The severe financial burden of child care expense on a young family puts an effective lid on how much providers can charge, which makes it difficult for centers to stay afloat. “The crux of the problem is that people can't work without child care, and child care needs to be high quality, and quality is driven by cost,” says United Way Vice President for Community Impact Barbara Hutchinson. “It’s a vicious cycle not particular to Charlottesville, but one that exists all across the state and country.”