Infant Daycare Cost: Average Prices & Cost Factors

Infant care is a large line in many family budgets, and parents often start by asking what a typical week or month will run. What you pay depends on the type of care, where you live, and how the provider sets its rates.

This page collects published figures from two sources: Child Care Aware of America, which reports annual prices, and Care.com, which reports monthly prices. Neither source publishes a weekly figure, which is the number many parents search for, so ask a provider for its weekly rate directly. Figures carry a check date of Oct 12, 2026.

Child Care Aware of America reports the national average annual price of infant care in a center at $15,636/yr. Care.com, in its 2026 Cost of Care Report, lists an average infant daycare center price of $1,439/mo. The two sources measure different things at different times, so their figures are not directly comparable.

Care.com lists a family child care home or home daycare at $1,400/mo. In that report, the gap between a center and a home setting is small.

Parents usually choose between a child care center and a family child care home, which is run from the provider's own residence. Child Care Aware of America reports prices for both, and it publishes its averages using three different methods.

Under Method 1, an average of averages, infant care in a center is $15,636/yr, and in a family child care home it is $11,673/yr. Under Method 2, which is weighted by space, a center is $15,015/yr and a home is $13,834/yr. Under Method 3, weighted by program, a center is $15,728/yr and a home is $12,336/yr.

The three methods produce different results because they weight the underlying prices differently. Family child care homes are priced below centers under all three methods in this report. When you quote a figure, say which type of care and which method it comes from.

Child Care Aware of America also reports a national average annual price of child care across all ages. For 2025 it is $13,184/yr.

That all-ages average sits below the infant center figure of $15,636/yr, which is consistent with infant care costing more than care for older children.

State prices vary widely, and a national average can be far from what you will pay. Two states mark the ends of the range in the data. Massachusetts is the highest at $27,067/yr, and Mississippi is the lowest at $6,492/yr. Those are examples of the extremes and not a ranking of every state.

Prices also vary within a state, between cities and rural areas, and between providers in the same town. For a figure that applies to you, check your state's child care resource and referral agency and call providers near you.

• Type of care. A center and a family child care home price differently, as the figures above show.
• Location. The state examples show how wide the gap can be.
• Hours and schedule. Full-time and part-time rates differ, and some providers charge extra for early drop-off or late pickup.
• Provider type and staffing. Programs set rates to cover their costs, including staff.
• Fees. Registration fees, supply fees, and late-pickup fees may sit on top of tuition.
• Subsidies and benefits. Some families have help paying for care through programs or employers, so ask whether you qualify.

Published figures disagree for good reasons. Child Care Aware of America reports annual prices and averages them in three ways. Care.com reports monthly prices from its own research. Different years, different providers, and different averaging all change the result. A monthly figure also needs care before you convert it, because providers bill on different schedules.

When you compare numbers, check the year, the type of care, and whether the figure is annual or monthly.

• What is the weekly or monthly rate for an infant, and what does it include?
• Are there registration fees, supply fees, or deposits?
• What are the late-pickup charges and the policy on holidays and sick days?
• Is the rate the same for part-time care?
• How does the provider handle a rate increase during the year?