Daycare Cost in Plano, Allen and Frisco, TX
If you are pricing child care in Plano, Allen or Frisco, you have probably noticed two things. Prices vary from one center to the next, and many providers do not publish them, so most families end up calling around.
This guide sets out what drives the price of daycare in these three Collin County cities, what to ask before you sign, and how to compare quotes on equal terms. Where we quote a price, it carries its source. Where we do not yet have a sourced figure, we say so rather than guess.
How much does daycare cost in Plano, TX?
The best public benchmark is the 2026 Texas Child Care Market Rate Survey, conducted for the Texas Workforce Commission. It reports the full-day daily rates that providers themselves report charging, by workforce area. Plano, Allen and Frisco are in Collin County (parts of Plano and Frisco extend into Denton County), and both counties fall in the survey's LWDA 4 North Central Texas area — the region around Dallas and Fort Worth. Dallas County and Tarrant County are reported as separate areas, so these figures are not Dallas or Fort Worth prices.
The tables show the survey's median (the middle rate reported) and its 75th percentile (three in four providers reported that rate or less). The survey publishes daily rates; we show weekly as the daily rate × 5 and monthly as the daily rate × 21.7, the average number of weekdays in a month, rounded to the nearest dollar.
Licensed child care centers (rates from 563 of 1,074 centers in the area)
| Age group | Median per day | Median per week | Median per month | 75th percentile per day | 75th per week | 75th per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant, 0–11 months | $48.40 | $242 | $1,050 | $53.80 | $269 | $1,167 |
| Toddler, 2 years | $46.00 | $230 | $998 | $51.20 | $256 | $1,111 |
| Preschool, 4 years | $43.80 | $219 | $950 | $49.00 | $245 | $1,063 |
| School age, 6–13 years | $42.40 | $212 | $920 | $47.40 | $237 | $1,029 |
Licensed child care homes (rates from 63 of 244 homes in the area)
| Age group | Median per day | Median per week | Median per month | 75th percentile per day | 75th per week | 75th per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant, 0–11 months | $44.20 | $221 | $959 | $49.20 | $246 | $1,068 |
| Toddler, 2 years | $43.20 | $216 | $937 | $48.20 | $241 | $1,046 |
| Preschool, 4 years | $42.60 | $213 | $924 | $47.60 | $238 | $1,033 |
| School age, 6–13 years | $41.20 | $206 | $894 | $46.20 | $231 | $1,003 |
Registered child care homes (rates from 36 of 193 homes in the area)
| Age group | Median per day | Median per week | Median per month | 75th percentile per day | 75th per week | 75th per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant, 0–11 months | $43.20 | $216 | $937 | $48.20 | $241 | $1,046 |
| Toddler, 2 years | $40.60 | $203 | $881 | $45.60 | $228 | $990 |
| Preschool, 4 years | $40.20 | $201 | $872 | $45.20 | $226 | $981 |
| School age, 6–13 years | $39.20 | $196 | $851 | $44.20 | $221 | $959 |
The survey's own age groups are finer than these four rows. It splits infants into 0–11 and 12–17 months, counts 18–23 months and 2 years as toddlers, and counts 3, 4 and 5 years as preschool; we show one row from each group. School-age rates are full-day rates, which most families pay only in summer and on school holidays.
These are area-wide figures, and individual centers vary. Treat the tables as a starting point, and confirm tuition with each provider directly.
The single biggest factor is your child's age: infant care costs the most and preschool the least, for reasons set out below. After age, the setting (center or home), full time versus part time, and what is included in tuition make most of the difference.
How much does daycare cost in Allen, TX?
The market rate survey does not report city by city. Allen is in Collin County, so the North Central Texas (LWDA 4) figures in the tables above are the closest public benchmark — for example, a median of $48.40 a day (about $1,050 a month) for an infant at a licensed center.
Allen sits between Plano and McKinney, and families there often compare centers in neighboring cities too. If you do, compare the same age room, the same schedule and the same inclusions — the headline monthly number alone hides most of the differences.
How much does daycare cost in Frisco, TX?
Frisco, which spans Collin and Denton counties, is also in the survey's North Central Texas (LWDA 4) area, so the same tables apply. At a licensed center, the survey's median for a 4-year-old is $43.80 a day, about $950 a month.
A newer building, a particular curriculum or a longer day can all show up in tuition. Whether they do is a question for each center, so ask for the full fee schedule, not just the monthly rate.
Why does infant daycare cost more than preschool?
Infant care costs more because Texas requires far more caregivers per child for babies than for older children. A caregiver's pay is the same whether they look after four children or 18, so a room that needs one caregiver for every four infants costs much more to staff per child than a room with one caregiver for every 18 four-year-olds.
These are the state's maximum children per caregiver at centers licensed for 13 or more children (26 TAC §746.1601, Texas HHSC minimum standards, revised December 2025):
| Age of the group | Max children per caregiver | Max group size |
|---|---|---|
| 0–11 months | 4 | 10 |
| 12–17 months | 5 | 13 |
| 18–23 months | 9 | 18 |
| 2 years | 11 | 22 |
| 3 years | 15 | 30 |
| 4 years | 18 | 35 |
| 5 years | 22 | 35 |
Look at the jump between rows. One caregiver can be responsible for four babies under a year, five children aged 12–17 months, and nine children aged 18–23 months. That is why many families see a real drop in tuition when their child moves out of the infant room — and why "toddler" pricing can differ depending on exactly which age band a center groups your child in.
Is a home daycare cheaper than a center?
Sometimes, but not as a rule. Home-based care in Texas comes in different permit types — licensed child-care homes (seven to 12 children), registered child-care homes (up to six children, plus six school-age children after school, never more than 12) and listed family homes (up to three unrelated children). Smaller settings have different costs from a center, and their pricing reflects the caregiver's own choices.
In the 2026 market rate survey, home-based care in North Central Texas does come in a little lower than centers, but not by much. Across all ages, the survey's full-day median is $44.60 a day at licensed centers, $42.60 at licensed child care homes and $40.60 at registered child care homes. For an infant aged 0–11 months, the medians are $48.40, $44.20 and $43.20 a day — the gap is widest for babies.
Whatever the setting, check the provider's permit and inspection history on the state's public search, Search Texas Child Care: https://childcare.hhs.texas.gov/Public/ChildCareSearch. It shows five years of inspection and compliance history for each operation.
What does part-time daycare cost?
Part-time care is usually priced as either a lower monthly rate for fewer days or an hourly rate. Not every center offers it, and some hold part-time spots to a fixed schedule (for example, Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
The market rate survey reports a part-day daily rate, meaning care for part of a day, not fewer days a week. In North Central Texas, the part-day median across all ages is $38.00 a day at licensed centers, against $44.60 for a full day. For an infant aged 0–11 months at a center, it is $43.40 part-day against $48.40 full-day. A part day costs much more than half a full day.
When you compare a part-time quote, work out what it costs per day or per hour against the same center's full-time rate. A part-time rate can work out to more per day than the full-time rate, so check before you assume it is the cheaper option.
What fees should I ask about besides tuition?
Monthly tuition is rarely the whole cost. Before you sign an enrollment agreement, ask each provider for its full fee schedule in writing. Common items to ask about:
- Registration or enrollment fee — is it one-time or yearly, and is it refundable?
- Supply or activity fees — what do they cover, and how often are they charged?
- Meals and snacks — included, or extra?
- Diapers, wipes and formula — provided, or brought from home?
- Late pickup — what is the charge, and when does it start?
- Closures — how many days a year is the center closed, and is tuition the same in those weeks?
- Holding a spot — is there a deposit, and is it credited to the first month?
- Payment method — does the provider charge extra for paying by card?
The market rate survey covers daily tuition only, not registration, supply or late fees, and we have not found a sourced figure for those in Collin County. Ask each provider for its own numbers.
Can I get help paying for child care in Texas?
There are public and employer programs that can reduce what families pay, but eligibility depends on income, work and family circumstances, and the rules change.
Texas child care scholarships (Child Care Services). The Texas Workforce Commission funds child care scholarships for lower-income families who are working or in school or training. In Collin and Denton counties they are run by Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas. Eligibility depends on family income, family size and hours of work or study, and the program can have a waitlist. You can check the current guidelines and apply through the state's Child Care Services application page: https://www.childcare.texas.gov/for-families/child-care-scholarships/ccs-application-steps-for-families
Federal tax help. Two federal benefits can lower what you pay, and both grew for 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025:
- Dependent Care FSA: if your employer offers one, you can set aside up to $7,500 a year before tax for child care (up to $3,750 if married filing separately), up from $5,000.
- Child and Dependent Care Credit: a tax credit for a share of what you pay for care while you work. From 2026 the share can be as high as 50% for lower-income families, and it falls as income rises.
The rules interact (you cannot claim the credit on money you paid through an FSA), so check IRS Publication 503 (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p503) or a tax professional for your situation.
If you might qualify for a subsidy, ask each provider early whether it accepts subsidized families, since not every provider does.
How do I compare daycare quotes fairly?
Put every quote on the same basis before you compare. A simple method:
- Same age band. Ask which room your child would be in on the start date, not today.
- Same schedule. Full time to full time, or the same part-time days.
- Annual cost, not monthly. Multiply the monthly rate by 12, then add every one-time and yearly fee.
- Same inclusions. Add the cost of anything one center includes and another does not — meals, diapers, supplies.
- Same start date. Ask whether rates change on a set date each year.
Then weigh the things a price cannot show: how long staff have been there, how the center communicates with you during the day, and what its inspection history says.
What Zukeepr charges families
Zukeepr is a childcare marketplace and daycare management platform, now live in McKinney, Prosper and Celina, just north of Plano, Allen and Frisco. Searching and applying is free for parents (up to five active applications; Parent Premium is $2.99/mo). When a family accepts an offer from a daycare on Zukeepr, they pay:
- the daycare's own registration fee, if it charges one;
- Zukeepr's $10 admin fee — one-time, per child per daycare, charged to the parent at acceptance.
After enrollment, each tuition invoice carries a $3 per-invoice platform fee — post-enrollment invoices only, never on the acceptance transaction. Tuition is charged automatically on the 1st of each month from the family's saved card, or US bank account where available. Whoever pays a charge bears its processing fee — the card fee, or for US families paying by bank debit, the bank-debit fee. The daycare sets its own tuition.
For daycare owners: show families a clear bill
If you run a daycare, the clearest thing you can give a family comparing prices is a bill they can understand. Zukeepr gives you a roster, check-in and check-out attendance, and tuition invoices at the rate you set, charged automatically each month from the family's saved card, or US bank account where available, with every fee shown as its own line — and your daycare receives the full amount you set, because the payer bears the processing fee. It is free for up to 20 enrolled families. For a broader look at the tools available, see our guide to the best daycare management software, or set up your daycare on Zukeepr.
