• Saneless@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    How’s child care? Is that a thing?

    In the states you pretty much need a $50k job just to cover daycare for 2 kids. And that’s assuming your spouse covers food, housing, cars, etc

    I don’t know how most families afford more than 1 kid, if any, based on salaries/pay in the US

    • Addfwyn@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Some prefectures offer free childcare services, but it depends a lot on where you live. Historically they aren’t services that have been used a lot, there is something of a cultural expectation that you or your family watch kids. As an example, babysitters/nannies are basically unheard of unless it is a relative. My girlfriend’s sister has a child and either the sister is home all day with the kid or her parents watch it; she even leaves in an prefecture with free daycare services.

      There is a fairly decent maternity leave that most new mothers do end up using. There’s an initial lump sum payment plus you get about 2/3 your salary for up to a year (I think those times are right). Paternity leave technically exists as well but I have never met anyone who has used it.