Maryland is known for fresh seafood from the Chesapeake Bay, the sailboats of Annapolis and the industry of Baltimore, but the state also is a great place to raise a family. The Maryland Science Center, National Aquarium and Fort McHenry are educational and fun destinations that both children and adults will enjoy.
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The state’s 659,152 families also benefit from 1,547 child care centers, of which 12% are nationally accredited. With 294,316 children under the age of six requiring child care, infant, toddler and preschool-age child care is in high demand.
Maryland’s 315,502 working mothers, 142,454 of which are single parents, can take advantage of the state’s affordable child care. Care in a center averages $12,400 annually per infant and $8,700 annually for a four-year-old child. In-home care is even more affordable, costing an average of $8,850 annually per infant and $7,450 annually for a four-year-old child. These costs are generally less expensive than averages elsewhere in the United States and Maryland single mothers can expect to pay around 34% of their annual income on child care. Married couples in Maryland spend an average of 12% of their median annual family income on child care.
Before and after-school care is also in high demand. 20% of referrals in the state are to these chid care providers, who charge an average of $5,000 annually to care for a school-age child during these hours in a center. Once again, the cost is less for before and after-school care in a family child care home, costing an average of $4,450 annually per school-age child.
The 60,404 impoverished families in the state can get financial assistance to help provide child care for the 43,136 children under the age of four that live in poverty. 14,400 Maryland families benefit from the Child Care and Development Fund that makes child care more affordable for qualified applicants.
The state’s 7,220 child care workers make an average annual income of $23,000 per year and can attend many of the 1,533 training sessions offered annually throughout the state.
