Average Cost of Daycare

Sending a child to a day care center is one of the biggest decisions for the parents of the child. Have a look at the general information about the average cost of daycare in the United States.

The number of hours at work for working people have increased due to the growing competition in the various fields. This applies to working parents also and with the increased work hours, the energy levels of parents get reduced and they also get very less time to take care of their children.

This is the reason many parents consider the idea of sending their children to day care centers. The average cost of daycare for infants can vary as per the location and the age of the infant. Given here are some pros and cons of sending your child to a day care center.

It would be a good idea to send your child to a day care center, which has a good reputation of taking proper care of children. Find as much information as possible about the day care center before taking any decision.

There are many day care centers which ensure overall development of small children by teaching them good values and personal hygiene. The involvement of the people running the day care center is to be noted, as children require a lot of support and attention at this age.

Another point to consider is whether your child will be able to adjust himself well to the atmosphere of the day care center. You should send your child to the day care center only if your child is physically fully fit. The child should be able to stay for hours without parents.

You should ensure that the timings and the location of the day care center are as per your expectations. If it is far away, the child might get restless; whereas if the day care center is on your way, you can quickly pick up and drop your child without making the him/her restless.

An average cost of a day care center is less expensive in small cities while it is much higher in large metropolitan cities. For example, according to several surveys, a full time day care center in a small city may cost you about $920/month while the same in New York may cost you about $1,300-$2,500/month.

The more the hours your child spends in the daycare center, more will be the cost of daycare. The average cost for infant and toddler care may average $1,800/month in NYC.

Washington, New Jersey, Oregon, Massachusetts are some of the places where the average cost is much more than $800/month. However, there are many states where daycare is quite affordable for middle-income groups.

The daycare prices are comparatively low in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia and Kansas. At these places, you will have to spend around $450 per month on the day care centers.

The rates charged by the day care centers in the rural areas are much less than those charged by the urban areas. In a rural area, find a daycare center for around $360 per month. The daycare centers which provide more fun and recreational activities charge more than the normal centers.