How Much Does Daycare Cost in Iowa?
For many Iowa families, child care is often the second-largest household expense after housing. These statewide averages can help with planning, but they are not current quotes from individual providers.
Details last reviewed . These statewide figures are planning benchmarks, not local tuition quotes.
Search daycare options in IowaWhat daycare costs in Iowa
Child Care Aware of America's 2023 Iowa figures are statewide annual averages, not current provider quotes. Infant care costs more than in-state college tuition. Actual tuition varies by location, age, schedule, and provider; confirm rates and fees directly with centers.
- Infant, center-based care
- $12,168/year
- Toddler, center-based care
- $11,143/year
- Infant, family child care
- $8,176/year
- Toddler, family child care
- $8,015/year
- Two children (infant + 4-year-old), center-based care
- $21,913/year
Source: Child Care Aware of America 2023 Price of Care: Iowa fact sheet .
What drives the differences
- Age: Infant rooms often cost more because state ratios require more staff per child.
- Setting: Center-based and family child care have different staffing, facilities, and schedules.
- Location: Rates can vary between metro and rural communities; about 25% of Iowans live in a child care desert.
- Schedule: Full-time, part-time, school-year, and extended-hour care can have different prices.
Help paying for care
Check eligibility for Iowa Child Care Assistance (CCA) through Iowa HHS and ask whether your provider accepts it. Families may also be able to use an employer dependent-care flexible spending account (FSA).
- Iowa HHS Child Care Assistance (CCA)
- Iowa Child Care Resource & Referral — toll-free 855-244-5301.
- Iowa Child Care Connect — explore child care search resources.
Iowa's child care supply
The Iowa Women's Foundation has reported that the state lost about 40% of its child care providers over five years, leaving roughly 350,000 slots short. These are statewide estimates, not a live count of openings. Start months early, join multiple waitlists, and ask about fees and expected timing. Iowa Women's Foundation childcare research.
Check licensing
Look up provider licensing and inspection information with Iowa HHS.