How Much Does Daycare Cost in Houston? A 2026 Parent Guide

The short answer

In Houston, full-time infant care generally runs around $1,300 per month at a licensed center, while preschool-age care tends to land closer to $1,000. Across Texas as a whole, center-based infant care averages roughly $1,050 to $1,100 per month, with toddler care between $900 and $1,400 and full-day preschool between $750 and $1,200.

Licensed home daycares typically run 15 to 30 percent below center rates. That gap is real, and for some families it is the deciding factor.

Houston sits below the national picture and far below cities like New York or San Francisco, but the year-over-year increases here have been steep, especially since 2023.

Why infant care costs the most

Parents are often surprised that a baby costs more than a four-year-old, since the baby eats less and does fewer activities. The answer is staffing ratios.

Texas requires far more caregivers per child in an infant room than in a preschool room. One teacher might supervise a small handful of babies, while a preschool teacher can safely lead a much larger group. Payroll is the dominant cost in child care, so the ratio drives the price almost directly.

This is also why infant spots are the hardest to find. A center can only serve so many babies regardless of how much space it has, which is why infant waitlists exist even at centers with empty preschool rooms.

The fees that do not show up in the quote

The advertised rate is rarely the final rate. When you are comparing centers, ask specifically about each of the following, because any one of them can add $100 or more per month.

• ✓Meals: are breakfast, lunch, and snacks included, or do you pack them?
• ✓Annual registration or re-enrollment fees
• ✓Supply or materials fees, often charged once or twice a year
• ✓Enrichment programs like dance, sports, or language, sometimes billed separately
• ✓Late pickup fees, and what time they start
• ✓Charges for days your child is absent or sick
• ✓Transportation fees for school pickup

How to compare two centers fairly

Convert everything to a monthly all-in number. Take the base rate, add every fee divided across twelve months, and add your estimated cost of packing meals if food is not included. Only then compare.

Then compare hours honestly. A center that closes at 6:00 PM and charges $1 per minute after that is not cheaper than one that closes at 7:00 PM, if you regularly arrive at 6:15 PM. Run the math on your actual life, not your ideal one.

Finally, ask what happens when you need to change. Can you move from five days to three? Is there a penalty? Families change schedules more often than they expect.

What we charge and why we publish it

At First Kids Academy, a half day is $30 and a full day is $50, with breakfast, lunch, and snacks included. There is no annual supply fee and no separate food charge. Part-time schedules are billed at the same daily rates, so a three-day family pays for three days.

We publish our rates because parents deserve to know before they invest an hour in a tour. If a center will not tell you the price on the phone, that is worth noticing.

Help paying for care

Texas offers child care scholarships through Workforce Solutions for families who meet income and work or school requirements. Many licensed centers in southwest Houston participate, and the assistance can be substantial.

Public pre-K through your school district is another route for eligible four-year-olds, and it is free. It usually does not cover a full work day, but combined with after school care it can dramatically reduce costs for a family with an older child.

We are currently a private-pay center. If a subsidy is the right path for your family, tell us and we will point you toward centers nearby that participate rather than waste your time.