San Diego child care prices climb as provider shortages persist and subsidy waitlists leave families stranded

A widening affordability gap for working families

Child care costs across San Diego County are rising unevenly by neighborhood and type of care, creating a growing affordability challenge for parents while leaving many providers operating under financial strain. Recent countywide rate snapshots show wide spreads in full-time weekly prices for infants and preschoolers, with the highest costs generally concentrated in parts of central and coastal North County.

Pricing varies sharply not only by ZIP code but also by setting. In multiple ZIP codes where data is available, center-based programs post markedly higher weekly rates than family child care homes, particularly for infants, the age group that typically requires the most staffing and the lowest child-to-adult ratios.

What the numbers show in early 2026

As of February 2026, average full-time weekly rates reported by local providers ranged from roughly the high-$100s to the mid-$600s depending on location and care type. Examples in the dataset include infant in-home care averaging about $190 per week in ZIP code 91935, while infant center-based care in some areas reached approximately $639 per week in ZIP code 92127. Comparable swings appear for preschool-age care, reflecting the same geographic and program-level differences.

• Costs differ by geography, with higher averages in several central and North County areas.
• Centers generally charge more than in-home providers in the same broader region.
• Infant care is typically priced above preschool care, reflecting staffing and licensing requirements.

Supply constraints: “child care deserts” across the region

Affordability pressures are compounded by limited supply. Mapping of licensed and license-exempt options indicates that more than two-thirds of local families live in areas described as “child care deserts,” where available care falls short of potential demand. In practical terms, families in these areas can face long searches, limited hours that do not match work schedules, and fewer choices across price points.

Subsidy backlogs and budget uncertainty

For families seeking subsidized care, access is constrained by funding and administrative capacity. About 7,000 San Diego families were reported to be on a waiting list for state-subsidized child care as of September (year not specified in the report), highlighting a bottleneck that can last long enough for children to age out of eligibility before a placement becomes available.

At the same time, state budget decisions have not kept pace with demand. Recent state-level budget proposals have not included previously promised expansions of subsidized child care, leaving local agencies and families to navigate high need with limited new resources.

Policy shifts reshaping the market

California’s expansion of Transitional Kindergarten to include all four-year-olds by the 2025–26 school year has introduced a significant change in early childhood education access. For some families, a free public-school option a year earlier can reduce out-of-pocket child care costs. For providers, however, the shift can reduce enrollment among older preschoolers—revenue that many operators rely on to balance the higher costs of serving infants and toddlers.

Across San Diego County, the central challenge remains dual-sided: parents face steep prices while providers contend with thin margins and constrained capacity.

What to watch locally

Local discussions now include proposals to expand dedicated funding for child care, including efforts tied to a potential tax measure. Separately, city-level work has been underway to streamline licensing and remove barriers that can slow the opening of new facilities. Together, these initiatives aim to address both affordability and supply, two factors that continue to drive the region’s child care pressures.