Affordable Daycare Near Me
Full-time care at a center costs a median of $174 a week for a baby and $144 for a preschooler in the middle US county (2022). Families who qualify can get help paying through their state's child care assistance program, and the daycares listed here accept it.
- daycares that accept child care assistance
- 51,745
- states
- 50
- in Massachusetts
- 6,436
- in Philadelphia, PA
- 1,496
Cost and help paying
What daycare costs in the US, and help paying for it
- Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle US county (2022)
- $174
- The median of 2,661 county medians, from $90 in the lowest county to $607 in the highest.
- Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle US county (2022)
- $144
- The median of 2,670 county medians, from $83 in the lowest county to $496 in the highest.
- Head Start or Early Head Start centers
- 10,675
- Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
By state
Affordable daycare by state
Pick a state on the map or in the list to see its towns, A to Z.
Map of US states shaded by number of listings. The list of states below links to each state page.
| Top 10 states | Listed |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 6,436 |
| Florida | 5,973 |
| Texas | 5,958 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,759 |
| North Carolina | 3,210 |
| Georgia | 2,747 |
| Virginia | 2,729 |
| Indiana | 2,591 |
| Colorado | 2,294 |
| Tennessee | 2,184 |
Towns
Largest towns
Only towns with 3 or more have their own affordable daycare page.
Before you enroll
Paying for daycare
- 1
Apply for assistance first
Your state decides who qualifies and how much it pays. Apply through the state's child care assistance office before you choose a daycare.
- 2
Ask about the copayment
Most families pay a share of the cost. Ask the daycare whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much.
- 3
Ask about open subsidy spots
Some daycares cap how many children on assistance they take. Ask whether a spot is open now.
- 4
Check the license record
Open a listing for its state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.
Other programs
Questions
Questions about affordable daycare
How many daycares that accept child care assistance are listed?
Over 50,000 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed across 50 states and DC. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.
Is there free daycare?
Some families can get it. Head Start and Early Head Start are free for children from families who qualify, and some states waive the family's share of the cost for the lowest incomes. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.
Does a daycare that accepts assistance cost more?
Not by itself. Accepting assistance means the daycare takes payments from the state program; its own prices vary like any daycare's. Ask whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much you would pay.
How does child care assistance work?
Each state runs a child care assistance program, paid for in part by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Families who qualify by income, and usually by working, looking for work or going to school, get help paying a daycare that accepts it; the help is often called a voucher or subsidy. Most families pay a share called a copayment, set by the state. Apply through your state's child care assistance office.
Can I get free daycare?
Some families can. States may waive the copayment for families with the lowest incomes, and Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.
Are these daycares licensed?
Most are. A listing from a state child care license record shows the license as the state publishes it. The others, where no state license record is available, come from public business listings; their pages say that no license record is matched yet.