Pre-School/Daycare
- Contact childcare providers as soon as possible because there is usually a wait list of many months for children to enter the program.
- The age of your child and the number of hours needed impact availability.
Options
For children under the age of 6, options include:
- Daycare centers, which specialize in the care of infants until pre-school age (usually age 5) although some daycare facilities also offer before- and after-school care for older children as well. Full-time daycare (Monday-Friday from morning until 6:00PM) usually costs between $18,000-$36,000 per child per year.
- Pre-school, also known as nursery school, is school for children who are not old enough to attend kindergarten, usually from ages 3 to 5. Pre-school is mostly a part-time arrangement and fees are usually $5,000-$20,000 per year. Prices vary depending on the number of hours and which pre-school your child attends. Even if childcare is not needed, some parents enroll their children in pre-school to encourage early learning and socializing.
Cost
- As noted above, full-time care (Monday-Friday from morning until 6:00PM) usually varies from $18,000-$36,000 per child per year.
- The U.S. government does not help/discount daycare or pre-school fees. You will be responsible for the full cost.
- Research various daycare and pre-school options. Fees vary within each type of arrangement. Your needs and those of your child will help determine the advantages and disadvantages of each option and will help you decide what is most appropriate for you and your family.
Questions to Ask
- What are the hours and days of operation?
- What are the fees? (Hourly and weekly for in-home care and family providers, weekly or monthly for centers or pre-schools)
- What are the enrollment policies, including the contract period?
- Which immunization records are required?
- What documents are acceptable to confirm the child‘s date of birth or identity?
- What is the philosophy of education/child care at each facility?
- What is the staff-to-child ratio?
- What is the group size?
- What are the ages of the children at the facility?
- How is illness handled?
- How is discipline handled?
- Who provides snacks and meals?