A recent economic study has verified the sad truth; preschool is almost as expensive as college tuition these days. This spells doom for new parents these days because they have to technically spend on college tuition, twice.
Why the high costs of tuition?
The main reason why preschools have to charge exorbitant tuition fees is because they do not enjoy the same benefits that mandatory education institutions have. Because children are not required by law to attend preschools, the government does not need to give them the same subsidies as public and most private schools. The high costs of education are shouldered entirely by both parents.
In addition, preschools are tightly regulated by the government. There is a standard ratio of teachers to toddlers (usually no higher than one teacher to five students), and there is a limit to how many students they can accommodate according to the space that they have. These strict restrictions prevent preschools from making efficient cutbacks to lower tuition costs.
Are there any government-run preschools?
Yes, there are some government funded preschools, however, they are few and far in between. What’s worse is that the may parents report that facilities in these centers are usually below par of what the privately-run preschools do.
If not preschool, what is the alternative?
Most parents would opt to not send their kids to preschool if they could, however, it is simply not possible these days. It is hard to get by these days on just a single source of income, both spouses need to work if they want to provide their family with a somewhat cozy life. If one spouse decides to become a stay-at-home parent, it essentially cuts the family’s income in half, which is something that they could not afford to happen.
How to Cut Costs on Your Kid’s Preschool
There is no denying the fact that preschool tuition fees are so high that people are starting to think that it is more economical to just quit their jobs and be a stay-at-home parent. However, not everyone can afford to do so. On the bright side, there are some ways that you can cut down the costs of preschool,
Compare the prices of several schools – You should not settle for the preschool that is nearest to your home, you need to shop around a bit so that you can have an idea of the average costs of preschools in your area.
Search outside your neighborhood – Do not limit yourself to searching for preschools that are near your home, look for ones that you pass by during your commute to and from work. You might just stumble upon a more inexpensive preschool and you also get the additional benefit of being able to drop off your kid before going to work, and then picking him up before you go home.
While preschool is expensive your child has to go to preschool only for a few years. Even if that means your paycheck is going towards preschool. While in preschool your child is building indispensable life skills, you get a build your career and keep a job which may offer healthcare benefits.