---
title: "Limited Supply, High Prices: Gaps Still Remain in Meeting Families’ Child Care Needs"
description: "Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply findings underscore an ongoing need for a stronger child care system. In 2025, we did not land there; families still struggle to find child care and to afford it."
image: https://info.childcareaware.org/hubfs/Price%20%26%20Supply.png
---

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# Limited Supply, High Prices: Gaps Still Remain in Meeting Families’ Child Care Needs

 May 27, 2026

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 Child Care Aware® of America conducts an annual survey of Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) organizations and state agencies to collect information on child care supply and prices, across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. This year’s report, [Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply](https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025), shows a small decrease (1%) in the number of licensed centers, a reversal of the upward trend seen over the past several years. Family child care (FCC) homes saw a small increase (1.4%), in line with the trend seen last year. Overall, supply is not moving in the direction we need it to. A gap remains between what families need and what is available, and, in 2025, no real progress was made in closing the gap.  

 [*Click here to see child care supply trends in your state*](https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025)  

Further, child care prices remain high with a national average annual price of $13,184 in 2025. This average price represents 10% of the median income of married couple with children and 33% of the median income of a single parent with children. Child care for two children (an infant and 4-year-old) in a center is more expensive than rent in all 47 states with price data and more expensive than mortgage payments in 39 of those states.

[*Click here to see the average price of child care in your state*](https://info.childcareaware.org/price-and-supply-2025)

Across all four regions of the United States, center-based child care for two children is more expensive than in-state college tuition, transportation, food, and health care. In two regions, the Midwest and Northeast, child care for two children exceeds average housing costs.

Zooming out, this data shows a clear picture that child care prices are surpassing nearly every major family expense, leading to families having to make trade-offs between financial stability and workforce participation. Overall, CCAoA’s findings underscore an ongoing need for a stronger child care system. In 2025, we did not land there; families still struggle to find child care and to afford it. State and federal policymakers must prioritize child care and take action to build a system that truly meets families’ needs.

![Sandra Bishop](https://info.childcareaware.org/hubfs/dbcafedb-7599-4762-8b25-cdca276e55bb.jpg)

### Written by [Sandra Bishop](https://info.childcareaware.org/blog/author/sandra-bishop)

Senior Director, Research Child Care Aware® of America

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