Cost of daycare for a toddler in Chicago?

September 30, 2020 5:57 PM

Cost of daycare for a toddler in Chicago?

My wife and I have an almost-two-year old who we need to find a day care program for. Most of the day cares we've spoken with in Chicago (we're in northwest side/Logan Square area) haven't been upfront about pricing/rates, and I've heard really varying numbers from fellow parents here.

What are the approximate going rates here for either part time or full time daycare for toddlers?

posted by huskerdont to Human Relations (5 answers total)

It varies so much this will be really difficult to answer. Unfortunately you have to call them to ask directly, and call a bunch because the range is really substantial. When we were looking for daycare in Chicago/Evanston about 4 years ago the difference could be as much as a $1000 a month, depending on where we looked.

fwiw, we found that the big chain daycares like Bright Horizon were much more expensive than independent places. Possibly because they offered fancy expensive things that we personally didn't think were important. (Like digital smartboards).

Btw an important thing to ask about when enquiring about the price is whether food is included or you bring your own food. That also tends to have a big impact on the price.
posted by EllaEm at 7:20 PM on September 30, 2020

They won't even answer the question when you call directly? That is very strange. I know some programs don't list it clearly on their website, but a direct question should get an obvious answer. Some things to consider wrt pricing:

1. As above, ask whether any food is provided by the center. At my son's Montessori school, parents must provide lunch and we also rotate providing snacks for the week -- it adds up!

2. Since you mention part or full-time, get a clear idea of whether part-time is even possible. The hourly rate for part-time is usually more than the hourly cost of full-time, but of course you are ultimately paying less per week with part-time.

3. Agree that "nicer" places will be more (especially those with a specific philosophy, like Montessori or whatever). Some places will also have a lot of fun extras (dedicated gym teacher!) but you pay for those things and maybe you don't think they are necessary for a 2-year-old. So expensive and less-expensive care aren't exactly apples-to-apples, but you also might not think it's worth paying for the more expensive...apples, I guess.
posted by Bebo at 5:16 AM on October 1, 2020

Ours is $100/day ($2k/month).
posted by anotherthink at 10:57 AM on October 1, 2020

I have a couple friends with toddlers that age (in Chicago). One pays just under 2k per month (full time) and the other pays $1600 a month for full-time. Both are happy.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 11:01 AM on October 1, 2020

We're farther north and east, near Andersonville. The toddler rate at our large, independent daycare is ~$1800/month (they charge weekly). When we were researching rates in our area a few years ago, they had midrange prices (fancier centers like Montessori etc were more, in-home places were less expensive). If you're looking in this area, message me and I'll send more info on the places we've visited/used.
posted by treefort at 12:56 PM on October 1, 2020