Who wants to tell me how much daycare costs?

[Bernadine]

I seriously have no idea.  Can you tell me how much you pay, how many hours your child is there, in-home or center, etc?

I keep burying my head in the sand about it, but I should probably have an idea in case I do actually get knocked up!

[dana2006]

I'm in NOVA and we're sending DS to an in-home daycare for 325 a week, with 2 weeks paid vacation.

[BirdGirl]

I dont think is going to be terribly helpful because it is location specific. We pay about 43K/year in childcare. That's for 2 kids. One in FT preschool, one in a nanny share. HCOL. There are definitely cheaper options, but our arrangement works for us.

[dancingirl21]

We pay $357 per week for 1 toddler in a center. MCOL - Chicago suburbs.

[dottyblue]

Yeah, you need to look locally to figure out your costs. I lived in a HCOL area and paid $1,300 a month for an in-home daycare (which was crazy cheap), and $2,000 a month for a center. Costs vary drastically even within a single market.

[pinkpepper08]

In NoVA and we pay $322/week for a center. We were previously in Houston and paid $1400/month for an in-home.

[sashimi]

Chicagoland: $257 a week. Right now I'm paying $185 a week for pre-school in the Fall at the "Y"

[CurlyQ284]

I paid $330 weekly for infant in NoVa. I'm in Toledo now and pay $228 for a toddler. Both centers.

It really depends on COL.
I would call a few locations and see if they will give you a ballpark number over the phone. Most wouldn't tell me unless I came in for a tour but maybe if you explain that you aren't pregnant yet and trying to work on a budget they will help?

[swank]

It's a lot.

[sangria]

MCOL, Two kids (age 4 and 22 months), full time, center

$1900 a monnth

Or, in other words, my soul.

[ninjabridemom]

In MA, full time (7:30-5:30), from 18m-2.9yrs, was $260/wk/kid. So about $1040/month (we were obv paying double that). And this was a cheap place!!

Now it's $304/wk/TOTAL so it's awesome. I love preschool (same school!).

[Bernadine]

Aug 3, 2015 11:03:58 GMT -5 swank said:

It's a lot.

Ha, this post is what inspired my post!

[Elsa]

LCOL, DFW 'burbs. We pay $235/week, so just over $12K annually.

[CurlyQ284]

Side note. Good job looking into this ahead of time! I know so.many.couples who had a planned baby without checking into this and then when the due date is approaching panicked because they can't afford child care and where is the baby going to go.

[qcinoct]

right now for my 3.5 yo in full time at a centre, $42/day ($210/week) MCOL in Canada. Infant room at the centre is $58/day (up to 18 mo).

when we had both boys in the centre, it was easily $500 more than our mortgage per month.

[catbus]

It's totally going to depend on where you live, obviously. Seattle is pretty expensive for childcare. We opted for a center and paid $1987 exactly for infant care in January-March 2013 at Bright Horizons. Then we got the spot for the corporate-sponsored center at H's (and now also my) office, also run by BH, which was $1605, IIRC. The price has dropped with each transition to an older classroom, but they also have annual tuition increases of 3-4%. 

I know people who have found infant care at in-home daycares here for as little as $1100 for infant care. 

[prettyinpearls]

LOCL. $160/week for full-time toddler care at a small center. It's $175/week for full-time infant care.

We pay $1080/month for two kids in full-time care with a sibling discount (one is almost 2 y/o and other is going to K next month, when his cost will be cut in half).

[liverandonions]

I'd say we're in a MCOL area. She goes to an in-home daycare that's awesome, all meals provided besides breast milk/formula, and they provide wipes we just bring diapers and it's $165 a week. The baby should cost $175 a week but with the sibling discount it works out to about $165 as well. Come January we'll pay $1435 a month for both kids.

[itsme]

I agree, this is location specific and costs will vary so much. I pay $125/wk for a toddler and she is there from 6:15 to 4:30 or 5, in-home w/food included in the cost.

[Alyssa]

For 2 full days per week, we pay $517 per month, that includes a $22 diaper fee....1 child. 

[oliviapope]

All of your money. All of it.

[chedominique]

In Metro GA, we are paying $139/wk for full-time infant care. It's a daycare, before/after school and pre-k center.

ETA:
We provide the breast milk, they provide the snacks and meals.

[revolution]

As infants, they were about $185/week. The center provided formula or food (breakfast/lunch/snacks) when they were old enough to eat. (YAY!!!).

Preschool is now $135/week, we provide all food.

All of the time is FT (M-F, 7:30ish til 5:30ish)

[kate1482]

Seattle burbs (eastside) $2,300 for infant care at bright horizons. Somewhat HCOL. Daycare is super expensive around here.

[sweetday]

We pay 1K for daycare ($250/week)

[coribelle26]

Detroit suburbs, L(ish)COL. We pay $212 per week for full time infant care at a YMCA center. 5 days a week, and they're open from 6:30 am - 6 pm.

[swimmette]

175/week for a toddler. Includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. Open 6am to 630pm. Obv LCOL.

[ladystardust]

We are able to swing 2 days per week for 150. This is a center for toddler/infant rooms.

[PatBenatar]

We pay $135/week for 3 days. It will go down a little next month when she moves into the early preschool room. We're in Western NY so mostly LCOL. They are open from 6:30-6 but she's not there that long.

Also even though it's not that expensive, daycare costs are part of the reason why we've delayed having a 2nd kid.

[anonymous]

MoCo MD: first center DD was at was 1915/mth for infants, eventually got down to 1500ish for pre-K.  Second place was a montessori and that has always been the same price, regardless of age, although generally goes up $50/mth every year.  Right now it's 1650/mth.

With 2 in care it's been about 3k/mth.