Daycare Center Pricing for Infant

I suggest that you look around at a number of centers and also ask friends and family pro/con about places they used. My coworkers were GREAT resources when I was looking for care for DD. Then visit them. Don't make yourself love a place if your gut doesn't go for it. Find a place you can trust your infant with that is within your timeframe and budget. I went with a place that was a little more expensive than the place closer to home, but the hours were better and the place was a great fit for what I wanted for DD. Locally, it varied from $279-$440 for FT infant care. FT usually = 3 or more days a week, and many centers have the caution that a FT baby can take a PT baby's slot.

fees are usually based on usage. For my daycare, if you need 3 days or more...then you are responsible for the full price - unless I can fill the other 1-2 days. Quite often I have parents needing just 4 days, & they still pay full price for the week.

For anything 3 days or under, I base my fee on the hours. If it's 4 hours or more, especially if it includes 2 meals or a meal/snack combo.....then it's full pay for the day. In addition, I ask for a set schedule & if those days fall on a federal holiday.....then you are still responsible for paying me for the holiday.

Oh, & I live in mid MO. My fee is $90. Part-time is 25 hours or less, & is usually $50/week. My rates are mid-grade for this depressed area. The state licensed facilities are more, the fly-by night babysitters are less.

For a tiny baby, you may also want to look into having a nanny that comes to your home. I have friends that went this route, and they pay almost exactly what I pay for daycare. Just an option that I didn't consider when mine were tiny, that I wish I had considered even though we love our daycare person!

Go to this website http://www.thinksmall.org/files/pdf/2012%20Dakota%20avera...
It will give you the average rates in the the Eagan area and in Dakota County. You can contact Child Care Resource and Referral at www.mnchildcare.org or call ###-###-#### to receive a listing of potential child care centers in your area.

I have home daycare in Eagan, I pay $160 week for FT whether it is an infant/toddler/preschool aged child. I believe I am kind of locked into this price because that's what we started at with kid #1 4 years ago. She would probably be from $180-200 a week right now. I looked into some centers, but I felt they were very expensive, and like others said, for PT you really don't get a cut rate. I personally felt better about having my infant with a person that I know will hold them and care about them (love them), and it helps that my daycare is an old neighbor of mine. Nonetheless, I have heard some pretty good things about Knowledge Beginnings on Diffley and Lexington. I think it's expensive, but not necessarily way more than any other place. Didn't like Day by Day center personally, my oldest was constantly getting bit and having incident reports everyday...and got sick A LOT. Once we moved him out of there he was just sick a normal amount, like other kids. Hope this helps somewhat...