
care needs. The IRS does have some guidelines for how you can get a tax credit
for cases where you paid for child care yourself.
The IRS will let you apply for a tax credit through Form 2241. This form
lists information on child care expenses that you paid
for. These include expenses you covered to allow your child to receive care
while you went to work or were looking for work.
The credit you’ll receive is based on your income and what
percentage of your expenses you handled for child care.
The total will help reduce your tax burden and improve how well you’re managing
your funds for child care.
An Earned
Income Tax Credit can also help you with your funds. The EITC will give you
a tax credit if you have a low enough income and are taking care of children.
You’ll have to list your earned income, investment income, and details on any
children in your household to qualify for the EITC. The total you’ll earn will
vary, but the credit can help you reduce your tax burden or potentially
increase the value of your tax refund. The benefit of this measure is that
you’re getting funds to offset whatever child care
costs you’ve already managed.
Child care expenses are high, but they’re
costs that low-income households will often have to bear. Parents should have
the right to send their children to qualified day care facilities and
pre-kindergarten classes to help them develop well.
Your family can qualify for various child
care assistance programs, as each state has different systems where you
can receive funds to help your children receive the care they need while you
are at work or school. Each state has various programs to use, and the
qualifications will also vary by state. Check with your local area to see what
is open and how your family can benefit from what is available.