'I have absolutely no retirement': How child care workers are being impacted by rising prices

WBUR | By Ashley Locke

Published July 31, 2025 at 9:39 AM MDT

Jocelyn Tomaszewski, who owns Busy Bees Christian Family Child Care in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, cooking with a child. (Courtesy of Jocelyn Tomaszewski)

Educators in the child care sector have seen their wages jump about 60% in the last 15 years. But with a median wage at just $14 an hour, they’re still struggling to make ends meet as the cost of basics outpaces inflation.

Here & Now‘s Ashley Locke has more about new data from researcher Ashley Anglin with the group United for ALICE and speaks with Jocelyn Tomaszewski, a child care business owner in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, about her worries for the future.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.