Paying for Child Care

It’s no secret that paying for child care is a serious commitment.

For many parents it requires clear-eyed budgeting.

That’s because child care can be expensive. Like, more-than-you-expected expensive!

And often (but not always), the better the program, the more you can expect to pay.

options for paying daycare tuition daycare

Some families cut expenses elsewhere, knowing that paying for child care is temporary. Kids can age out of it in a few years or graduate to something more affordable when they start kindergarten.

Other parents save money using a Dependent Care FSA. This is for kids ages 13 and under.

With a Dependent Care FSA, you use pre-tax dollars to pay qualified out-of-pocket child care expenses, like tuition. The money you contribute to a Dependent Care FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, so you end up paying less in taxes and taking home more of your paycheck.

There’s also a federal tax credit for child care expenses. Like many tax credits, it declines as income rises.

Some companies offer child care benefits as part of their compensation package. Ask your boss or HR rep about it.

If you’re interested in a particular daycare for your child, ask about employment. Some child care businesses will enroll your child at a reduced rate and pay you, too.

Finally, for Billings, MT, there’s theĀ Best Beginnings subsidy.

Qualifying families make co-payments based on income, using a sliding-fee scale. State subsidies do restrict the independence, flexibility, and creativity of a program.

Here at First Things, we do not participate in Best Beginnings. Most other daycares in Billings seem to, though.

Hopefully this page has given you a few ideas about minimizing the cost of paying for child care.

If you’re looking for an earthy, screen-free child care option in the Heights, call us at 406-534-3442 to schedule your tour.

We have openings for kids ages 2 and up. Call 534-3442 to schedule your tour.