LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The U.S Department of Agriculture estimates it now costs over $230,000 to raise one child to the age of 18.
From day care to diapers and everything in between, raising a child has never been cheap.
In today’s economy, many parents said it feels nearly impossible.
“It’s just the, you know, the agelong story of parents just sacrificing for their kids, but nowadays, it feels like more is being sacrificed,” said Mickenna Shannon, a mother of two.
For parents like Shannon, the price of parenting in 2025 is taking a toll.
Saving for college or extracurricular activities will sometimes be put on pause to sacrifice for more pressing items.
“We’ve been looking into more free activities around the area, so those have definitely been paused,” Shannon said. “Definitely feeling a little mom guilt from that.”
Child care is one of the biggest expenses, averaging more than $9,500 a year and often more in larger cities.
Director of Kids Imagination State, Briana Smith, said about 75% to 80% of the kids her day care serves are on state subsidies.
“With kids on subsidy, those are the parents who are more likely to lose their jobs, or not necessarily lose their jobs, but if they get a pay raise, then they’re kicked off subsidy or things like that,” she said.
Families are responding in different ways. Some said they delay having children; others move in with relatives or cut back on some items.
“Sometimes I do worry that, like, we can’t get out of this hole that certain opportunities will not reach them,” Shannon said.
Shannon said the financial pressure on parents reshapes how families plan, work and raise children.
She said without long-term policy changes, the costs might keep increasing.
Until then, families like hers are doing what they can and hoping they can keep up.
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