Final answer:
The estimated cost to raise a child born in 2012 through high school was not explicitly provided in the reference materials but is closest to choice c. $240,000 based on similar data from a 2017 USDA report for a child born in 2015. This figure considers middle-income families and takes into account various expenses, but the exact figure for 2012 could slightly differ due to inflation and economic fluctuations since the report.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the estimated cost for middle-income parents to raise a child from birth through high school, if the child was born in 2012. Although the provided references do not give a precise figure for this cost, a widely cited report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2017 estimated that the average cost of raising a child born in 2015 until the age of 17 for a middle-income, two-parent family with two children is approximately $233,610, which would be closest to choice c. $240,000.
Considering the time frame and inflation rate, the cost to raise a child born in 2012 from birth through high school is likely to be slightly lower than this figure. However, since the cost for a child born in 2015 is provided as an estimate, and not the exact cost for a child born in 2012, we cannot provide a definitive answer solely based on the data provided.
Further complicating direct comparisons, the costs of raising a child can vary by region, income level, and changes in the economy or tuition rates. For example, the excerpt concerning financing higher education shows that tuition fees at 4-year public universities increased vastly from 1980 to 2020, indicating that expenses related to education are a significant part of the cost of raising a child. Additionally, constant changes in median household income and poverty thresholds, as outlined in the excerpts, demonstrate that family income dynamics can greatly influence the cost of raising children.