<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[The Dish]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://dish.andrewsullivan.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Andrew Sullivan]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://dish.andrewsullivan.com/author/sullydish/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[How Much Does A Kid&nbsp;Cost?]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Almost <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/halahtouryalai/2012/06/14/have-235000-thats-what-it-costs-to-raise-a-kid-today-before-college/" target="_self">$300,000</a>, according to a new&#0160;U.S. Department of Agriculture report (<a href="http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/CRC/CRC2011.pdf" target="_self">pdf</a>):</p> <blockquote> <p><img alt="IMG-20110511-00089-300x225" class="asset  asset-image at-xid-6a00d83451c45669e201761584b298970c" src="http://andrewsullivan.readymadeweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/6a00d83451c45669e201761584b298970c-200wi.jpg" style="width: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;" title="IMG-20110511-00089-300x225" />[A] middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about $234,900 ($295,560 if projected inflation costs are factored in).&#0160;That’s a 3.5% increase from 2010 and a 23% hike from 1960 (that’s when the USDA first issued this report) when the cost of raising a child was equivalent to $191,723.</p> </blockquote> <p>And that <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/06/14/cost-to-raise-a-child-around-300000-not-including-college/" target="_self">doesn&#39;t include</a> university:</p>]]></html><thumbnail_url><![CDATA[https://sullydish.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/6a00d83451c45669e201761584b298970c-200wi.jpg?fit=440%2C330]]></thumbnail_url><thumbnail_width><![CDATA[200]]></thumbnail_width><thumbnail_height><![CDATA[150]]></thumbnail_height></oembed>