Daycare budget template and calculator
Type your tuition, staff and running costs. See your monthly income, profit and the number of children you need to break even, as you type. The numbers already filled in are only an example.
Your month
Payment fees use MyKidReports rates: $0.49 per bank (ACH) payment, 2.79% per card payment. Weeks per month: 4.33.
How to build a daycare budget
Start with tuition by room
Write down how many children are enrolled in each age group and the weekly rate. Multiply by 4.33 to get a month. Count only paid spots: an empty spot earns nothing but often still needs a teacher.
Add other income
Registration fees, late fees, subsidy payments and food program reimbursements all count. Keep them separate so you can see what tuition alone covers.
Staff is the biggest line
Hours × wage × staff, plus payroll taxes and benefits. Ratios decide how many teachers each room needs, so staff costs move with enrollment by room, not just total children.
4. Running costs
- Rent or mortgage, utilities and internet
- Food and supplies
- Insurance and licensing fees
- Marketing and software
- Payment processing fees on tuition
5. Check your break-even
Break-even enrollment is how many children you need for income to cover every cost. Knowing it tells you how hard to push enrollment, and what one more child is worth.
Want to cut payment fees? See how childcare billing software with a flat $0.49 bank payment fee and autopay keeps more of each tuition payment.
Keep the budget true every month.
MyKidReports bills families automatically, collects by autopay and shows income by room, so your budget matches real numbers. Start free for up to 5 children, or try Pro free for 14 days. Pro is $0.99 per child a month.
More free help for owners
Daycare budget questions
How do I make a budget for a daycare?
List your monthly income (tuition by age group, fees and any subsidy payments), then your costs: staff wages and payroll taxes, rent or mortgage, food, supplies, insurance, utilities and payment fees. Income minus costs is your monthly profit. The calculator on this page does the math as you type.
What is the biggest cost for a child care center?
Staff is usually the biggest cost, because ratios set how many teachers each room needs. That is why enrollment in each room matters so much: an empty spot still needs a teacher.
What is a break-even enrollment?
It is the number of enrolled children at which income covers all costs. Below it you lose money; above it every child adds profit. The calculator shows it based on your average tuition.
Do payment processing fees matter in a daycare budget?
Yes. Card and bank fees are charged on every tuition payment. With MyKidReports, bank (ACH) payments cost a flat $0.49 each and card payments 2.79%, so moving families to autopay by bank keeps more of your tuition.
Is this daycare budget calculator free?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up, and runs in your browser. What you type in the tool stays in your browser. You can print the result or save it as a PDF.