Childcare

Does it actually pay for one of us to stay home?

Daycare, nannies, family care, and one parent at home. The full comparison, including the costs people forget.

Questions we have answered

Does it pay for one of us to stay home?

Compare take-home pay, not salary, against the full cost of working: childcare for every child, commuting, and the spending that only exists because you work. Many second incomes l…

Read the answer →

Coming to this section

Written and sourced properly, or not at all. These are the questions queued next.

  • What should I look for in a daycare? Not written yet
  • Nanny, daycare, or family care? Not written yet

Calculators for childcare

Cost of raising a child

Estimate what raising your child costs from birth to eighteen, broken down by category and year.

Daycare vs stay at home

Compare the true cost of paid childcare against one parent leaving work, including the costs most comparisons miss.

Stay-at-home parent salary

Put a market value on the work a stay-at-home parent does, role by role.