Child care costs in Washington, DC, are among the highest in the country, placing a significant financial burden on many families. Parents often spend as much, if not more, on child care as they do on housing. In this brief, we draw on interviews with 30 parents of children under 5 to examine families’ views on child care affordability in DC, how the cost of care affects families’ finances and well-being, what trade-offs families make to pay for care, and families’ perspectives on DC’s investments in child care and early education.

Why This Matters

Families across income levels report struggling to manage child care costs. The high cost of care affects families’ savings, employment decisions, housing choices, and decisions about whether or when to have additional children. At the same time, parents describe affordable, high-quality child care as essential for family well-being, workforce participation, and child development.

Critically, publicly funded child care assistance helps some lower income families access free or low-cost care. However, families who don’t use or don’t qualify for subsidies, including families whose incomes put them above the eligibility threshold, face the climbing cost of care without public support to alleviate the burden. Other public investments such as free universal prekindergarten deliver early care and education regardless of income. However, even with these programs, gaps persist, keeping child care affordability out of reach.

What We Found

• Child care was one of families’ largest expenses, often rivaling housing. Parents consistently ranked child care among their top household costs, frequently second only to their rent or mortgage. For some families with multiple children, child care was their single largest monthly expense. Among parents who reported paying out of pocket, tuition costs ranged from $400 to $5,800 per month, with an average cost of $2,227.
• Families made financial and life trade-offs to afford care. Parents reported cutting savings and discretionary spending, changing career plans, reducing or leaving employment, and making difficult choices about their child care arrangements. Some also described limiting their housing options or delaying having or deciding not to have more children because of the high cost of child care.
• High child care costs affected families across income levels. Even higher-income parents who could afford child care described it as a substantial financial burden that required ongoing budgeting and trade-offs. Most parents did not view nearby child care options as affordable, and several said the cost prevented them from choosing programs that would otherwise have been a better fit for their families.
• Public investments provided meaningful financial relief. Parents described DC’s child care subsidy program and universal free public prekindergarten as reducing out-of-pocket costs, supporting their ability to work or pursue education, and expanding access to preferred care options. Parents strongly supported continued public investment in early childhood education and emphasized that affordability, quality, and fair compensation for educators are interconnected.

How We Did It

From February through April 2026, the research team conducted in-depth interviews with 30 parents of young children enrolled in licensed child development centers across DC. Interviews explored families’ child care expenses, changes in tuition over time, household finances, and views of DC’s early childhood policies. The sample included families with a range of child care experiences, although recruitment prioritized families not receiving child care subsidies, so most participants had relatively high household incomes. The research team coded interview transcripts to identify major themes and variation in parents’ experiences with child care affordability.