Resources
Calculator to estimate projected costs.
Click the this link download the Microsoft Excel document (in the upper right corner) to your desktop.
The National Child Care Facility Cost Estimator encompasses a supply building cost formula and tool that calculates estimated total projected costs for construction or renovation of center-based child care facilities (including hard, soft, and contingency). The tool accounts for national cost variations for a child care center’s geographic location, type, and size. This project is part of the National Children’s Facilities Network’s ongoing commitment to support financial and technical assistance intermediaries dedicated to helping early care and education providers develop high-quality physical learning environments and sustainable business models.
Connecticut Association for Human Services. (2022). Child Care at a Breaking Point: The Cost for Parents to Work
Center for American Progress (CAP). (2025). Understanding the Basics of Child Care in the United States. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/understanding-the-basics-of-child-care-in-the-united-states/
First Five Years Fund (FFYF). (2023). State Of Child Care in Connecticut. https://www.ffyf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Connecticut-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care (OCC). (2024). New Rule to Improve Child Care Access, Affordability, and Stability in CCDF. https://acf.gov/occ/news/new-rule-improve-child-care-access-affordability-and-stability-ccdf
RAPID Survey Project. (2024). Many Connecticut families with young children are struggling to access child care. https://rapidsurveyproject.com/article/many-connecticut-families-with-young-children-are-struggling-to-access-child-care/
First Five Years Fund (FFYF). (2023). State Of Child Care in Connecticut. https://www.ffyf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Connecticut-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (CTOEC). (2023). Blue-Ribbon Panel on Child Care Report. https://www.ctoec.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/oec-blue-ribbon-panel-report-2023-12.15.pdf
https://www.ffyf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Connecticut-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Connecticut Department of Labor, 2023 Occupational Employment & Wages, https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/wages/20231/0901000009/35-3023.htm
Ready Nation. (2023). $122 Billion: The Growing, Annual Cost of Infant-Toddler Child Care Crisis. https://www.strongnation.org/articles/2038-122-billion-the-growing-annual-cost-of-the-infant-toddler-child-care-crisis
Mass.gov. (2023). Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches $14.3 Million Grant Program for Renovations at Child Care Programs Serving Low-Income Families. https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll- administration-launches-143-million-grant-program-for-renovations-at-child-care-programs- serving-low-income-families
National Children’s Facilities Network (NCFN). (2023). Making Space: Connecting Childrenwith Nature Through Thoughtful Facilities Design. https://static1.squarespace.com\static/5e221ab388621cfc6324ac416/1720719104638MakingSpace_ConnectingChildrenWithNature=2.pdfw
Swartz, M. (2025). How Intergenerational Day Centers Benefit Children, Families, Seniors and Providers. Early Learning Nation. https://earlylearningnation.com/2025/02/how-intergenerational-day- centers-benefit-children-families-seniors-and-providers/
Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC). (2024). Under One Roof: Combining Affordable Homes with Child Care Solutions. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/under-one-roof-combining-affordable-homes-with- child-care-solutions/
The National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE). (2021). Home-based Early Care and Education Providers in 2012 and 2019: Counts and Characteristics. OPRE Report #2021-85. https://acf.gov/ sites/default/files/documents/opre/NSECE-chartbook-homebased-may-2021.pdf
National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). (2021). A Lifetime’s Worth of Benefits: The Effects of Affordable, High-quality Child Care on Family Income, the Gender Earnings Gap, and Women’s Retirement Security. https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/A-Lifetimes-Worth-of-Benefits-_FD.pdf
State of Connecticut. (2024). Public Act No, 24-91, Substitute House Bill No. 5002. https://legiscan.com/CT/bill/HB05002/2024
Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA). 2025. Public-Private Partnerships for Child Care: Examples and Insights. https://info.childcareaware.org/hubfs/Public-Private-Partnerships-for-Child-Care-- Examples-and-Insights.pdf
Ready Nation. (2023). $122 Billion: The Growing, Annual Cost of Infant-Toddler Child Care Crisis. https://strongnation.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/1598/05d917e2-9618-4648-a0ee-1b35d17e2a4d.pdf
Opportunities Exchange (OppEx). (2025). Collecting Data on Child Care Supply in Real Time: A New Approach to Data Collection. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f4d7a7ef6c82325c5ec80c0t/67915fd9e282a641804da823/1737580505654/OppEx_2025_Issue+Brief_ Collecting+Data+on+Child+Care+Supply.pdf
Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (CTOEC). (2024). Updates about proposed regulation changes for child care centers and group child care homes. https://www.ctoec.org/news/updates-about-proposed-regulation-changes-for-child-care-centers-and-group-child-care-homes/
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care (OCC). (2024). New Rule to Improve Child Care Access, Affordability, and Stability in CCDF. https://acf.gov/occ/news/new-rule-improve-child-care-access-affordability-and-stability-ccdf
Governor Lamont Proposes the Largest Expansion of Preschool Access in Connecticut History. (2025). https://portal.ct.gov/governor/news/press-releases/2025/02-2025/governor-lamont-proposes-the-largest-expansion-of-preschool-access-in-connecticut-history?language=en_US
