How much does a good daycare cost?

Just out of curiosity....how much does daycare in San Antonio typically cost for a child attending full time?

• I'm starting to prepare myself for having my first baby....I'm not pregnant yet but will by trying in a couple of years. I'm looking into possibly becoming an LVN so that I can be a little more financially stable. I'm also searching for a nicer, larger and slightly more expensive apartment. I was just kind of doing a rough budget to see if my husband and I would be able to life somewhat comfortably if we have a child. I don't want to just have a baby and then realize that I can't even afford it and struggle for the rest of my life. I would like to figure in the cost of daycare but really have no idea....not even a guess as to how much it may cost.

• Answer:

  I have a 6 month old baby and I had to put him in daycare at 2 months - my maternity leave was up at that time. It costs me $182 a week for him. It does decrease as the child becomes older, so that is good - but it won't decrease until another year or so. But at this stage of a child's life, this will be the most expensive regarding daycare. He stays there from 7 AM to 6 PM. He's at La Petite, which is a nice place. Oh, there are usually waiting lists - sometimes up to a year, depending where you go. Once you know you're pregnant, start touring some daycares and let them know when you'll be enrolling your baby. I was lucky to have found a daycare 3 months before I had to enroll him. I'm still on a waiting list for another daycare that I would eventually like to have my son at - this particular daycare is a lot closer to home and work. I've been on their list for about 7 months already and still waiting..... Good luck!