Budgeting for Child Care

Average Cost of Child Care Per Semester

AGE OF CHILD FULL-TIME PART-TIME
0-2 Years $8,580 $4,290
2-4 Years $5,700 $2,850
5-12 Years $400-2000 N/A

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?