Budgeting for Child Care

Average Cost of Child Care Per Week

All fees and tuition costs are estimates for planning purposes only. Please contact child care providers for the most up-to-date information on their fees and tuition.

Below are estimates of weekly child care rates providers located in Dane County. Please note, most child care providers require a 12-month contracts. Part-time care is estimated based on 5 half-days per week, but providers may offer a variety of part-time scheduling options.  Additional CCTAP funding is available to parenting students who work with child care providers that have received national or City of Madison accreditation.

Group Child Care Weekly Rates

Group centers can care for 9 or more children, usually in a child care center or outside of a residence.

AGE OF CHILD FULL-TIME PART-TIME
Infant $430-$550 *$375
2 Years $370- $450 $300-$320
3 Years $370- $412 $270-$320
4 Years $325- $395 $265-$280

*Part-time care for children under 12-months-old is rare.

 

Family Child Care Provider Weekly Rates

Family child care providers provide care for 4–8 children, usually in the provider’s home or a home-based setting. Learn More.

AGE OF CHILD FULL-TIME PART-TIME
0-1 $325 $280
2-3 Years $305 $260
4-5 Years $290 $250
6-12 Years Contact Provider Contact Provider

 

4K Wrap Care Weekly Rates

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) is a half-day or full-day tuition-free, optional program in Madison, Wisconsin that helps prepare children for kindergarten. 4K programs are held in schools or child care centers authorized to teach 4K curriculum. Children must be four years old by September 1 of the year they plan to enroll and live in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD). Learn More.

4K Wrap Care is child care that is offered before or after your child’s 4K class.

AGE OF CHILD 4 or 5 Days/Week
5 Years $256

 

Elementary School-Aged Care Weekly Rates

Weekly rates for after or before school care and summer programs for elementary aged children. Learn More.

5 Days/Week 4 Days/Week 3 Days/Week 2 Days/Week
$180 $130 $110 $95

Fees & Waitlists

Registration Fees

Most child care centers require a $25-50 one-time registration fee per child.

Waitlist Fees

Some child care center waitlists are free, but some may require you to put down a $25 month deposit or more. It is recommended that families with young children get on multiple waitlists to increase their chance of securing child care.

    • Average Waitlist Length for Infant Care (0-18 months) is 6 months to two years. 
    • Average Waitlist Length for Preschool Care (18 months-4 years-old) is 4 months to one year.

Back-up Hourly Care

You may want to budget a monthly cost for occasional back-up care for when your regular child care provider is closed due to illness, professional development, or vacation.

The average hourly cost for back-up care is between $13-15 per hour.

Additional Fees

Questions to ask your child care provider:

    • What is the annual registration fee?
    • Is there a material or supply fee for books or classroom materials?
    • Is there a charge for meals or snacks?
    • Are there field trip fees?
    • Are there any other additional fees?