Daycare in Maryland
What daycare costs in each Maryland county, how to get help paying, and how to check a license.
Short answer
Help paying in Maryland
Child Care Scholarship Program, run by Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood
$94,026a year or less for a family of three to start, as of February 2025. You also need to work, study or train.
The highest copay reported for a family of three is 0.1% of income (January 2025).
How to applySources: Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood; National Women's Law Center
What does daycare cost in each Maryland county?
Weekly full-time prices in 2022. Center infant care runs from $209 in Dorchester County to $414 in Montgomery County. Prices aren't adjusted for inflation, so today's rates are likely higher.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | Infant, home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany County | $238 | $161 | $161 | $149 |
| Anne Arundel County | $327 | $231 | $231 | $241 |
| Baltimore County | $345 | $256 | $256 | $229 |
| Calvert County | $323 | $228 | $228 | $239 |
| Caroline County | $217 | $157 | $157 | $157 |
| Carroll County | $323 | $228 | $228 | $239 |
| Cecil County | $254 | $175 | $175 | $177 |
| Charles County | $323 | $228 | $228 | $239 |
| Dorchester County | $209 | $151 | $151 | $156 |
| Frederick County | $325 | $243 | $243 | $222 |
| Garrett County | $247 | $167 | $167 | $150 |
| Harford County | $325 | $243 | $243 | $222 |
| Howard County | $414 | $336 | $336 | $288 |
| Kent County | $217 | $157 | $157 | $157 |
| Montgomery County | $414 | $336 | $336 | $288 |
| Prince George's County | $327 | $231 | $231 | $241 |
| Queen Anne's County | $254 | $175 | $175 | $177 |
| St. Mary's County | $254 | $175 | $175 | $177 |
| Somerset County | $209 | $151 | $151 | $156 |
| Talbot County | $254 | $175 | $175 | $177 |
| Washington County | $254 | $175 | $175 | $177 |
| Wicomico County | $209 | $151 | $151 | $156 |
| Worcester County | $238 | $161 | $161 | $149 |
| Baltimore City | $250 | $216 | $216 | $180 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices. Data as of 2022 prices.
Look up your county to see a year's cost for each age, or read how much childcare costs for nannies and other options.
Help paying for daycare in Maryland
Three ways to bring the bill down. You can use more than one.
1. Child Care Scholarship Program
The state's child care subsidy, run by Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood. A family of three qualifies at up to $94,026 a year to start. You pay a copay and the state pays the rest to the provider you pick. A partial enrollment freeze has stopped most new scholarships since May 1, 2025. Since July 1, 2026, families experiencing homelessness skip the list, and a small number of families are coming off it. TANF, TCA and SSI families aren't affected. In Maryland, a provider whose price is above the state's payment can charge you the difference, so ask first.
2. Head Start and Early Head Start
Free for families at or below the poverty line, or on TANF or SSI. 171 centers in Maryland; 77 take babies and toddlers.
3. Tax breaks
For 2026, a dependent care FSA through your employer can shelter up to $7,500 of child care costs from tax, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit pays up to 50% of up to $3,000 in expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more. The same dollars can't count for both.
How to check a daycare's license in Maryland
Every licensed program has a state record with its license, the ages and number of children it's licensed for, and its inspection history. Look a program up before you tour it, and again before you sign.
- Find and check child care in Maryland on Childcare.gov, with links to the state's search, licensing rules and inspection reports.
Daycare in Maryland: common questions
How much does daycare cost in Maryland?
Full-time infant care at a Maryland child care center has a median price of $327 a week, about $17,024 a year; at a family child care home it's $239 a week. These are 2022 prices from the U.S. Department of Labor's National Database of Childcare Prices, not adjusted for inflation, so expect to pay more today. Prices for toddlers and preschoolers are lower, and they vary by county.
How do I get help paying for daycare in Maryland?
Apply to Child Care Scholarship Program, run by Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood. A family of three can earn up to $94,026 a year to start (as of February 2025). Parents generally need to be working, in school or in job training. You pay a copay based on income, and the state pays the rest to the provider you choose. A partial enrollment freeze has stopped most new scholarships since May 1, 2025. Since July 1, 2026, families experiencing homelessness skip the list, and a small number of families are coming off it. TANF, TCA and SSI families aren't affected.
Is there free daycare in Maryland?
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. The Office of Head Start lists 171 centers in Maryland; 77 serve babies and toddlers (Early Head Start) and 121 offer preschool for ages 3 to 5. You qualify with income at or below the federal poverty line, or at any income if you get TANF or SSI, your child is in foster care, or your family is homeless.
How do I check that a daycare is licensed in Maryland?
Look the program up in Maryland's child care search before you visit. Childcare.gov's Maryland page links to the state's search, its licensing rules and its inspection reports.
What's the difference between a daycare center and a family child care home?
A center runs in a commercial or school building with several classrooms and staff. A family child care home is licensed care in the provider's own home, usually for a smaller group of mixed ages, and in Maryland it costs a median $239 a week for an infant against $327 at a center. Both are licensed and inspected by the state.
Are there tax breaks for daycare?
For 2026, a dependent care FSA through your employer can shelter up to $7,500 of child care costs from tax, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit pays up to 50% of up to $3,000 in expenses for one child or $6,000 for two or more. The same dollars can't count for both.
Daycare in nearby states
Other benefits in Maryland
Having a baby in Maryland Benefits, each with its source, checked October 2026 Pregnancy Medicaid Up to 264% FPL WIC Yes Paid family leave Pending Medicaid pays for a doula Yes See MarylandGear for daycare days
Sources
- 1.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 2.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 3.National Database of Childcare Prices: State-Level Estimates and Affordability Rankings 2022 U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 4.National Database of Childcare Prices U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 5.Child Care Scholarship Program Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 6.Maryland: Financial Assistance Resources for Families (last reviewed 2026-09-18) Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 7.Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025 National Women's Law Center. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 8.CCDF Family Co-Payments by State (January 2025) Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 9.42 U.S. Code 9858n, Definitions (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act) Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (U.S. Code). Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 10.Child Care Scholarship Partial Enrollment Freeze Maryland State Department of Education. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 11.Understanding and finding child care in Maryland Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 16, 2026.