How Much Does Daycare Cost in Illinois?

It’s no secret that the cost of childcare across the country can reach staggering levels. Recent estimates from Child Care Aware of America show that new parents in Illinois pay an average of $1,650 for infant care every month. If you do the math, that comes to an eye-popping yearly bill of about $19,800, nearly a full year of in-state tuition at a public university in Illinois.

But that figure doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. In reality, parents in Illinois have quite a number of options for child care, including traditional daycare, employing an at-home nanny, on-site (workplace) daycare, nanny sharing, or deciding to have one parent stay home to care for your little one.

Is daycare financially feasible for Illinois parents? How do other childcare alternatives stack up against the standby of daycare when it comes to the overall costs?

In this article, we provide a quick rundown of the costs associated with each childcare option, so you can figure out which is best for your child care needs and budget.

What’s the average daycare cost in Illinois in 2026?

The average cost of daycare in Illinois is about $1,650 a month for a baby and around $1,437 a month for a preschooler, based on figures from CCAoA. Across a full year, that works out to roughly $19,800 for infants and $17,240 for older children. Full-time care is usually a bit pricier in the city, but easier on your pocket in quieter suburbs.

A few things can move the needle on that number, and we will walk you through each: your child’s age, whether you need full or part-time hours, the type of center, and your neighborhood.

Daycare cost in Illinois by age

Age is the single biggest thing on your invoice, and it comes down to how many little ones one teacher can safely look after. Babies need close, near-constant attention, so centers staff more adults per child, and that also tends to impact the price.

Infants (6 weeks to about 15 months)

Infant care is the most expensive stretch you will pay for. Illinois licensing keeps infant rooms small, at roughly four babies per teacher, so the staffing cost per child is higher. Expect close to the $1,650-a-month, $19,800-a-year average, with Chicago centers often a touch higher.

Toddlers and twos

Once your child is walking around and a bit more independent, group sizes are allowed to grow, to around five children per teacher for toddlers and eight for twos. More children sharing each teacher means that the monthly cost softens compared to the infant group.

Preschoolers (3 to 5)

By the preschool years, one teacher can look after about 10 children, and tuition is at its lowest point, near $1,437 a month or about $17,240 a year. Some families bring this down further through Illinois’ Preschool for All program, which funds part-day preschool for eligible three- and four-year-olds.

How much daycare costs by the day, week, and month

Centers quote their prices in different ways, so here is the same full-time care shown across each time frame, to save you the math. For an infant, you should budget about $19,800 a year. That comes to roughly $1,650 a month, about $380 a week, or around $76 for each weekday your child is in care, counting a five-day week so weekends are not included. For a preschooler, the same care runs closer to $17,240 a year, which is about $1,437 a month, $330 a week, or near $66 a weekday.

Your quote will still shift depending on the daycare center and how many days you need, but these give you a reliable planning range.

Chicago versus the suburbs: how location changes the price

Where you live is the other key factor impacting the cost of daycare in Illinois. City centers carry higher rents and wages, so daycare in Chicago tends to sit at the top of the state range. Families in the Lakeview, Lincoln Square, West Loop, and Edgewater neighborhoods often pay at or above the $1,650-a-month infant average.

Head out to the suburbs, and the same care usually costs a little bit less. A center in Elmhurst or Mount Prospect can come in below city rates for the same age group. Wherever you are comparing, ask each daycare center what their tuition covers, because a lower sticker price with add-on fees can end up costing more than an all-in rate.

What makes daycare cost more, or less?

Beyond age and location, a handful of things can nudge your monthly bill up or down:

• Whether you need full-time or part-time care: fewer days means a lower rate, and plenty of families do not need five full days of care.
• The type of provider: a licensed center monitored by Illinois DCFS usually costs more than a small home daycare, and in return you get trained staff, safety oversight, and backup teachers when someone is out. NAEYC accreditation can also raise the price a bit, but it’s worth it.
• What tuition includes: some daycares quote a base rate, then bill meals, diapers, and activities on top, while others fold everything in. At LadyBug & Friends, for instance, our tuition includes freshly prepared meals, and we are upfront about our $125 enrollment fee.
• Registration and waitlist fees: one-time charges to hold a spot are common, since many daycares have a long waitlist, so build them into your first-month budget.

Families who qualify for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program pay much less, since Illinois covers a large share of the cost.

Help paying for daycare in Illinois

Those numbers are the sticker price, but plenty of families do not pay full freight. Illinois runs the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which helps working parents cover daycare based on household size and income. For those who qualify, it can pick up most or even all of the bill.

CCAP works by paying your provider a set daily rate, and that rate is highest around Chicago. For an infant at a licensed daycare center, the state currently covers up to about $67 a day in Cook and the collar counties (Group 1A), roughly $64 a day in a set of mid-size counties such as Champaign and Madison (Group 1B), and about $57 a day across the rest of the state (Group 2). The amount gets lower as children get older, and your own share is capped at a small percentage of household income. You can see the current schedule and check whether you qualify on the Illinois Department of Human Services site.

One local note worth a phone call: not every center takes part in CCAP, so ask each one whether they accept it before you count on it.

Alternative #1: In-home nannies

Daycare is the most common choice for Illinois families, and for a single child, it is usually the most affordable of the three.

A private in-home nanny is the priciest route: with Illinois’ minimum wage $15 an hour statewide and $16.20 in Chicago, a Chicago nanny averages around $22 an hour, which adds up quickly across a full week. 

In-home nannies serve as a reasonable alternative to traditional daycare for parents seeking a more intimate form of childcare. Contrary to common belief, nannies are not glorified babysitters; they do much more than you think.

A conventional in-home nanny is responsible for taking your child to and from activities like playgrounds, parks, to feeding and cleaning your little one, and of course, assisting with household chores like laundry, washing dishes, cooking, and so forth.

Think of an in-home nanny as your own Mary Poppins (except that she’s painfully expensive and nowhere near perfect, of course). Nannies engage in activities, create daily schedules, and generate play opportunities to ensure your child’s healthy emotional, physical, and mental growth.

There are, however, some crucial downsides, and the most glaring one is related to the high cost. Some households do provide the nanny with room & board in a bid to dial down the hourly rate. Even so, managing a nanny (as an employee) is often a big headache for parents, plus lack of regulations, sick leave, lateness, and parenting style conflicts can put a huge bummer on the relationship.

Alternative #2: Nanny shares

A nanny share is priced somewhere in the middle. As the name suggests, it’s a form of childcare where multiple families share the service of a single nanny. It’s often a good choice for parents who live in a multi-family facility like multiplexes, apartments, condominiums, etc.

In this situation, the nanny gets a fatter paycheck, but you end up paying less per child for the service. This choice offers a decent degree of flexibility, comfort, and convenience, along with increased socialization for the children and help with household work.

As with any other childcare option, nanny share costs are all over the place. However, the nanny will ask for one or two dollars more than the local going rate for a traditional nanny service. That means the hourly fee can fall somewhere between $24 and $30 per hour, split between the families.

There are, of course, some key disadvantages of using this type of childcare. If you have only one child, the cost of taking him or her to a traditional daycare makes more financial sense than joining a nanny share. Administrative challenges like payroll, taxes, and paperwork can make nanny share less convenient for ever-busy parents. The relationship with the nanny-share can sour pretty quickly if there are any parenting style conflicts.

How to estimate your real daycare cost

A simple way to compare daycare prices is to ask: “What will I actually be paying each month?”

Use this formula to figure out the real cost:

Tuition + one-time fees + extras + transportation time = real monthly daycare cost

Extras can include meals, snacks, diapers, wipes, supplies, enrichment activities, registration fees, waitlist fees, late pickup fees, or charges for schedule changes. This is why two daycare centers with similar tuition can end up feeling very different in your monthly budget.

If you are weighing your options, it helps to tour a few centers and ask the right questions before you decide. When you are ready, schedule a tour at any of our locations and see LadyBug & Friends in action. 

Frequently asked questions

How much does daycare cost in Chicago?

Chicago sits toward the top of the Illinois range, so families here often pay near or above the $1,650-a-month infant average. Rates tend to soften in suburbs such as Elmhurst and Mount Prospect. Always check what a center’s tuition covers before comparing prices.

What age is daycare most expensive?

Infant care costs the most. Babies need the most hands-on supervision, so Illinois limits licensed centers to about four infants per teacher, and that staffing drives the price. As children grow and group sizes widen, monthly tuition steadily comes down.

Is daycare cheaper than a nanny?

For one child, a center is usually the more affordable choice. A Chicago nanny runs about $20 to $23 an hour, which outpaces monthly daycare tuition. A nanny share splits that hourly rate between two families, landing between a private nanny and a center.

How much does preschool cost in Illinois?

Preschool-age care averages around $1,437 a month, or about $17,240 a year, lower than infant care. Some families offset this through Illinois’ Preschool for All program, which funds part-day preschool for eligible three- and four-year-olds. Ask your center if it takes part.

What does daycare tuition usually include?

It varies by center, so read the fine print. Some quote a base rate and bill meals, diapers, or activities separately, while others fold them in. At LadyBug & Friends, tuition includes freshly prepared meals, and we are clear about our $125 enrollment fee.