KSHB 41 reporter Abby Dodge covers consumer issues, personal budgeting and everyday spending. Share your story idea with Abby.
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The most dominant noise in Taylor Kasper’s home on Thursday’s is not the constant clack of her keyboard, but the sounds of brothers playing in the basement.
Kasper is a single mother of three.
Her two youngest, both boys, are not in school yet.
With one salary, full-time childcare isn’t an option.
"I could not afford to have the all in childcare at the same time and be going in every day," Kasper said. "It would just not be feasible."
The most recent Consumer Price Index, released this week, showed a more than six percent increase in childcare costs over the last year.
"It’s complicated," Kasper said. "It’s insanely expensive because they can."
Taylor’s sons go to daycare just a few days a week and they still face challenges.
Sometimes facilities aren’t open with little notice.
In August, an estimated 69,000 people missed work because of childcare issues. That figure ties the month’s record set in 2020.
Taylor found her own solution.
She secured a work from home job with flexible hours.
Her children occasionally interrupt her workflow, but the change has made all the difference.
"Having them here is amazing, and it makes me feel really confident in my decision," she said.
The CPI also showed the overall rate of inflation is at 2.5% year over year.
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