It’s the first question every parent asks, and the one most daycare websites refuse to answer with a number. We can’t give you our exact rate in a blog post. Your price depends on your child’s age and schedule, and we’ll go through it line by line with you on the phone or on a tour. But we can give you the real landscape: what care costs in New Jersey, why, and how families bring the number down.
The statewide picture
New Jersey is one of the most expensive states in the country for child care. According to the Economic Policy Institute’s child care cost data:
- Infant care averages about $18,155 per year in New Jersey, roughly $1,500 a month.
- Care for a 4-year-old averages about $17,534 per year.
Prices vary from center to center and town to town. If you’re budgeting for full-time infant care in Passaic County, planning around the state figures above is a realistic starting point, and it’s why so many families here look hard at the help available (more on that below).
Why infant care costs the most
Parents are often surprised that the youngest children are the most expensive. The reason is staffing: state rules require infant rooms to keep very low teacher-to-child ratios, because babies need constant individual care (feeding, changing, holding, and one-on-one attention all day). More teachers per child means higher cost per child. As children grow into toddler, preschool, and Pre-K rooms, ratios rise and the price steps down with them.
At Magical Palace, the rooms run: Infant (6 weeks to 18 months), Waddler (18 months to 2½ years), Toddler (2½ to 3 years), Preschool (3 to 4), and Pre-K (4 and up), so your rate typically steps down as your child moves up, not up.
What your family’s rate depends on
- Age of your child: infant rooms cost the most, for the reason above.
- Schedule: full-time versus part-time days or hours.
- Meals: our food program (homemade lunch and dinner) is optional, starts at 12 months, and is priced separately, so families who prefer to send food don’t pay for it. Food and formula for infants are always parent-provided. See the monthly menu.
- Aftercare: school-age children up to 13 can stay with us after school instead of needing a separate arrangement.
- More than one child: we offer sibling discounts; ask us how they apply to your family.
Four ways families bring the cost down
1. The 4Cs child care subsidy. New Jersey’s Child Care Assistance Program helps income-eligible working, studying, or training parents pay for care, and it’s administered in Passaic County by 4Cs. Magical Palace participates in the program. The state fully reopened it to new applicants in April 2026. If cost is the barrier, this is the first door to try. We wrote a full step-by-step guide: How to Get Help Paying for Child Care in Passaic County.
2. Sibling discounts. If two or more of your children are enrolled, ask about our sibling discount before you do the math on your own. It changes the total meaningfully.
3. Tax benefits. Two federal provisions help many families: the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (a percentage of care expenses for children under 13, when care lets you work) and, if your employer offers one, a Dependent Care FSA, which starting in 2026 lets you set aside up to $7,500 pre-tax for care (your employer’s plan may still cap it lower). New Jersey also offers a state Child Tax Credit of up to $1,250 per child age 5 or under for families with New Jersey taxable income of $80,000 or less (tax years 2026 through 2028). Rules and limits change, so confirm the current details with a tax professional, but don’t leave them unclaimed.
4. Right-size the schedule. If your work hours allow part-time care, or grandparents cover one day a week, a schedule matched to what you actually need can save real money versus defaulting to five full days.
What to do next
Get your exact number. Call us at 973-638-1800, send us a message, or book a tour, in person or virtual, and we’ll price your child’s age and schedule precisely and walk through the subsidy and sibling-discount questions with you. No obligation, and the same conversation works as a starting point for comparing any center in Wayne: now you know what drives the price, and which questions change it. Bring our 15 tour questions with you.
Cost figures: Economic Policy Institute, Child Care Costs in the United States: New Jersey (2025 release, 2024 dollars). Tax program details summarized for orientation only. Confirm eligibility and current limits with the IRS, the State of New Jersey, or your tax professional.
