Saja Khuder was set to return to her job with a pharmaceutical firm after maternity leave. At the last minute, her child care plans fell through. Chase Mateusiak, a bioinformatician, was using a daycare that was “fine” but expensive — and which left his 18-month-old son “exhausted and unhappy” after a 10-hour day. And for PhD student Kellsey Launius, paying for daycare wasn’t an option. She tried to work around her daughter’s nap time, but found it almost impossible.  All three parents found the answer in Little Break, a coworking space with adjacent child care facilities in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Users say its prices are a fraction of what other daycare centers charge. In the U.S., families spend between nine percent and 16 percent of their median income on full-day care for just one child. Photo courtesy of Little Break For Launius, who had been reluctant to leave her then nine-month-old with strangers, Little Break was “a perfect solution,” allowing her to focus while knowing her daughter was close by. “It immediately felt like a supportive community for working parents, rather than just a place to sit and work,” she says. While some countries prioritize child care, the U.S. — aside from some states, like New Mexico —  is not one of them. Families spend between nine percent and 16 percent of their median income on full-day care for just one child, and prices have risen much faster than inflation. And cost is not the only factor. Just over half of America’s children live in “child care deserts” — areas where demand exceeds availability. “There are waitlists everywhere,” says Khuder. The post The Affordable Daycare That Keeps Parents Close appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.