The Downside of Cheap Daycare: What You Need to Know

The average cost of daycare in the United States is so ridiculous that parents would be justified in having an epic toddler-level tantrum meltdown when they look at their bills. The average price of care in an infant center in a large county in the United States is an estimated $17,171 per year. It represents 19.3% of the median family income, which is a huge personal finance hit.

With costs so high, it's not surprising many parents are interested in finding cheaper child care. After all, there may simply not be enough money in their checking accounts to pay these prices. But before signing up for an inexpensive daycare, it's important to consider these three downsides.  

1. Cheap daycares may be unsafe 

The biggest downside of cheap daycare is that it may simply not provide a safe, nurturing environment for children. It costs a lot of money to provide a safe, stable, and enriching environment for small children, in large part because of the number of staff members required to give kids the attention they deserve. And daycares that offer this type of environment have to charge a high price for it. 

While it may be possible to find a warm and loving low-cost daycare, it's also very likely you will end up with an unlicensed facility or one that operates legally but doesn't have to be licensed under local laws and isn't subject to much regulation or oversight. These types of daycares may have hazardous conditions. 

They may be understaffed, have dangerous pets around if they are home-based daycares, or they may be unclean. Children have been hurt and even killed in daycares that don't meet minimum standards and it's sometimes not easy to tell at a glance what goes on after drop-off each day. 

2. Cheap daycares can be hard to find 

Another problem with cheap daycare is that there are so few quality spaces that are affordable for parents. It may be difficult to find a facility, it may be far from your home, or it may have a long waiting list so your child may not get in. Spending hours searching for one may end up being a waste of your time if your child isn't admitted.

3. Workers will likely be underpaid 

Although it may be unpleasant to think about, daycares don't exist just to provide a nurturing and loving environment for kids. They are businesses that are meant to make a profit. As a result, if they are cheap, that usually means the owners have to cut costs somewhere -- and this could come in the form of underpaying staff. 

Even in a best-case scenario, child educators are often underpaid. Full-time child care workers earn an average of just $14 per hour, which isn't really a living wage. And those who work at cheap facilities may be paid even less. 

If your cheap daycare pays very little, it's less likely to attract credentialed, skilled staff members who can provide your child with the care they need to develop to their full potential. And there's a greater likelihood of high staff turnover, which could be disruptive to your child. 

Ultimately, these downsides of cheap daycare are unacceptable to most parents, and those with any choice in the matter will usually bite the bullet and pay the exorbitant prices that quality providers charge. If you cannot do that because you simply don't make enough, you should look into daycare subsidies in your area (your local Department of Human Services probably has information about them). 

If you are looking for daycare (cheap or otherwise), it's also helpful to check your state's provider database (here's Pennsylvania's, for example). You can find licensed providers and read ratings and information to confirm you're choosing a place that's right for your precious kids.