It is something every couple planning, or even just thinking about having a child thinks about. How much will childcare cost? A lot, of course, depends on the type of childcare you opt for. Obviously having your child cared for by a relative will be cheaper than a daycare program, but every type of childcare has some cost associated with it.

There are many things to consider when deciding on the type of childcare that will work best for you, and one of the biggest things that weighs on our minds and ultimately impacts the decision is the cost. Depending on your financial position when your baby arrives will have a big impact on what options are available to you. Your decision will also by affected by how quickly mom will be returning to work after the baby is born.

Here is some information regarding the costs of the various types of childcare available.

Daycare Centers: the cost of daycare centers varies widely depending on where you live and the size of the center. On average a family in the US can expect to spend anywhere from $3000 a year to $15000 a year depending on what area of the country you live in. Obviously a daycare center in San Francisco will cost significantly more that a daycare center in the Midwest. The age of your child will also impact the costs. Parents pay more when their child is an infant requiring more one on one attention. For more information on daycare centers around the country visit Childcareaware.org.

Home Daycare: the prices for home daycare vary even more widely than those of daycare centers as there are such a wide range of types and sizes of home daycare. The average for an infant in home daycare is about $8400 a year and for a toddler it is about $6000. Although in some parts of the country prices are as high as $18000 a year. Do your research and shop around if you decide on this type of childcare.

Nanny Care: this is often the most expensive type of childcare available, with the average weekly rate for a nanny ranging from $350 to $700 per week. Not to mention the fact that you become an “employer” if you hire a nanny and will be required to report taxes, pay social security, etc so there is a lot more to it than just the regular costs of outside the home childcare.

Relative Care: this is often the least expensive form of childcare. Some families are able to get away without paying anything if a family member takes care of the child, although you often have to pay something. Unfortunately, this option is not available for a lot of families.

So as you can see the options are plenty and the costs vary widely. Deciding on childcare is not something you will be able to do easily or lightly. Determine what you can afford as well as what types of childcare options most appeal to you. Talk to friends and family members who have children to find out what they use for childcare and ask if they have any recommendations. If mom will be returning to work soon after the baby is born you will want to have your childcare all figured out before the baby arrives as you won’t have much time to figure it out after.

What form of childcare do you use and what do you find are the benefits of the childcare you chose?

(source: Baby Center)