The costs of raising kids without grandparental care [Video]

May Udy, 32, is “on the cusp” of affording part-time childcare. She works full-time at her remote sales job, and her husband, Jackson, has a steady stream of work as a contract engineer in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Yet, the cost of even a few days of childcare for their two children, Noah and Hannah, aged 5 and 6, is untenable.

Nationally, care for one child ranges from $4,800 to $15,000 a year, and the prices are expected to keep rising. In Tennessee, the average annual childcare cost is $10,000-$11,000.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle agree that childcare is a significant financial strain. In a recent interview, JD Vance suggested parents should ask their families to pitch in. “Maybe grandma or grandpa wants to help out a little bit more,” Vance said. “If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that we’re spending on day care.”

For Udy, …