(RNN) – Parents setting aside extra money for their children's college education may have to dip in their savings early for another expense – daycare.
College Board reported the average cost of in-state college across the U.S. is $ 8,893 for the 2013-14 school year. The average cost of childcare ranges from $ 3,582 to $ 18,773, according to the National Association of Childcare Resource and Referral Agencies.
Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado and Oregon are among the states with the highest childcare-to-college costs. The largest gap between pre-K care and higher education belongs to New York, with a difference of more than $ 8,000. An infograph by The Washington Post shows South Carolina is the state where college tuition is most expensive in relation to daycare – a difference of more than $ 4,000.
The cost of childcare is becoming a large part of the family budget for households across the U.S. For families with two children in the Northeast, Midwest and South, it is the biggest expense.
Costs vary from state to state, depending on factors like cost of living, licensing requirements for childcare centers and secondary education costs.
A report stated the last decade has seen an uptick in stay-at-home mothers. In 2012, 29 percent polled said they work from home – a significant increase from the “modern-era low” of 23 percent in 1999.
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