Day Care Is an Upscale Service

Back in the day when most mothers were housewives, day care was déclassé. Now that most mothers work, day care is a service for the upper crust. The more affluent and educated the parent of a preschooler, the more likely the child is to be in day care, according to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics. The percentage of preschoolers who are in a "nonparental care arrangement" ranges from a low of 45 percent among the least-educated parents to a high of 67 to 73 percent among parents with a bachelor's degree or more education. Similarly, the percentage of preschoolers in day care rises with household income, from a low of 48 percent among those with incomes of $20,000 or less to a high of 73 percent among those with incomes above $100,000.

Day care has become an upscale service in part because of its cost. On average, parents with a child in a day care center pay $6.72 per hour for care. Parents with a child in nonrelative care pay $5.27 per hour, on average. With minimum wage at $7.25 per hour, only a parent with a good job can afford to work.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Program Participation, from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2012