HOUSTON -- Parents are trying find new ways to budget and pay for child care in tough economic times, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

With three kids, child care is a big chunk of Jerrilyn and Devin Parker's monthly budget.

Jerrilyn told Local 2, "It's a car note. It's a car note."

Devin agreed, "Yeah, a nice car."

Jerrilyn said the family's child care expenses are "well over $1,000 right now. It can get there, but when you find good child care, you know, you really sacrifice."

Their 10- and 6-year-olds stay with Dad after school where he teaches, and their youngest, Landon, comes to His Place Child Care Center while Mom studies for a nursing degree at nearby University of Houston.

Jerrilyn said, "It's a challenge with a 2-year-old, but I feel that's a sacrifice and it's so important with good child care."

Carol Shattuck, CEO of Collaborative for Children, told Local 2 that now more than ever, parents are struggling to get the best child care with limited funds.

Shattuck explained, "Last year overall, about 40 percent of our calls were from parents who said, 'I really need assistance paying for child care, how can you help me.' And then this year, that has gone up to 68 percent."

Shattuck said infant care costs an average of $8,000 a year and can top $10,000 a year. That's mostly because state child-to-caregiver ratios are four babies to one teacher.

She suggested parents looking for in-home care consider nanny sharing.

Shattuck said, "You may think about partnering with another family -- two babies to one caregiver or two infants, toddlers to one caregiver is twice as good as our state ratios for infant care."

She also recommended parents re-examine their household budget and look for places to cut costs without sacrificing quality child care.

She said, "Look at the ways you're spending money in your household so that you really not try to cut back on child care expense, but really look at maintaining the highest quality of care that you can afford. But, maybe go to the movies less or go out to eat less and really look at what you can do as a family to reduce our expenditures."

Shattuck added that if you have more than one child, ask if your caregiver offers any tuition breaks for additional kids.

She said, "If there is a second sibling, child care programs are typically more flexible on the tuition that's charged for the second child. We've seen more flexibility for home-based care."

Hattie Robinson White, executive director of His Place, advised parents, "If you're determined to have quality care for you child, don't give up. Find a way to work with the center or the director so you can get the quality care that you child needs."

White said when money's tight, parents can offer to volunteer or help with fundraising. She said, one dad even repaired the roof to help pay tuition.

She said, "All parents have talents and there may be something -- a special quality that you have, a special talent, special resources that you have that you can barter."

Collaborative for Children's Web site has a wealth of information for parents looking to find the best child care near them including things to look for when choosing a center.

The site www.care.com also helps parents find sitters and nannies who might be willing to share their their services with a family near you.