Single moms bear brunt of New Hampshire child care costs, a new report finds

This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative .

A single mother in New Hampshire spends almost half of her annual income on child care for her infant.

In its report released Tuesday, the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation reported that child care costs are straining families across the state, but single mothers are hit harder.

Providing care for an infant costs an average of $21,593 a year, or about 45% of a single mother’s annual income of $48,464.

While the expenses decrease slightly as children grow older, they remain significant. It’s estimated that child care for a toddler costs $17,481 and $12,809 for a preschooler.

Devan Quinn, policy director at the New Hampshire Women’s F