Despite that unpaid support, Johnson and her husband pay $2,600 a month for childcare and cleaning — the sort of paid village Johnson says is essential when both parents are working. Parents around the country are struggling to pay for childcare costs — which are often higher than a mortgage or rent. Here's what five other parents pay to create the village they need to survive. AdvertisementDay care for the two younger kids costs $650 every two weeks, or over $1,300 monthly. "I think there's a lot of unnecessary guilt and shame that can come up with having a 'paid' village,'" she said.

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Persons: —, Amy Johnson, Johnson, Amy Baby, It's, Katie Nostrum, Jessica Lemmons, Lemmons, L'Oreal Thompson Payton, Thompson Payton, Miriam Udy, Oluese, she's Organizations: Service, Department of Labor, L'Oreal, San Francisco Bay Area Locations: Cleveland, North Dakota, Texas, Bryan , Texas, Chicago, Tennessee, San Francisco Bay, Knoxville , Tennessee, New York, They're