Second child put on hold

Child care expenses have led directly to one local family’s decision to hold off on having a second child.
One young mother, who asked not to be identified, spends about $90 a week for their 15-month child to attend a local day care facility.
She works at Sonic Equipment, while her husband works at B&W Trailer Hitches.
They earn enough to make a living, but doubling child care expenses would be cumbersome, the mother admitted.
The popular day care facility at B&W, the Growing Place, was already filled to capacity when the family sought out a place for their child.
They found a provider in Iola with long-time experience “Her youngest is a senior in high school, and she’s been doing this for quite a while,” the mother said. “We talked to quite a few people to find somebody we liked.”
The $90 weekly fee is paid regardless of the number of days her child attends day care. Likewise, the fee is not discounted, even for holidays.
The price is discounted only on days in which the day care provider is unavailable, the mother explained.
She, too, is intrigued with President Obama’s proposal to increase child care tax credits, but is uncertain whether such a proposal would alter her family’s plans for having other children.
“We’d like to have another one eventually, but paying for child care for a second child would really stretch our limits,” she said, “and I’m not sure how much of a break this would provide.”