RI Child Care Cost Calculator
Child Care Affordability
In Rhode island, raising a family with children is expensive.
- 9 out of 10 families in Rhode Island cannot afford child care based on affordability benchmarks recommended by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Test out our calculator below to see the challenges families face in paying basic monthly expenses and also attempting to access the licensed child care market.
Family Structure
- In Rhode island, 38.7% of all children under age 6 live in single parent families.
Resources
Affordability
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends parent co-payments not exceed the benchmark of 7% of a household’s income — a benchmark for affordability.
Subsidy Eligibility
Child care subsidy is not an entitlement. Current funding has led to only 1 out of every 6 eligible children receiving subsidy assistance in RI. Federal law allows states to set income eligibility for subsidy at 85% of state median income. Rhode Island’s income eligibility is far below this level.
Customize Expenses
Auto-populated expenses reflect the monthly averages for all Rhode Island households. Type in actual monthly expenses if higher or lower than the average.
Health Insurance: The Vantage Blue Direct Plan with a monthly family premium of $1,691 includes a deductible of $3,000. Other silver and gold plans with a less expensive monthly premium had much higher annual deductibles (e.g., $5,000 to $10,000).
Vehicle Expenses: In Rhode Island, 91% of households have at least 1 car. On average, RI households have 2 cars.
Vehicle related expenses reflect the monthly averages for one vehicle and one driver in Rhode Island. Double these expenses if the family has 2 cars. If the family has 1 car, but 2 drivers, double the car insurance payment field. Type in actual monthly expenses if higher or lower than the average.
Child Care Prices
The price of child care varies based on the age and number of children in care as well as the type of setting. Select options to reflect the price of licensed care based on your preferences.
Customize Need for Child Care
In this field, enter 1 if you have 1 child who needs care. Enter 2 if you have 2 children who need care. If you have triplets, enter 3.
Customize Need for Child Care
In this field, enter 1 if you have 1 child who needs care. Enter 2 if you have 2 children who need care. If you have triplets, enter 3.
Customize Need for Child Care
In this field, enter 1 if you have 1 child who needs care. Enter 2 if you have 2 children who need care. If you have triplets, enter 3.
Customize Need for Child Care
In this field, enter 1 if you have 1 child who needs care. Enter 2 if you have 2 children who need care. If you have triplets, enter 3.
Price for All Children
In this field, your selections are added together for a total monthly child care expense.
Child Care Affordability
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends parent co-payments not exceed the benchmark of 7% of a household’s income — a benchmark for affordability.
Child Care Subsidy
In Rhode Island, a family earns too much income to qualify for child care subsidy with earnings above 44% of state median income (about $3,294 monthly for a family of 3). Of families eligible for child care subsidy, in Rhode Island, only 1 out of every 6 eligible children receives assistance.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2021 American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates; U.S. Energy Information Administration; U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Thrifty Food Plan; Move.Org; Silver and Gold Health Plans on HealthSourceRI.com; U.S. Department of Energy; U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration; the 2021 Rhode Island Child Care Market Rate Survey Report, and the Rhode Island FY2022-2024 CCDF State Plan. For additional information related to sources (links, tables, and articles), download the Sources list.