How much does daycare cost in Kentucky?

The prices on this page come from the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 county survey, which collects what providers charge in each of Kentucky's 120 counties. The Kentucky figure is the middle county, and every county counts the same, so the many small rural counties pull it down. Prices have also gone up since 2022, so expect a daycare's rate today to be higher.

We read 469 Kentucky daycare websites, but too few of them post a full-time weekly rate to give a 2026 figure. Call or visit and ask for the rate for your child's age.

In 2022, center infant care ran from $90 a week in Wayne County to $222 a week in four small counties: Gallatin, Nicholas, Owen and Pendleton. The most populous counties sat near the high end: $216 a week in Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, $184 in Fayette County, which includes Lexington, and $199 in Kenton County, which includes Covington.

Home daycares often cost less, and the gap can be wide in the cities. The middle Kentucky county charged $119 a week for infant care in a home daycare against $128 at a center; in Jefferson County it was $118 at a home and $216 at a center.

Kentucky's Child Care Assistance Program, run by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, helps families with lower incomes pay for care while they work or go to school. On DaycarePal, 1,644 Kentucky daycares are listed as accepting child care assistance: see the Kentucky daycares that accept it.

Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify, mostly by income, and serve children from birth to age 5. Kentucky school districts also run state-funded preschool for 4-year-olds who qualify and for 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities; ask your district.

A home daycare or a part-time schedule can also cost less. When you compare, ask about registration fees, sibling discounts and whether you pay for weeks your child is away.