SUFFOLK, Va. — Katie Godwin isn't new to parenting.
She and her husband of more than a decade have four children: a 16-year-old, a 9-year-old, a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old.
This September, Godwin and her husband made the decision to put their children first, ahead of her job.
"I was trying to keep my full-time job, and when we looked at daycare prices for two of them, one was $215 and the other was $225 a month. We did the math and it would be around $1,800 a month, which is more than a mortgage payment and pretty much a whole paycheck I was bringing home," Godwin told 13News Now.
In an attempt to save money, Godwin and her husband are currently living off his salary alone while she stays at home with the two youngest children.
While she loves being at home watching her kids grow up, she admits she misses a work routine and is working to figure out a schedule that can balance her professional and personal life.
Godwin's dilemma is one shared by parents everywhere, as the conversation surrounding the high costs of child care continues across the country.
"This [cost] has caused me to look into in-home daycares in this area, however, due to the economic instability for many, those prices have also increased as well. I work and live in Suffolk however Monday through Friday is a hassle for my family and I," mom Lynn Trese told 13News Now.
"We now have to worry about the cost of tolls, gas, maintenance of cars."
Shortage of daycare slots, affordable options
According to a recent report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, Virginia is short approximately 140,000 daycare slots needed to properly accommodate the demand. In Hampton Roads, it's estimated that 50,000 daycare slots are needed to meet the demand.
According to federal policies, child care that is deemed "affordable" constitutes less than 7% of a person's yearly income.
In Virginia, that only applies to a small handful of families.
85% of Virginia families who need infant care do not meet this threshold. Those numbers are 82% for families with a toddler and 74% for families with a preschool-age child.
According to care.com, childcare options are 13% higher in 2023 compared to 2022.
In Virginia, according to Child Care Aware of America, childcare costs range between $11,000 and 15,000 per year per family. The same research also found for a parent making $37,000 per year, childcare could cost up to 43% of that person's yearly income.