Daycare tuition, what is the norm in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

That’s because you aren’t paying sticker price and are being subsidized by your employer. You should thank your lucky starts because that rate is insane.

I'm the poster who pays $735/2 weeks. The federally-sponsored rate at our center is $50 lower bi-weekly than the non-fed rate. So not much subsidy. Check out the federally-sponsored centers for yourself and you will see that the rates are much lower than some of the tuition rates that have been mentioned here. I know because our center benchmarks tuition against other fed centers. Most of the fed centers have openings and welcome non-fed families.

https://www.gsa.gov/resources/citizens-and-consumers/child-care-services/find-a-child-care-center-near-you

Sorry, I don’t agree. I got on waitlists years ago on a number of DC federal centers. Tuition for non fed families was close to what we were paying for home daycare, maybe a few hundred less (1800 or 1900 versus 2200 4 years ago). Most of the waitlists were years long. We got into only 1 place, Commerce kids. And I got on most wait lists when I was pregnant from 8 weeks - 5 months. DD is 6 now and many of those places just took my wait list fee and never reached out to us again. And yes, I followed up with them about the waitlists. Waitlist fees are a big scam.

Situation at fed centers is very different than it was "years ago". It's helpful to base comments on current facts. The demand for daycare in downtown DC has dropped dramatically during the pandemic. If you don't believe me, call a few places yourself. Commerce Kids, for example, just reopened a couple of months ago after a 2-year pandemic closure and had immediate openings at all ages.

No need to be snotty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

That’s because you aren’t paying sticker price and are being subsidized by your employer. You should thank your lucky starts because that rate is insane.

I'm the poster who pays $735/2 weeks. The federally-sponsored rate at our center is $50 lower bi-weekly than the non-fed rate. So not much subsidy. Check out the federally-sponsored centers for yourself and you will see that the rates are much lower than some of the tuition rates that have been mentioned here. I know because our center benchmarks tuition against other fed centers. Most of the fed centers have openings and welcome non-fed families.

https://www.gsa.gov/resources/citizens-and-consumers/child-care-services/find-a-child-care-center-near-you

Sorry, I don’t agree. I got on waitlists years ago on a number of DC federal centers. Tuition for non fed families was close to what we were paying for home daycare, maybe a few hundred less (1800 or 1900 versus 2200 4 years ago). Most of the waitlists were years long. We got into only 1 place, Commerce kids. And I got on most wait lists when I was pregnant from 8 weeks - 5 months. DD is 6 now and many of those places just took my wait list fee and never reached out to us again. And yes, I followed up with them about the waitlists. Waitlist fees are a big scam.

Situation at fed centers is very different than it was "years ago". It's helpful to base comments on current facts. The demand for daycare in downtown DC has dropped dramatically during the pandemic. If you don't believe me, call a few places yourself. Commerce Kids, for example, just reopened a couple of months ago after a 2-year pandemic closure and had immediate openings at all ages.

Very interesting, I never heard about these places when looking at daycares. I have a one year old downtown and am paying 3k/month. I’ll have to call around and look into these. I see the rates for commerce kids are 1k less. Might be worth switching if there really are spaces for non employees here. Thanks for the tip.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'd definitely recommend looking into some federal options. I believe that in my neighborhood (Chinatown), at least Kindercare at DOL and Tiny Findings at GAO have openings even for non-feds and have a more reasonable tuition.

[Anonymous]

If you are not a fed and apply to a federal option, I believe you pay a different (non-subsidized price) but definitely confirm that. Back to the original question: I am paying $2400 in N Arlington for a toddler (that's sticker price, not subsidized).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

agreed , which one? I have looked at some federally sponsored and could not find anything below 885 per 2 weeks

[Anonymous]

We are at a center in Chevy Chase, MD. We pay around $2,250/month for PK, meals and a fixities (yoga, music, etc.) inclusive. Hours are 7:45-6:15. Infant, folder, and preschool rooms are all more expensive (but have better ratios - infant and toddler are 3:1 and preschool is 6;1; our PK class is 10:1.)

[Anonymous]

$2100/mo for a bilingual home based daycare in downtown Bethesda. It includes breakfast, lunch, and a snack. They advertise 730-530 but it ends up being less time because they have strict pickup/drop off windows because of their neighborhood use permit. But our kid is safe and happy there. We started out at a (licensed!!) home daycare in Aspen Hill that was $350/week and it literally got shut down with an ICE raid. I don’t think an immigration status makes a good caregiver, but I was pretty pissed to find out the teachers didn’t have background checks like we were promised.

[Anonymous]

We pay 2,000 a month and did from when our child was 2.5 at a Montessori school in NW. Hours are 8-5 and obviously prices are a bit more for under 2.5 year olds. But we absolutely love the school, turned down free PreK 3 in DCPS to stay there.

[Anonymous]

2200/mo upper NW DC. 8-5 with breakfast, lunch and snack.

Will switch to subsidized work daycare at 1600/mo when openings come or communikids.