Finding affordable child care is already a stressful ordeal for parents. In the U.S., child care costs are skyrocketing, outpacing inflation and even exceeding housing expenses in many areas. For parents of infants, like myself searching for care for my one-year-old, the financial burden is even heavier due to the increased attention and staffing ratios required. Families needing more than 20 hours of care weekly can expect to pay an average of $1,100 per child.
My family’s search for the right child care has been ongoing since early pregnancy. We’ve tapped into our networks, scoured online databases, and even jotted down names of centers spotted around town, hoping to find the perfect fit. While I anticipated high costs, the real shock was the difficulty in simply finding basic pricing information from potential providers.
In my Southern Utah town, only four child care providers are listed on Winnie, a popular platform for parents. None of them publicly display their rates. In the neighboring city of St. George, out of 26 providers on Winnie, only two list prices, and one provides a broad range of $450-$750 monthly. The common refrain on most profiles is “Contact this provider to inquire about prices and availability.” Our attempts to reach out via email and voicemail often go unanswered. Making informed decisions becomes nearly impossible without upfront cost information.
Alt text: Frustrated parent searches for childcare costs online.
This lack of transparency isn’t just about numbers; it feels like a disregard for the families seeking care. As Haley Swenson from Better Life Lab poignantly stated, “I realized that what frustrates me most about our child care search isn’t just the lack of numbers. It was the way this whole experience seemed to disregard the humanity of everyone involved. We’ve been forced to play a shell game in a process that is ultimately about the care and education of our baby, a subject about which we could not feel more tender and vulnerable.”
To understand the absurdity of this situation, consider applying it to another essential service, like buying a car. Imagine visiting car dealerships, finding models that suit your needs, but instead of prices, you see “Inquire for pricing” stickers. Online research provides detailed specs, but no price tags. Contacting the dealership leads to days of waiting and scheduling a visit for pricing information, only to discover the car is beyond your budget after investing significant time and effort. This mirrors the frustrating reality of child care searches in America, where public funding is limited.
Alt text: Cartoon illustrating the lack of price transparency in car buying analogy to childcare.
One major issue is the power imbalance in the child care market. Demand for quality care far exceeds supply, placing families in a competitive position. Child care is often a necessity for parents to work, and the scarcity of reliable options compels many to accept whatever price is quoted. This creates a widening gap between families who can afford paid care and those who cannot. A Federal Reserve survey highlights this disparity, showing that higher-income parents are twice as likely to use 20+ hours of paid child care compared to lower-income families. The lack of price transparency is a symptom of a larger problem within a profit-driven child care system that often overlooks the needs of both parents and caregivers.
Sara Mauskopf, CEO of Winnie, acknowledges that many providers are hesitant to list prices, fearing “sticker shock” might deter parents from considering their programs. The outdated theory is that a center can win over parents during a tour, convincing them to enroll despite potentially high costs.
However, Mauskopf debunks this myth. “When it comes to child care,” she states, “You know what you can afford and you can’t really stretch much beyond your range. If some place costs twice as much as your range, there’s not really anything you can do to afford it. So, I think that is just the wrong philosophy.”
Winnie’s internal data actually reveals that providers who list their prices experience 33% higher enrollment rates. Transparency allows parents to quickly assess affordability and prioritize programs within their budget. This hidden pricing model primarily benefits larger providers with dedicated staff for tours and inquiries.
KinderCare, the largest child care provider in the U.S., exemplifies this. Their website is visually appealing and informative about their programs, safety, and educational approach. Yet, specific pricing is conspicuously absent. Even location-specific pages, like the KinderCare in Salt Lake City with a “Tuition and Openings” button, fail to provide actual tuition details.
Alt text: KinderCare website example illustrating lack of visible pricing information online.
Neither KinderCare nor Bright Horizons, another major provider, responded to inquiries about their lack of online pricing transparency.
Smaller, home-based, or center-based providers often view price secrecy differently. They often lack dedicated administrative or marketing staff. Time spent on tours and pricing inquiries for families outside their budget is time and resources wasted. For them, the challenge of price transparency isn’t strategic but logistical. Updating websites or even maintaining an online presence with current pricing can be burdensome. With already tight margins due to high labor and infrastructure costs, marketing teams are a luxury most cannot afford.
Dana Levin-Robinson, founder of UpFront, a company addressing transparency issues in child care, points out the limitations of private platforms like Winnie in obtaining up-to-date pricing. Providers are simply too busy to consistently update multiple databases. Neither individual consumers nor private companies have sufficient leverage to compel providers to share and regularly update their data.
Government-operated resource and referral (RR&R) agencies possess greater leverage. These networks partner with UpFront to create user-friendly databases with filters that help parents find suitable child care. RR&Rs often play a role in licensing and connecting providers with public resources. Levin-Robinson has found that simple, direct requests, like confirming existing price data, are more effective than complex data requests.
Maryland Family Network, an UpFront client, demonstrates the potential of this approach. They have pricing data for an impressive 72% of the 6,256 providers they work with. Their database allows parents to filter by numerous criteria and quickly identify affordable options.
Levin-Robinson suggests that states could further enhance transparency by making price transparency and regular updates a licensing requirement. Such measures would greatly benefit families. However, price transparency is only one facet of the larger systemic issues plaguing the child care market.
In my own search, a desperate online inquiry to a nearby center yielded a surprising response. Despite no online pricing, the director, Karen, replied within 24 hours, providing clear pricing information—$80 daily or $260 weekly—and availability for my one-year-old. While still expensive, it was within our anticipated range, leading to a tour and ultimately, a positive experience.
During the tour, we were impressed by the facilities, the dedicated teachers, and the staff’s genuine care. It highlighted the core issue: the search process often overshadows the human element of child care.
The lack of price transparency is a symptom of a system that undervalues child care and places undue burden on families and caregivers. In a society truly invested in early childhood education, pricing would be readily available, affordable, and accessible. Perhaps then, parents could spend less time navigating complex searches and more time investing in their children’s futures, and caregivers could be fairly compensated for their vital work. Prioritizing people over profit in child care is essential for a more equitable and supportive system.
Alt text: Joyful child engages in block play at a transparent and affordable daycare center.
