Federal guidelines say child care is "affordable" if it costs 7% or less of a household's income, but a new LendingTree report finds the average annual cost of care for two children an infant and a 4-year-old tops $28,190 a ye ar. To meet that standard, a family would need to earn more than $400,000 a year.For Alanna McGlothlin, a single mother in Lexington, that gap is her daily reality."It's hard, because I work full time and go to school full time. It's basically three jobs every day. It's not easy," McGlothlin said.McGlothlin cannot work and care for her three-year-old son, Elijah, at the same time even from home. She initially qualified for CCAP, Kentucky's state child care assistance program, paying a $25 weekly copay. A promotion pushed her just above the income limit, and her weekly cost jumped more than eight-fold."It was $250, and when he turned three it went down to $225 per week. Long story short, if you do the math, I'm paying almost as much for childcare as I am for rent," McGlothlin said.The financial strain is only part of the burden."I would love to pull him out and have him at home with me, but then I'd feel like a bad mom because I wouldn't be able to focus on him And he recognizes now, if I have my laptop or work phone, he knows not to bother me and that breaks my heart I've broken down crying over that, at three-years-old he shouldn't recognize that," McGlothlin said.Debbie Link, the executive director of the Child Care Council of Kentucky, said the pressure is felt on both sides by families and by providers."Part of it is just the inflation of goods, so for a child care provider to even provide food for the families during the day and all that, to pay their staff a livable wage, they have to increase their tuition, which is really hurting families because it's almost pricing them out of childcare," Link said.Advocates are looking to the Kentucky legislature for relief. House Bill 6 and Joint Resolution 50, sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin, were developed over 18 months with input from more than 40 stakeholders. The legislation would modernize quality standards, streamline regulations, reform affordability programs, and introduce child care micro-centers for third-shift workers and rural communities. It would also ensure fair provider payment, strengthen support for child care workers and children with special needs, and expand the Child Care Advisory Council."We really think that could make a difference moving forward, and one of those things is changing from a market rate survey to a cost model so that we can get the cost down for families for childcare," Link explained.For McGlothlin, every decision carries a cost."Trying to navigate it all trying to see what's worth it, what you can do in the end to be the best for him," McGlothlin said.Advocates say the stakes extend beyond individual families."Childcare is the workforce behind the workforce. If you don't have childcare, you don't have workers," Link said.Link offered some guidance for struggling families, and she encourages parents to reach out to the Child Care Council for more support.Resources for Kentucky families: Starting a home child care program: Guidance is available for families interested in beginning a child care program from their home. Child care assistance for child care workers: Child care workers in Kentucky can receive assistance with no income eligibility requirement. Kentucky Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (ECCAP): Employers can partner with the state to directly reduce employee child care costs. Nonprofit scholarships: Some nonprofits offer scholarships to help cover child care costs. ...read more read less