How Much Does Daycare Cost

We'll for two kids I paid $250 each week so that's about $125 a week for one. I paid $120 a week for one child at the daycare previously. Both in-home. Centers cost more and nanny's even more. $120 is the low end and $160 is the high end and I think you do get what you pay for from my experience.

It depends on where you are located in what suburb and county.

I live south of the Twin cities and I paid $600 every 4 weeks for an in home daycare for my baby. $650 is average for in home, my sister in law was just quoted $800 for in home for her baby in the same town.

For my daughter I had her in a center when she was 12 months, $1,100 for 4 weeks. I had her in a cheaper center at 3 yrs old and potty trained, (before I decided to stay at home) and it was $800 every 4 weeks.

I know daycare is more expensive in Edina and cheaper in Farmington, my friend pays $500 for her infant in farmington.

Home day care are cheaper and ranges anywhere between 600 to 800 for 4 weeks. Professional day care are expensive. I paid almost $1300/per month at new horizon for my daughter. Once she was potty trained I put her in Montessori,I pay $800/month there.

I am expecting my second child in May and debating myself whether to continue work or stay home as my daycare expense will rise to $2100/month.

My toddler goes to an in-home daycare and we pay $140/wk. Her infant rates are $160/wk. She has siblings discount, so that's something to think about in the future. These are rates for the Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center area. Good luck!

When we just had one baby he was in daycare and it was $140/week when he was at a home and $270/week when he was at a center (for infant care, the rates lower as the kids get older).

When my DS was in a group daycare we paid around $13,000 a year. Remember that if you get a job you won't only have daycare costs. Depending on your job and your current driving/shopping patterns you may end up with a lot of other added costs: wardrobe for your job, additional driving (more $ for gas and car maintenance), less time to cook so more eating out and convenience foods. Make sure you take everything into account.

When my son (almost 2 1/2 year old) was at daycare he was around 700/month. We had a slight discount for paying monthly and for letting them take the money directly from our account. He had just gone down from 750/month, the rate in the infant room, and that's what I would've had to pay for my baby daughter.
So I was looking at 1400/month in child care.
Both of them are now staying in my home, and my mother in law comes over to watch them. 1200/month is what we give her. The idea there that money would be going to someone we trust. Good idea until you realize there are many other things children need besides love!
This is in Lincoln, NE. The rates we were paying are on the middle range, I think.
Be careful not to be going to work just to earn enough to pay for child care! :)

Have you thought about hiring a nanny? That way your child can stay in his home and regular environment. If interested, try this free website source. www.care.com Read some of the other mom's advertisements before you write your own so that you can really think about what you want and what you're willing to pay.
With only having one child you may have the nanny do light housekeeping, meal prep. and etc. And you may want to look at hiring another mom that has a child your son's age so that he has a playmate (and you will have a better qualified person).

If you find a job that only overlaps your husbands by a little bit, maybe you can find someone to fill in those hours.

Good luck! It is a hard decision to make.

My kids are in a daycare center which I know is much more than in home daycare. I just looked at the pricing for an infant at my daycare in Woodbury and it is $363/week. Please note though that this is a 3:1 ratio and includes diapers and formula.

When looking at daycare or in home care you need to find out what is and isn't included, the ratio of provider to kids, etc. Not all are alike.

The reason we went with a daycare center vs in home daycare is basically a trust issue. I don't know what is going on in an inhome daycare...for example are they watching TV all day, are they being treated poorly or abused? At a daycare center there is always more than 1 adult present and you know they aren't just sitting in front of the TV all day. The children are only with kids their own age too. Our daycare also provides education which is probably more intense once they turn 3 and get in the preschool. My 3 year old son is learning how to write, learning spanish (knows more than I do), music, etc. I think it is worth it.

Look at all your options and see what makes sense for you financially. Good luck.

It really varies depending on where you are looking i would call the countie to get a list of licensed daycare in your home area and where you would be working to get an idea of prices call around and ask we live in South Saint Paul and I pay $140 a week for my 21month old and work in eagan and it was about $185 in eagan so i went with the one closer to home plus there were references from past people she did daycare and current families and i called them as well to make sure ask for references and ask the county about them before you make any decisions.

I can't really answer on how much daycare costs because my husband and I went around it. Have you ever thought about getting a job opposite of your significant other? My husband works 9am-7pm and then I go to work from 8pm-2am. I have 3 kids at home 5 and under. Just a thought and you can avoid those expensive daycare costs. The job that I have is always hiring but you have to know 10-key on computer, not sure where you're located but if you like to know more msg me