Choosing Child Care 5. Financial Matters Child care can be quite costly. Be assured, however, that as your child gets older the cost of care is likely to go down.
Programs also vary considerably in how expensive they are.
Before you contact an individual program, you may want to check with your local resource and referral agency to find out what the market rates are in your area for the kind of care that you need. There are some publicly funded programs available for low-income families. Talk with your local resource and referral agency about eligibility for and location of subsidized programs. Since these programs have long waiting lists, try to apply well in advance of your planned enrollment. Ways of reducing your taxes if you are paying for child care in order to work are described in Tax Reduction for Dependent Care Expenses in this Guide.