Introduction
When you’re trying to figure out how much daycare a week in Maryland and how much it’s going to cost, you’ll first want to determine what type of care your child needs. Then, you can start calling around for pricing and see which options are available. There are many different types of daycares, from family-run home daycares where children are cared for by their relatives or friends trained as teachers or parents with a particular interest in childcare. Professional centers also offer high-quality services such as medical care for babies and educational programs for older children through kindergarten age.
According to the Maryland Department of Education, the average cost of daycare in Maryland is $14,000 a year.
According to the Maryland Department of Education, the average cost of daycare in Maryland is $14,000 a year. That’s pretty steep compared to other states:
- New York–$12,600
- Washington DC–$12,500
- California–$11,890
But it’s pretty reasonable when you look at average annual costs in countries around the world:
- France–$20,000 (they have different labor laws)
- Germany–$9-12k, depending on whether you want public or private facilities. They also make it easy for parents to work from home part-time by offering subsidized childcare services.
A Child Care Aware study found that this price can vary significantly based on where you live.
According to Child Care Aware, daycare costs vary from state to state and county to county. This may be due to things like:
- The number of working parents in a given area
- The number of children enrolled in daycare
- The type of care provided (center-based vs. home-based)
Many people may be eligible for financial assistance with the high expenses of daycare.
Many families who qualify for financial assistance to help pay for daycare may not know. If you have a low income or are in public service, and your child is in daycare full-time, you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Child Care Subsidy program. Maryland offers subsidies covering up to 75 percent of your monthly cost (based on income).
Suppose you don’t qualify for any other type of financial assistance but still want to use a center-based provider like Head Start or YMCA/YWCA. In that case, you might be able to apply for an Individual Development Account (IDA) loan through Family Services & Children’s Administration (FSCA). The IDA program provides low-income parents with small loans at no interest rate so they can become better prepared financially and improve their quality of life by giving childcare options.
An infographic from Care.com shows that families in Maryland are still spending more than they should, even with financial assistance.
Maryland is ranked as the most expensive state for childcare, with the average cost of childcare being $14,000 a year. An infographic from Care.com shows that families in Maryland are still spending more than they should, even with financial assistance.
While the information on this subject is available online, it sometimes requires digging.
While the information on this subject is available online, it sometimes requires digging. For example, there are numerous surveys and studies from recent years that provide estimates for the cost of daycare in Maryland. However, after reviewing some of these sources, you may notice that their results vary quite a bit. One study estimated that the average annual cost for center-based infant care was $10,000; another found that it was closer to $11,000 per year. A third found an average price of $8,000 annually. This discrepancy can be due to several factors, including:
- How much time parents spent searching for centers before settling on one (some parents may have found better deals than others)?
- Whether they chose public or private centers
- If they used group rates or individualized plans
- How well they negotiated with their chosen provider, etc.
To make sense of all this information, you will want a good search strategy when looking up your local data on childcare costs!
Conclusion
We hope you’ve found this helpful information and that it helps you to make an informed decision about your child care needs. If you want to learn more about daycare costs in Maryland, visit the National Center for Children in Poverty website. Thanks for reading!