Well here's one source of this information. It should be easy
enough to find another source if you don't believe this one. The people
who supply the labor market with young workers are their parents. This
is approximately what it costs them. Obviously, some people spend less
and some people pay more. Either way I think a quarter of a million
dollars is seriously expensive. At minimum wage it would take a long
time for this "investment" to pay off.
"The Cost of Raising a Child in the United States
A lot more than you might think
By TIM PARKER Updated January 09, 2022
Reviewed by SAMANTHA SILBERSTEIN
Fact checked by TIMOTHY LI
Raising a child can be rewarding emotionally but very costly
financially. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the
average cost of raising a child to age 18 was $233,610 as of 2015.1 With
an annual adjustment for inflation of 2.2% each year factored in, the
lifetime cost of raising a child born in 2022 could be estimated at
$272,049. Those numbers don't include the additional cost of sending a
child to college. If starting a family is in your plans or you already
have kids, understanding the costs can make shaping your financial plan
easier."
[snip]
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/090415/cost-raising-child-america.asp#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Department,could%20be%20estimated%20at%20%24272%2C049.
You don't give us any idea what your numbers refer to so I have no
comment on them.
TB