Daycare in Massachusetts
What daycare costs in each Massachusetts county, how to get help paying, and how to check a license.
Short answer
Help paying in Massachusetts
Child Care Financial Assistance, run by Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
$69,701a year or less for a family of three to start (50% of state median income), as of October 2025. You also need to work, study or train.
Sources: Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care; National Women's Law Center
What does daycare cost in each Massachusetts county?
Weekly full-time prices in 2022. Center infant care runs from $330 in Berkshire County to $590 in Suffolk County. Prices aren't adjusted for inflation, so today's rates are likely higher.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | Infant, home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $275 |
| Berkshire County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $225 |
| Bristol County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $275 |
| Dukes County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $275 |
| Essex County | $462 | $409 | $310 | $250 |
| Franklin County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $225 |
| Hampden County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $225 |
| Hampshire County | $330 | $301 | $230 | $225 |
| Middlesex County | $462 | $409 | $310 | $250 |
| Nantucket County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $275 |
| Norfolk County | $555 | $520 | $420 | $370 |
| Plymouth County | $352 | $320 | $270 | $275 |
| Suffolk County | $590 | $493 | $350 | $320 |
| Worcester County | $390 | $350 | $285 | $250 |
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 Massachusetts
Three ways to bring the bill down. You can use more than one.
1. Child Care Financial Assistance
The state's child care subsidy, run by Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. A family of three qualifies at up to $69,701 a year to start. You pay a copay and the state pays the rest to the provider you pick. 30,636 children were on the waiting list in February 2025. TANF families and families referred by the Department of Children and Families skip it.
2. Head Start and Early Head Start
Free for families at or below the poverty line, or on TANF or SSI. 133 centers in Massachusetts; 78 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 Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts on Childcare.gov, with links to the state's search, licensing rules and inspection reports.
Daycare in Massachusetts: common questions
How much does daycare cost in Massachusetts?
Full-time infant care at a Massachusetts child care center has a median price of $462 a week, about $24,001 a year; at a family child care home it's $250 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 Massachusetts?
Apply to Child Care Financial Assistance, run by Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. A family of three can earn up to $69,701 a year to start (as of October 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. 30,636 children were on the waiting list in February 2025. TANF families and families referred by the Department of Children and Families skip it.
Is there free daycare in Massachusetts?
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. The Office of Head Start lists 133 centers in Massachusetts; 78 serve babies and toddlers (Early Head Start) and 117 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 Massachusetts?
Look the program up in Massachusetts's child care search before you visit. Childcare.gov's Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts it costs a median $250 a week for an infant against $462 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 Massachusetts
Having a baby in Massachusetts Benefits, each with its source, checked October 2026 Pregnancy Medicaid Up to 205% FPL WIC Yes Paid family leave Yes Medicaid pays for a doula Yes See MassachusettsGear 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 Financial Assistance Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 6.Massachusetts: 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.Understanding and finding child care in Massachusetts Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 16, 2026.