Glossary

The terms that come up when comparing childcare providers and prices, defined in plain language.

CCDF (Child Care and Development Fund)

The federal block grant that states use to subsidize childcare for lower-income working families, administered differently in every state with its own income limits and copay scale. It is separate from the Dependent Care FSA, which is a tax benefit rather than a subsidy.

Center-based care

A licensed childcare facility, typically with multiple classrooms grouped by age and a larger staff than a home-based provider. It is the category most Child Care Aware of America price surveys, and this site's tools, treat as the default comparison point.

Child-to-staff ratio

The maximum number of children one staff member is licensed to supervise at once, set by each state and usually lowest for infants. A lower ratio generally means a higher price, since the provider is paying more staff per child in the room.

Dependent Care FSA

An employer-sponsored account that lets a household set aside pretax income, up to $7,500 a year per household starting in 2026 (up from $5,000, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), to pay for childcare so a parent can work. It lowers taxable income but does not reduce the provider's price itself.

Family child care (FCC)

A licensed childcare program run out of a provider's own home, usually caring for a smaller group of children across mixed ages than a center. FCC prices are typically lower than center-based care in most states this site tracks.

Market rate survey

A state's own periodic survey of what licensed childcare providers actually charge, usually run to set subsidy reimbursement rates. Child Care Aware of America's price figures are built from these state surveys; a state that stops running one, like New Mexico, has no reliable published price to report.

Sliding-scale fee

A price structure some providers and subsidy programs use where the amount a family pays is set relative to household income rather than a single flat rate for every family. It is a provider-by-provider or program-by-program policy, not something this site's statewide averages capture.

Subsidized care

Childcare partly paid for through a state or federal program, usually CCDF, rather than paid entirely out of pocket by the family. Eligibility and the family's copay both depend on the state and household income; this site's price figures are the full, unsubsidized rate a provider charges.

Waitlist deposit

A one-time, usually non-refundable fee some providers charge to hold a family's place on a waiting list, separate from tuition and due before care ever starts. It varies by provider and is not part of the annual price figures this site tracks.