Daycare in New Jersey
What daycare costs in each New Jersey county, how to get help paying, and how to check a license.
Short answer
Help paying in New Jersey
Child Care Assistance Program, run by New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development
$53,300a year or less for a family of three to start (200% of the federal poverty level), as of March 2025. You also need to work, study or train.
Sources: New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development; National Women's Law Center
What does daycare cost in each New Jersey county?
Weekly full-time prices in 2022. Center infant care runs from $282 in Camden County to $327 in Morris County. Prices aren't adjusted for inflation, so today's rates are likely higher.
| County | Infant | Toddler | Preschool | Infant, home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | $287 | $278 | $278 | $180 |
| Bergen County | $318 | $310 | $310 | $201 |
| Burlington County | $303 | $306 | $306 | $198 |
| Camden County | $282 | $275 | $275 | $181 |
| Cape May County | $283 | $281 | $281 | $183 |
| Cumberland County | $286 | $277 | $277 | $176 |
| Essex County | $296 | $287 | $287 | $186 |
| Gloucester County | $304 | $294 | $294 | $189 |
| Hudson County | $322 | $312 | $312 | $201 |
| Hunterdon County | $304 | $302 | $302 | $190 |
| Mercer County | $294 | $286 | $286 | $192 |
| Middlesex County | $314 | $309 | $309 | $204 |
| Monmouth County | $314 | $307 | $307 | $203 |
| Morris County | $327 | $320 | $320 | $213 |
| Ocean County | $314 | $303 | $303 | $193 |
| Passaic County | $308 | $300 | $300 | $192 |
| Salem County | $284 | $274 | $274 | $172 |
| Somerset County | $326 | $319 | $319 | $207 |
| Sussex County | $305 | $295 | $295 | $188 |
| Union County | $299 | $296 | $296 | $194 |
| Warren County | $286 | $278 | $278 | $183 |
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 New Jersey
Three ways to bring the bill down. You can use more than one.
1. Child Care Assistance Program
The state's child care subsidy, run by New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development. A family of three qualifies at up to $53,300 a year to start. You pay a copay and the state pays the rest to the provider you pick. New Jersey froze intake in August 2025. Families receiving or leaving TANF, families in protective services and Post-Adoption Child Care families are exempt. In New Jersey, 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. 196 centers in New Jersey; 109 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 New Jersey
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 New Jersey on Childcare.gov, with links to the state's search, licensing rules and inspection reports.
Daycare in New Jersey: common questions
How much does daycare cost in New Jersey?
Full-time infant care at a New Jersey child care center has a median price of $314 a week, about $16,314 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 New Jersey?
Apply to Child Care Assistance Program, run by New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development. A family of three can earn up to $53,300 a year to start (as of March 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 Jersey froze intake in August 2025. Families receiving or leaving TANF, families in protective services and Post-Adoption Child Care families are exempt.
Is there free daycare in New Jersey?
Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. The Office of Head Start lists 196 centers in New Jersey; 109 serve babies and toddlers (Early Head Start) and 156 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 New Jersey?
Look the program up in New Jersey's child care search before you visit. Childcare.gov's New Jersey 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 New Jersey it costs a median $194 a week for an infant against $314 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 New Jersey
Having a baby in New Jersey Benefits, each with its source, checked October 2026 Pregnancy Medicaid / CHIP 194% / 205% FPL WIC Yes Paid family leave Yes Medicaid pays for a doula Yes See New JerseyGear 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 Assistance Program New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- 6.New Jersey: Financial Assistance Resources for Families (last reviewed 2026-09-29) 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 New Jersey Childcare.gov (Administration for Children and Families). Accessed October 16, 2026.