If you’ve ever looked at the cost of child care and wondered why it’s so expensive, you’re not alone. Across the country, families are paying more for child care than ever before—often more than their mortgage or college tuition. And while tuition might feel high, the unfortunate truth is that it’s still not enough to cover the true cost of high-quality care—or to fairly compensate the professionals who make it possible.
It doesn’t make sense on the surface, but when you dig into what it truly takes to provide safe, developmentally appropriate, high-quality care, the numbers begin to tell a different story. As parents, you’re doing everything you can to make the best choices for your child, and it’s only natural to want to understand where your hard-earned money is going. So let’s talk about it—not with jargon, not with fluff—but with honesty and facts. We’re pulling back the curtain on where tuition dollars go, why early childhood education is so expensive to provide, and how we can begin advocating together for meaningful change.
The True Cost of Quality Child Care
Child care isn’t babysitting—it’s early education, health and safety compliance, family engagement, staff development, and a foundation for lifelong learning. Quality child care centers are expected to operate like miniature schools, health facilities, kitchens, and community centers—all under one roof.
Here’s where your tuition is really going:
The Largest Piece of the Pie: Wages and Benefits (60–80% of Operating Budget)
Child care programs spend most of their revenue on salaries. Early childhood educators are not only caregivers—they’re developmental specialists. They understand brain development, trauma-informed care, child assessment, curriculum design, and more. And yet, early childhood educators remain some of the lowest-paid professionals in the workforce. In fact, the median wage of child care workers is in the bottom 5% of all occupational median wages.
National and Illinois Salary Data:
- National median wage for child care workers (2023): $28,520/year or $13.71/hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Preschool teachers (nationwide): $36,000/year on average
- Illinois average wage for child care workers: $30,900/year
Compare that to:
- Kindergarten teacher: $61,620/year
- Elementary school teacher: $63,670/year
That’s nearly half the salary! Despite the pay gap, early childhood educators are expected to meet similar professional standards as K-12 teachers. Most teachers in licensed child care centers must hold or pursue a Child Development Associate (CDA), an Associate’s, or even a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. They undergo extensive background checks, CPR/First Aid training, annual continuing education, often work longer days, and care for younger, more vulnerable children.
Ratios, Safety, and the True Cost of Compliance
When it comes to child care, staffing isn’t just about availability—it’s about what’s legally required and developmentally appropriate to keep children safe and supported.
According to Illinois DCFS licensing standards, the minimum required staff-to-child ratios are:
- Infants (6 weeks–14 months): 1 staff per 4 children
- Toddlers (15–23 months): 1 staff per 5 children
- 2-year-olds: 1 staff per 8 children
- 3–5-year-olds: 1 staff per 10 children
That means one classroom with 12 infants may legally require three full-time teachers—before you account for breaks, planning time, float staff, or coverage for illness and professional development. For comparison, many public school classrooms operate with 25+ children and only one certified teacher and one aide.
But ratios are just one part of the equation. High-quality early learning centers must also maintain strict safety, health, and licensing compliance—all of which add to both staffing and operational costs. These include:
- Continuous supervision and real-time ratio tracking
- Detailed documentation of every diaper change, feeding, and nap
- Daily sanitation protocols that exceed hospital standards
- Emergency preparedness: fire drills, evacuation procedures, and secure building access
- Health and wellness practices: daily health checks, allergy tracking, and safe medication administration
This level of care requires well-trained staff, ongoing professional development, and a full system of tools, processes, and materials to support safe, nurturing environments. These are not optional services—they are core to a child’s well-being, and they reflect the standard that every family deserves.
Curriculum, Supplies, and Enrichment
The best high-quality childcare programs offer more than just supervision—they deliver a full early learning experience and scaffold development across all domains:
- Language and literacy
- Fine/gross motor
- Social-emotional learning
- Math, science, and creative arts
That means investing in:
- Research-backed curriculum and assessments
- Sensory-rich materials and toys
- Art, music, nature-based learning, and diverse books
- Outdoor learning spaces, manipulatives, and classroom design
All of this is built into your child’s day—and built into your tuition.
Facilities, Food, and Utilities
It costs money to keep classrooms warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and filled with nourishing meals and snacks. Child care facilities are held to much higher health and safety standards than most businesses:
- Commercial kitchens or food service vendors
- Specialized HVAC systems, handwashing sinks, and ventilation
- Daily sanitation of every toy, surface, and diapering area
Insurance and Administrative Costs
From liability insurance and payroll services to accounting, staff scheduling, family communication apps, and licensing documentation, there’s a business side to child care that parents don’t always see.
So Why Not Just Raise Pay and Lower Tuition?
That’s the great paradox of child care in America: families can’t afford to pay more, and providers can’t afford to charge less. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, child care operates on “razor-thin margins,” with most centers running at break-even or a loss. Raising wages for teachers—without raising tuition—is simply not feasible unless public funding or employer subsidies bridge the gap.
Why not cut corners?
The question is often asked: “Can’t you lower tuition by skipping extras?”
But those “extras” are often what make the difference:
- Hiring and retaining experienced educators
- Keeping ratios low so every child gets attention
- Offering a safe, beautiful space that feels like a second home
- Providing inclusive care that meets the needs of every child, regardless of ability
Every child deserves the best start—not the cheapest.
How The Farmhouse Is Doing Things Differently
At The Farmhouse Early Learning and Development Center, we’ve been right there with you—asking the same questions. We are working on creating solutions, unwilling to accept the status quo. We examined every decision through the lens of:
- How can we provide exceptional care without nickel-and-diming families?
- How can we pay educators what they deserve for the education and care they provide?
- And how can we keep the lights on and sustain our mission long-term?
As we designed our program, we took a hard look at the typical fee structures many centers use and made a conscious decision to do better by families:
✅ Flat Tuition Regardless of Attendance Days
We believe in supporting families, not penalizing them. That’s why we charge the same flat rate whether your child attends 2 days or 5. Families who can stay home part-time shouldn’t be punished for doing what’s right for their children.
✅ No “Potty Training” Fee
Charging extra for children who aren’t potty trained by a certain age is inappropriate and developmentally insensitive. We know that toileting is a complex milestone that unfolds in its own time. We support your child without profit motives attached.
✅ No Annual Activity Fee
We do require a one-time application fee and a registration fee to help cover administrative and onboarding costs, but we’ve intentionally eliminated annual “surprise” fees for classroom materials, curriculum, or events.
✅ Maintaining Lower Ratios, Even If It Costs More
We’re unwilling to max out classroom ratios just to bring in more revenue. That may mean fewer children in a room—but it ensures better care, safer environments, and stronger relationships.
✅ No Overworking Our Team to Save on Staffing Costs
We will not require our staff to work long, split, or excessive shifts just to patch scheduling gaps. We are building a culture of balance and respect—for the children we care for, their families, and educators.
But how are you making this work financially?
We’ll be honest—it’s going to be a challenge! Thanks to the Illinois Smart Start Workforce Grant, we are able to offer a starting wage that is higher than the industry average, and we are deeply grateful for that. However, it’s still not where it should be, and it does not reflect the value these professionals bring to children and families every day.
We’re advocating for change and continue to look for long-term solutions:
- Partnering with employers to offer employer-sponsored childcare models where companies help pay tuition or reserve slots for employees.
- Advocating for state and federal investment in early childhood education.
- Staying lean operationally without sacrificing quality.
- Relying on community partnerships and grants to reduce the burden on families.
Transparency Builds Trust—and Partnerships
We believe transparent conversations build trust—which is why The Farmhouse is leaning into transparent communication, wage grants, and advocating for systemic funding increases. We want you to understand how tuition is set, what your dollars are supporting, and why we refuse to cut corners—even if it means tighter margins.
Your partnership MATTERS! When families understand the real cost of care—and why sufficient educator pay is entangled with ratio requirements, staff stability, and compliance, they can be true allies in pushing for change.
We know there are still gaps to bridge—between what families can afford, what educators deserve, and what the system currently provides. But when families and providers stand together, we have a much stronger voice.
We hope this blog helps answer your questions, sparks conversations, and inspires advocacy. If we want a child care system that works for all of us, we have to build it together.
Child care should not be a luxury. It is a public good, a workforce enabler, and a cornerstone of early brain development. The system needs change—and we are committed to being part of that change.