CHARLOTTE, N.C. — QUESTION: Is there a child care shortage in Mecklenburg County?
ANSWER: No, out of the 572 licensed child care programs in Mecklenburg County, 560 are open, and many are accepting applications.
SOURCES:
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to Squire, currently, in Mecklenburg County, there are 572 licensed child care programs and 560 of them are open, and many are accepting new applications.
"A lot of them have spaces, it's just that every once in a while we do know some, are full but in Mecklenburg county, that is not the case," Squire said.
According to Squire, some places are having a hard time getting child care teachers to come back, but she said the issue is not the lack of child care openings.
"One of the biggest things we hear is not necessarily the lack of care being available, but it's the lack of affordable child care," Squire said.
According to Child Care Resources, the average five-star care facility in Mecklenburg costs $14,000 a year for an infant. It cost around $12,500 for a toddler.
"The price of care has not changed it's not that child care is too expensive, but it is high compared to income," Squire said.
Mecklenburg County data from the state of the county health report shows the average income is around $64,000 and the poverty rate at 13%.
"We serve a lot of low-income families and you're looking at $20,000 a year, and they are spending half of that for an infant," Squire said.
Squire said many parents and day care centers are still facing hurdles stemming from the fallout of the pandemic.
VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you want VERIFIED? Text us at 704-329-3600 or visit /verify.