In D.C., Child Care Drains Families Faster Than Rent

November 21, 2025

The Washington D.C. metropolitan area is experiencing a severe child care affordability crisis, with full-time infant care costing an average of $2,140 monthly, nearly matching the cost of rent for a two-bedroom apartment. Families with two young children face even steeper expenses at $3,854 per month, which is 71% higher than average regional rent costs. The ongoing federal shutdown has intensified this crisis by cutting funding to 140 Head Start programs nationwide, forcing 20 programs to close and affecting thousands of families who now must turn to expensive private child care options.

Who is affected

Families with young children in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area
65,000 preschoolers enrolled in 140 Head Start programs nationwide that have lost federal funding
Nearly 10,000 children directly impacted by 20 Head Start programs that have fully or partially closed
Families in Baltimore facing similar child care cost pressures
Working parents who cannot stay home or rely on family/friends for child care
Early childhood educators in the District

What action is being taken

Twenty Head Start programs have been forced to fully or partially close
Local officials are urging Congress to restart child care funding immediately

Why it matters

This crisis represents a critical financial burden that threatens family economic stability in one of the nation's most expensive regions. The convergence of sky-high child care costs—exceeding even public university tuition in many states—with the loss of federal Head Start funding creates an unsustainable situation where working families have no affordable options. This forces many families into impossible choices between employment and child care, while pushing more children into an already overburdened and expensive private market that most cannot afford.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer