Idaho teacher, 67, retires and moves across US as childcare costs match mortgage
Rising childcare expenses are forcing many American parents to seek help from grandparents. Mary Jo Galusha retired early to care for her grandchildren in Delaware. This trend highlights a significant gap in the nation's childcare infrastructure. Grandparents often provide flexible and much-needed support for working families. Many grandparents willingly help their children and enjoy spending…
Mary Jo Galusha, a 67-year-old school teacher from Idaho, had envisioned a tranquil retirement filled with quiet mornings, self-care, reading time, and gardening. However, her daughter Stacia Bourne shared a shocking revelation: the family's daycare expenses were nearly matching their mortgage payments. Stacia and her husband had grown concerned about the financial burden of raising a second child due to the staggering rise in childcare costs in the United States.
Galusha decided to step in and offered to retire early and relocate to the East Coast, providing childcare for the couple's newborn, Robin, while Stacia and her husband continued working. Now, Galusha dedicates 30 hours a week to caring for the baby, finding the experience deeply rewarding, describing it as "magic" to watch the children grow up.
As childcare costs continue to soar in the US, many families are increasingly turning to grandparents for help, as the country lacks a flexible, affordable, and reliable childcare infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
