“A new report from Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA), Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply, finds that the nation’s child care system made little progress in 2025, with supply failing to keep pace with families’ needs and prices remaining out of reach for too many families.
“CCAoA’s latest analysis of child care supply and prices across the country highlights a system under strain, and many families continue to be forced to make trade-offs between financial stability and workforce participation.”
“The national average annual price of child care remains high at $13,184 in 2025. This price takes up 10% of the median income in two-parent households, and 33% for a single-parent household.”
Of the 47 states with price data:
- Child care for two children (an infant and a 4-year–old) in a center is more expensive than median annual rent payments in all 47 states.
- Child care for two children in a center is more expensive than median annual mortgage payments in 39 states.
- Child care for an infant in a center is more expensive than in- state, public college tuition in 38 states.
” ‘Families are being asked to shoulder costs that rival or exceed their biggest monthly expenses,’ said Susan Gale Perry, CEO of Child Care Aware® of America. ‘At the same time, the supply of care isn’t expanding in a way that meets demand. That’s not a sustainable system. We urgently need increased funding and investments to support working families.’ ”
“ ‘Families deserve better than a child care market that grows more unaffordable and less available every year. This data is a call to act.’ “
— “Child Care Prices Rival Major Household Expenses; Supply Fails to Keep Pace with Demand,” Child Care Aware of America, May 13, 2026