Price for day-care for an infant?

[DMickey28]

DH and I are beginning our TTC journey and the worry-wart in me is worried about fianaces. Ideally I will stay home when the baby is born but just in case, I am trying to figure out day care prices, to see if it would even be worth going back to work. I think with the tax brackets and the cost of daycare I would just be working for a few hundred a month...

I live in the Chicago area and am curious about day-care prices for an newborn infant. Both center day care and private day care?

TIA.

ETA: Also how do you figure out the tax bracket thing and how it affects you? Do I do the taxes with my income and DH's estimated income and then do it with just Dh's and see what the difference is? Like if DH alone is in one tax bracket then if you add my income we get bumped up to another bracket and look at the difference in the tax amount? Does that make sense?

 

[Bob Slydell]

We pay around $850 a month, M-F 7am-6pm (although he's usually there more like 8:30-5:00.

 

[Jaimee]

I'm also in the midwest. I paid a little over $300 per week for my DS 6 years ago. I'm sure the pices have gone up since then. This was at a daycare center, not in-home care.

 

[tiff211]

I pay $180 a week for the baby and $140 for DD3.

 

[pooh4evr]

When DD1 was a newborn we paid 800 a month for full time care 7-4 m-f. It was an excellent place - we took her out when I was on Summer break and got into the Hospital Employee Daycare at DH hospital and I believe we paid about 600 there also a fabulous palce- I would be willing to pay whatever it took to ensure my kids were at the best place possible if they were not with me. I stay home now because after DD2 my catholic school teacher salary would have been less than the daycare costs for both girls!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've seen you mention the "higher tax" thing a couple of times. Remember that even if your salary puts the household into a higher tax bracket, you only pay the higher taxes on the amount over..... your whole salaries don't become taxed at the higher rate.

These numbers are for Taxable Income after Deductions and Exemptions, not Gross Salary.

2006
Schedule Y-1 — Married Filing Jointly or Qualifying Widow(er)
If taxable income is over-- But not over-- The tax is:
$0 $15,100 10% of the amount over $0
$15,100 $61,300 $1,510.00 plus 15% of the amount over 15,100
$61,300 $123,700 $8,440.00 plus 25% of the amount over 61,300
$123,700 $188,450 $24,040.00 plus 28% of the amount over 123,700
$188,450 $336,550 $42,170.00 plus 33% of the amount over 188,450
$336,550 no limit $91,043.00 plus 35% of the amount over 336,550

 

[Blondy876]

My 15 month old goes to daycare 4 days a week (8-4) it cost us $590 a month.

 

[barkley]

in california centers that take infants are few and far between. they can run upwards of 1200.00 per month. and part time slots in those places that take infants are almost unheard of (if you want part time you still have to pay the full time rate).

 

[Kimberle]

Where I live, infant care runs about $300 per week. Don't count on the cost going down much as your child ages. The increases generally outway the savings you generally get when your child is potty trained and 3 yrs old. My dd is in 1st grade now. Her infant rate started at $200/week, and her last week of d/care was $230 per week.

What you should do is do a hypathetical tax return when you do this years taxes. Do your regular one for filing, then do one with a child added in.

 

[TiggerStac]

My DS's daycare is about 225/week for infants 7:15-5:30 is the hours that they are open.

 

[skuttle]

Wow! I can't believe some of the prices! We only pay $100/month. When DS first started as a baby it was $90 but they recently increased the price.

 

[DMickey28]

I can't imagin being a working mom. i am at work at 7:30 and out at 5pmish. wow!! We shall see!!! I am trying to figure out work vs. SAHM. DH travels a lot and I honestly don't see how I'll be able to work!

 

[The Edgington's]

I'm an in home daycare provider and I charge $125/wk for infants.

 

[mom2grace]

Are you pregnant already? It is not too early to be looking and to get on the waiting lists at the places you really like.