How much will a daycare center cost?

Depending on where you live and on the quality of the daycare, costs can range from $3,000 to $15,000 a year ($250 to $1,250 monthly), according to data from the Children's Defense Fund and Runzheimer International, a Rochester, Wisconsin, relocation consulting firm. Daycare centers in large cities such as New York and San Francisco are notoriously expensive; they're cheaper in parts of the South and the Midwest. You'll pay more when your baby is under a year old, because babies require more hands-on care so the center must hire more caregivers.

To find out more about daycare options and costs in your area, contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency. There are more than 850 CCR&R agencies throughout the country that provide families with information about local childcare options and resources. To find an agency near you, call the hotline at (800) 424-2246 or visit this website. (The website features a helpful tool that tells you the average cost of home daycare and daycare centers in your ZIP code.)