Infant daycares
Find infant daycare
Short answer
Infant daycare is licensed care for babies, usually from 6 weeks to 18 months. It is the most expensive kind of center care: Child Care Aware's 2025 report puts full-time center infant care at about $6,500 a year in Mississippi up to over $27,000 in Massachusetts. Most states require 1 adult for every 3 to 5 infants, and waitlists can run months.
- Typical rate
- About $6,500 to $27,000 a year by state
- Typical 2026 range across US metros; big coastal cities run higher. Caregivers set their own rates on Nanny.
- Booking on Nanny
- Free to join. 6% booking fee (min $1.99), or 3% with Plus. Caregivers keep 100% plus tips.
A good fit for
- Parents returning to work after leave
- Families who want licensed, inspected care for a baby
What to check
- The infant room ratio and group size on the day you tour
- Safe sleep: babies on their backs in empty cribs
- How they store and feed breast milk or formula
- How you will hear about feeds, naps and diapers each day
How it works on Nanny
Join a center's waitlist and finish its enrollment packet on your phone. Once enrolled, see check-in, feeds, naps and diapers in the daily report with photos.
Questions
During pregnancy in most cities. Infant rooms are small because of ratios, and waitlists of 6 to 12 months are common in big metros.
Many centers take babies from 6 weeks. The minimum is set by each center and your state's rules.