Cost of Child Care in Chicago in 2020

Cost of Daycare in Chicago is some of the highest in the country. As a matter of fact, the costs of childcare are outpacing the cost of housing and other necessary items. Although this is the case, it is possible to find childcare that you can afford for all of your children. It just requires that you explore all of your options.

Babysitter

If you don’t need a caregiver to care for your child on a regular basis, your best bet may be to hire a babysitter. Babysitting jobs are usually part-time jobs that you may need on a regular basis. The babysitter will be the one to spend time with your kids at the park or on playdates. They may also be the ones to put your kids to bed when you are away for the evening. Lastly, they may be charged with performing some light housekeeping duties, like washing dishes or vacuuming. A babysitter may have CPR training and first aid experience.

You can expect to pay a babysitter in Chicago $14.00 per hour.

Nanny

A nanny is a permanent employee. This is the person you will want to hire if you are spending a much longer time away from your home each day. Nannies are either part-time or full-time employees, and they have more training in child care than the average babysitter. They also have their credentials in CPR and first aid. They may drive your children to lessons and practices, and they may prepare meals for them as well. A nanny may live in your home, but he or she may also live outside of your home.

The nanny cost in Chicago will be $15.70 per hour on average.

In-Home Daycare

The caregivers in charge of in-home daycare centers are professional caregivers. The setting in which they work is usually their own homes. This provides your children with a setting that may be more comfortable for them than the institutional setting of a regular daycare center. This is the option that parents of infants like to choose because it takes place inside of a home. The drawback may be that an in-home daycare center does not have to obtain a license from the City of Chicago. It does, however, need to obtain a license from the state if three or more children will be cared for in the home.

Home daycare will cost between $300 and $800 per month for each child.

Outside Daycare Centers

All outside daycare centers must be licensed by the City of Chicago. Once these centers obtain their licenses from the city, they are required to get a license from the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. This is the requirement if the facility is going to care for at least three or more children for a significant period of time. Before daycare centers will be granted a license, they must pass an inspection of the premises. Daycare centers are required to be accredited to operate in Chicago.

Outside daycare centers cost $202.50 per week for a child under the age of two years old. For two-year-old children, the price will be $171.00 per week. Children three years old and above will require $142 per week.

Preschool

A Preschool is an option for your child if he or she is between the ages of three and five years old. Preschool is the place where your children are prepared to begin their educational careers in elementary school. Preschools do not care for your kids for as many hours of the day as daycare centers, and they may or may not be open on holidays. All preschools are required to have licenses to operate, and the teachers have been trained in early childhood education. Preschools must also be accredited institutions.

Several preschools in the Chicago area are free to the public.

Christian Preschool

If you like the idea of placing your child in an environment where he or she will receive religious instruction, the Christian preschool may be for you. Unlike public schools, Christian preschools can provide your child with religious training, and it will be a part of your child’s day the entire time that he or she is present at the school. These schools ensure that your children learn about how they are expected to treat each other, but they also receive instruction that will ensure that they are ready for kindergarten.

The cost of Christian preschool varies greatly from $460 per month to $900 per month.

Educational expenses are going to be some of your largest expenses, but they will be worth it when you choose the right environment for your child. The best choice is ready for you to find it, and you have gotten off to a good start here.