Special Needs Child Care Guide: Cost of Care

According to a report from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), the average annual fees for full-time center care for an infant range from $4,542 to $14,591 and for a 4 year old, $3,380 to $10,787. Why so much variability? Geographic location.  Where you live makes all the difference. In considering the cost of care for your child with special needs, the cost issues become more complex. The factors below, which impact the cost of child care, apply whether the care is for a child with or without special needs:

• Where you live: No matter what type of child care you opt for, where you live will impact the price. Child care providers in big cities will get paid more than providers in small towns. Parents of children with special needs have additional costs to consider which may in some cases be reimbursed by the state. However, the rate of coverage and reimbursement varies widely by state, especially when it comes to Medicaid. This can really be an issue when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses for special needs care.

• Child's age. As seen from the above statistics, child care gradually becomes less expensive as your child gets older, given that infant care is more demanding -- and in day care scenarios requires a smaller child/teacher ratio -- than preschool care.

• Hours attending. Most care centers also are flexible in the number of days a week you send your child, so cost will vary depending on full-time or part-time attendance. Depending on your work flexibility or your desire for part-time vs. full-time employment, creating a scenario of part-time work and part-time child care may provide you with the beneficial situation of personal work fulfillment, socialization for your child, and plenty of hours spent at home with your child.

• Type of care. Beyond the above factors, different child care scenarios have variables that will result in different wages. Babysitter fees will vary depending on amount of experience, number of children, special training (e.g., CPR), and how much is required of the sitter in the way of housekeeping and transporting kids to activities. Nanny costs take into account factors similar to those listed for babysitters, as well as different types of living arrangements (such as live-in vs. live-out) and benefits payments. Child care center costs also vary depending on number of kids you have in the program (in general, with multiple children, it's more expensive to have them at a child care center vs. at home with a nanny), whether it's a private vs. public facility, and whether other add-ons such as meals or language lessons are included. Also, large child care centers tend to be more expensive than in-home family run child care centers.

• Special needs training. If you are seeking a babysitter or nanny with experience or training in caring for children with special needs, their fees may be higher. Overnight care or help with more than one child, may also have higher fees.

• External special needs services. If your child requires speech, occupational, or other types of therapeutic intervention in addition to day care , you may need to prepare for additional costs for various specialists. However, in some cases, if you have hired a nanny or babysitter with special needs experience, they might be able to help with certain tasks or at-home therapy or exercises (this is one of the benefits of hiring someone with special needs experience).

Child care costs vary considerably depending on a number of factors. In general, though, the factors that impact cost apply to children with and without special needs. However, if you require extra therapy or tutoring at the day care, or desire babysitters or nannies with special experience or training caring for children with special needs, the costs may increase.