Why Daycares Don't List Prices or Openings (and How to Find Out Fast)

You find a daycare that looks perfect. Great photos, glowing parent reviews, a mission statement that makes you a little emotional. Then you call, and the earliest opening is a year and a half away. Or you can't find a price anywhere on the website and have to call during your workday just to learn whether it is even in your budget.

Our founder, Sam, went through exactly this when searching for child care. In a recent conversation on the Clear Path Childcare Marketing podcast, Sam put it this way:

"Sometimes you find a website and say, boy, look at these pictures, look at these claims, look at these reviews... and then you call and they say, okay, it's gonna be a year and a half before your kid could join. I also think there wasn't much pricing transparency on websites. For me, I had a pretty fixed cap of what I could pay. It was difficult that I had to make a phone call during the day to even get pricing."

If that sounds familiar, this guide explains why so many daycares leave out prices and openings, what care typically costs, and how to get real answers quickly.

Why daycares don't post prices

There are some honest reasons, and some less helpful ones:

• Tuition depends on your child. Infant rooms need more staff per child, so infant care costs the most. Toddler and preschool rates are lower, and part-time, sibling and staff discounts change the number again.
• Centers want you to visit first. Many directors believe that once a family tours and sees the classrooms and teachers, the price makes more sense.
• Prices change. Some centers adjust tuition every year and don't want an old number online.
• Openings change week to week. A spot can open when a family moves and fill the same day, so many centers don't try to keep availability current online.

None of that helps a parent with a budget and a start date. The good news is that a few targeted questions get you the same information in one short conversation.

What daycare costs: a starting point

Child Care Aware of America publishes average prices by state. For full-time infant care in a child care center, its 2024 figures for three of the states we cover are:

• Virginia: about $16,800 a year (roughly $1,400 a month)
• Pennsylvania: about $14,900 a year (roughly $1,240 a month)
• California: about $22,600 a year (roughly $1,890 a month)

Expect higher prices in expensive metro areas like Northern Virginia or San Diego, lower prices for toddlers and preschoolers, and often lower prices at home daycares (family child care homes) than at large centers. Use these averages to sanity-check a quote, not as a promise.

How to get prices and openings fast

1. Shortlist on what you can see first

Hours, location, ages served and parent ratings are usually public. Narrow to four to six programs before you contact anyone. Our city guides for Richmond, Arlington, Alexandria, Bucks County and San Diego list the top-rated options with hours and review counts.

2. Ask in writing, all at once

Instead of calling during work, send the same short message to every program on your list through its website or our request info form. Include your child's age, the start date you need and how many days a week, then ask:

• What is your current monthly tuition for my child's age and schedule?
• Are there registration, supply or annual fees?
• Do you have an opening for my start date? If not, how long is the waitlist right now?
• Is there a waitlist fee, and is it refundable?
• Do you accept child care subsidies?

Written questions get written answers, which makes comparing programs side by side much easier.

3. Get on waitlists early

If you are expecting, or need infant care, start several months ahead. Joining two or three waitlists is common. Ask how often the list moves and check in every month or so; families who stay in touch tend to hear about openings first.

4. Don't overlook home daycares

Licensed home daycares often have smaller groups, more flexible hours and lower prices. Several of the top-rated programs in our city guides are home daycares.

5. Ask about help paying

Every state runs a child care subsidy program for eligible families, and many employers offer a dependent care FSA that lets you pay for care with pre-tax dollars. Ask each program whether it accepts subsidy payments.

The short version

Daycares often leave prices and openings off their websites, but you can get both in a single round of emails. Know the typical cost in your state, shortlist by hours and ratings, ask the same five questions everywhere, and get on waitlists early.

Ready to start? Find top-rated daycares near you.