COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The cost of childcare may account for a good portion of a family’s monthly budget, and that price tag is going up.

Groundwork Ohio said child care can cost between $10,000 and $13,000 a year for just one child, so it’s not a surprise that many families are struggling to make ends meet.

Groundwork Ohio is a statewide advocacy group that focuses on public policy geared toward helping infants to 5-year-olds.

Becca Thomas with Groundwork Ohio said some parents are having to choose between staying at home and collecting government subsidies or working in the hopes of being able to afford to send their kids to daycare.

“We’ve heard from a lot of parents who just can’t take that promotion or work more hours because if they make more than that certain amount they’ll lose their childcare subsidy,” said Thomas.

It’s a financially restrictive cycle and Thomas said it’s a reality for many parents in Ohio.

Charis Davis, a mother from Portsmouth, can sympathize with this struggle. She said she was only able to send her son to daycare because she started working at that same daycare. Now, Davis said her kids are older and no longer in daycare, but she said she helps friends by watching their kids at her house if they fall behind financially.

“A lot of these parents, if they take off days of work then they are not going to be able to catch up on their bills, let alone their daycare bills,” said Davis.

Thomas at Groundwork Ohio said childcare is a problem for most parents, including herself.

“My kids are just out of the childcare space and it was a huge cost. It was just money going out every month you couldn’t think about because we had to work,” said Thomas. “Being a working parent you have to just make things work and it can be quite challenging.”

For those who need help with childcare, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services have resources available.