A recurring theme in EPI's Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) reports is twofold: quality childcare is expensive and when working families lose a childcare subsidy by making too much money to qualify for it, making ends meet becomes a huge hardship.
Key finding No. 5 in the 2012 RISN puts it this way: "When a parent earns a penny over the income limit for childcare assistance, the cost of care skyrockets, creating a major financial setback for families trying to improve their economic circumstances."