Childcare Landscape Study - Flipbook - Page 97
Davidson County Child Care Landscape Study Results
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High-Quality Child Care at the Estimated True Cost Would Cost 77% of the Annual
Income for a Two-Parent, Two-Child Family Living at the ALICE Threshold
For a household living at the ALICE Household Survival Budget Threshold, which is higher
than the median individual income in the region, child care priced at the estimated true cost of
high-quality care would cost two-thirds or more of annual household income. For a one-parent
household with a single infant, covering child care alone would require 66 percent of annual
income (see Table 3). For a two-parent household with an infant and a toddler, covering child
care would cost 77 percent of annual income. Without financial assistance, such as a child care
certificate (i.e., subsidy), high-quality child care would be completely out of reach for families
in greater Davidson County with incomes near the ALICE Threshold.
Table 3: Percent of Household Income at the ALICE Household Survival Budget Threshold Required to
Cover High-Quality Child Care Costs
Household Type
Number of
Children
ALICE Income
Annual (Monthly)
Estimated Cost of
High-Quality Care
Annual (Monthly)
Percent of
Household Income
Needed to Cover
Child Care
One-Parent
Household
1 Infant
$62,952 ($5,246)
$41,484 ($3,457)
66%
Two-Parent
Household
1 Infant & 1 Toddler
$96,084 ($8,007)
$74,232 ($6,186)
77%
Source: 2025 Davidson County Child Care Cost Estimation Model. The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, 2025. United for
ALICE, 2025. Note: Calculations assume that families do not use a child care certificate (subsidy).
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center 2026
www.pn3policy.org
