Daycare Registration Fees, Deposits and Other Costs

Beyond weekly or monthly tuition, most daycares charge a few other costs. The most common are a registration or enrollment fee, a deposit to hold your spot, and sometimes a yearly supply or activity fee. You may also face late pickup and late payment fees, and you usually pay tuition for holidays and sick days.

Every program sets its own fees, so always ask for a written list. Here is what each one usually means and what to ask.

Registration or enrollment fee

A one-time or yearly fee charged when you enroll, and sometimes again each school year. It usually covers paperwork, records and setting up your child's file.

Ask: Is it charged once or every year? Is there a sibling discount? Is it refundable if you change your mind before the start date?

Deposit

A deposit holds your child's spot until the start date. Centers handle deposits in different ways:

• Applied to your first tuition payment
• Held and applied to your last weeks of care when you leave with proper notice
• Kept by the center if you do not start or leave without notice

Ask: How much is the deposit? When is it applied? Under what conditions is it refunded or kept?

Waitlist or application fee

Some centers charge a small fee to join a waitlist. Others do not. Our guide to daycare waitlists explains how lists work.

Ask: Is it refundable? Does it count toward registration if you enroll?

Supply, activity and other yearly fees

Some programs charge for art supplies, curriculum materials, special classes, field trips, events or photos. Others include these in tuition.

Ask: What does tuition include? Which activities cost extra? Are any optional?

Meals, formula and diapers

Some centers include meals and snacks. Others ask you to send food. For babies, ask whether formula, baby food, diapers and wipes are provided or brought from home. These can add real cost each month if you supply them yourself.

Late pickup and late payment fees

Late pickup fees are common and are often charged per minute after closing time. Late payment fees are usually a flat charge after a grace period.

Ask: When does the late fee start? How is it charged? What happens after repeated late pickups?

Holidays, closures, sick days and vacation

Most centers charge the same tuition whether or not your child attends, because staff, rent and ratios are fixed. This includes holidays, days your child is sick and family vacations.

Ask:

• Which holidays is the center closed?
• Do you offer any vacation credit or tuition-free weeks?
• What happens to tuition during weather closures?

Room changes and tuition increases

Tuition often drops as children move to older rooms, because ratios are higher. Many centers also raise rates once a year.

Ask: When does my child move up, and how does tuition change? When are yearly increases announced?

Withdrawal notice

Most centers require written notice, often a few weeks, before you leave. If you leave without notice, you may owe tuition for those weeks or lose your deposit.

Can I use a dependent care FSA for these fees?

Generally, yes for fees you must pay to get care. IRS rules treat registration fees, application fees and deposits as work-related care expenses when they are required to get the care. A deposit you lose because care never happened does not count. Late fees and optional extras may not qualify.

Keep every receipt. Read more in our guides to the dependent care FSA in 2026 and the child and dependent care tax credit.

A quick fee checklist

• Registration fee and how often it is charged
• Deposit amount and refund rules
• Supply or activity fee
• Meals, formula and diapers: included or not
• Late pickup and late payment fees
• Closed days and vacation policy
• Notice needed to withdraw
• How tuition changes by age and by year

Frequently asked questions

Is a daycare registration fee refundable?

Usually not, but it depends on the program. Ask before you pay and get the answer in writing.

Do I pay daycare tuition when my child is sick?

At most centers, yes. Tuition holds your child's spot and pays for staff, whether or not your child attends.

Can a daycare keep my deposit?

Often, if you do not start or leave without the required notice. Read the deposit terms in your agreement.

Are registration fees FSA eligible?

Fees required to get care are generally eligible. A forfeited deposit is not.

Ask Children's Land about tuition and fees

At Children's Land, every location serves hot breakfast and lunch, and we provide formula and baby food for infants. Parents provide diapers and wipes. Tuition varies by location and age group, so contact us or choose a location for current rates and a full list of what tuition covers.

Related reading: Daycare Contracts: What to Read Before You Sign.