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Daycare in Nevada

What daycare costs in each Nevada county, how to get help paying, and how to check a license.

Short answer

A full-time spot for a baby at a Nevada daycare center costs a median $276 a week ($14,333 a year), or $194 a week at a licensed family child care home, in 2022 prices. Nevada's child care subsidy, Child Care and Development Program, helps pay if a family of three earns up to $34,680. 48 Head Start and Early Head Start centers are free if you qualify.

Help paying in Nevada

Child Care and Development Program, run by Nevada Division of Social Services

$34,680a year or less for a family of three to start (41% of state median income), as of October 2025. You also need to work, study or train.

WaitlistNew families may wait (October 2026)

The highest copay reported for a family of three is 3.3% of income (January 2025).

How to apply

Sources: Nevada Division of Social Services; National Women's Law Center

What does daycare cost in each Nevada county?

Weekly full-time prices in 2022. Center infant care runs from $159 in Lyon County to $276 in Clark County. Prices aren't adjusted for inflation, so today's rates are likely higher.

Median weekly price, full-time care, 17 countiesCenter care unless noted
CountyInfantToddlerPreschoolInfant, home
Churchill County$184$154$150$129
Clark County$276$240$229$194
Douglas County$177$165$149$129
Elko County$184$154$150$129
Esmeralda County$190$159$155$129
Eureka County$190$159$155$129
Humboldt County$184$154$150$129
Lander County$184$154$150$129
Lincoln County$190$159$155$129
Lyon County$159$154$150$139
Mineral County$184$154$150$129
Nye County$184$154$150$129
Pershing County$190$159$155$129
Storey County$190$159$155$129
Washoe County$257$230$211$182
White Pine County$184$154$150$129
Carson City$179$166$151$129

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 Nevada

Three ways to bring the bill down. You can use more than one.

  1. 1. Child Care and Development Program

    The state's child care subsidy, run by Nevada Division of Social Services. A family of three qualifies at up to $34,680 a year to start. You pay a copay and the state pays the rest to the provider you pick. New applicants go on a waiting list that's reviewed monthly and processed in date order. TANF, protective services, foster and homeless families skip it. In Nevada, a provider whose price is above the state's payment can charge you the difference, so ask first.

    How to apply

  2. 2. Head Start and Early Head Start

    Free for families at or below the poverty line, or on TANF or SSI. 48 centers in Nevada; 25 take babies and toddlers.

    Head Start in Nevada

  3. 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.

    FSA or tax credit calculator

How to check a daycare's license in Nevada

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.

Daycare in Nevada: common questions

How much does daycare cost in Nevada?

Full-time infant care at a Nevada child care center has a median price of $276 a week, about $14,333 a year; at a family child care home it's $194 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 Nevada?

Apply to Child Care and Development Program, run by Nevada Division of Social Services. A family of three can earn up to $34,680 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. New applicants go on a waiting list that's reviewed monthly and processed in date order. TANF, protective services, foster and homeless families skip it.

Is there free daycare in Nevada?

Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. The Office of Head Start lists 48 centers in Nevada; 25 serve babies and toddlers (Early Head Start) and 31 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 Nevada?

Look the program up in Nevada's child care search before you visit. Childcare.gov's Nevada 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 Nevada it costs a median $194 a week for an infant against $276 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.

Sources

  1. 1.National Database of Childcare Prices: 2008-2022 (Data File) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  2. 2.National Database of Childcare Prices Technical Report (September 2024) U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  3. 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. 4.National Database of Childcare Prices U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  5. 5.Child Care: For Parents and Families Nevada Division of Social Services. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  6. 6.Nevada: Financial Assistance Resources for Families (last reviewed 2026-08-21) Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  7. 7.Warning Signs: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2025 National Women's Law Center. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  8. 8.CCDF Family Co-Payments by State (January 2025) Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. Accessed October 9, 2026.
  9. 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. 10.Understanding and finding child care in Nevada Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 16, 2026.