Millennials trying to find help in the childcare market can be overwhelmed by the cost and the limited availability of services, writes Caroline O’Halloran for SAVVY Main Line.

“We’re at capacity until the summer of 2024,” reports Angela Bruno, owner of Kids Clubhouse in Radnor.

The Goddard School in Wayne has a two-year waiting list, according to owner Fran Lubbs.

In Pennsylvania, about 35,000 kids are on waiting lists, according to a recent survey.

Desperate parents use expensive nannies or even move back home where grandparents include babysitting in their retirement plans.

The bulk of the problem is insufficient staffing.  Many childcare workers left during the pandemic for higher-paying, more flexible jobs.

Daycare owners haven’t been able to replace them so some centers never reopened. Others cut the number of children they would take in.

And even though early childhood centers pay well above the state average of $12.50, it hasn’t been enough to attract qualified workers.

Meanwhile, the average cost of childcare in the region is more than $18,080.

There has been some movement from politicians.  PA Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget includes $66 million to hire more childcare workers and make childcare more affordable.

Read more about the difficulty Millennials have dealing with the childcare market these days at Savvy Main Line.