Daycare Tuition Rate Calculator

Work out the weekly rate per child that covers your real costs and pays you the income you actually need.

Your costs and your pay

Monthly figures. Use your time-space percentage for the home-cost share — the Time-Space Calculator gives you that number.

Enrollment

Count a part-time child as a fraction, e.g. 3 days/week = 0.6.

Monthly business costs

Rent/utilities × your time-space %.

Your income

Before your own taxes — remember self-employment tax of 15.3% applies to your profit, so many providers add a buffer of 15–25%.

Rate you need — per child / week
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Total monthly costs—
Revenue needed per month—
Per child — monthly—
Per child — weekly—
Per child — yearly—
Gap vs. your current rate (per year)—

For context: the average price of child care in the US was $13,184 per child for 2025 (Child Care Aware of America) — about $254 a week. Your number should be driven by your costs and your local market, not the national average.

A provider laughing and playing with toddlers on the floor of a bright home daycare

"How much should I charge for home daycare?" — the honest answer is: enough to cover your real costs and pay yourself. Enter both below and get the per-child rate that makes your business work, then compare it with what you charge today.

How the rate is calculated

Weekly rate per child = (Monthly costs + Your monthly income) ÷ Children ÷ 4.33

This is the cost-plus method: your price comes from your numbers, not from copying the provider down the street — whose costs, hours and enrollment are different from yours. If the result is far above local market rates, the levers are enrollment (a filled slot spreads fixed costs), the food program (CACFP can offset most of your food line), and hours — not silently paying yourself less.

Pricing details providers forget

  • Charge for the slot, not the day. Most established providers charge a flat weekly rate whether or not the child attends — your costs do not drop when a child is sick.
  • Late pickup fees. A common policy is $1 per minute or a flat $10–15 after a short grace period, stated in your contract. Whatever you choose, write it down before you need it.
  • Paid closures. Many providers include 10–15 paid holidays and 1–2 weeks of paid vacation in the yearly rate instead of discounting those weeks.
  • Raise rates on a schedule. A small annual increase (3–5%) written into your contract is easier for families than a large jump every few years.

Tuition questions

What is the average home daycare rate?

It varies enormously by state and age group — infant care in a metro area can be two to three times the rate for a preschooler in a rural area. Nationally, the average price of child care was $13,184 per year in 2025. Use the calculator above with your own costs first, then sanity-check against local rates.

Should I charge hourly, daily or weekly?

Weekly (or monthly) flat rates are the norm for full-time home daycare because your costs are fixed per slot. Hourly rates make sense for drop-in or part-time care; price them higher per hour to reflect the flexibility.

My needed rate is higher than everyone near me. Now what?

First check the inputs: are all slots filled in the calculation? Is CACFP offsetting your food cost? Are you counting home costs at the full amount instead of the business share? If the gap is real, raise rates gradually for new families first, and add part-time or drop-in slots at premium rates.

Rates depend on your state's market, your license capacity and the ages you serve. This calculator is a planning tool, not financial advice.