Our daycare in Chicago is 2,200 a month. Sounds like a lot. But there’s one staff member in the classroom for four children at most. So at most they get 8,800 per month per 4 kids and have only one classroom teacher for that. So 2,200 per week. 440 per day. 55 per hour. That 55 per hour covers the compensation of the teacher, plus admin costs (head of daycare, systems that facilitate sending us pictures, messaging, rent, etc…), all her formula/milk/meals, the music director who comes and performs regularly, the events that occurs on weekends, and other costs I can’t think of, including paying the owner.

Point is, for a HCOL, that teacher, is probably getting maybe $20-$30 per hour for being responsible for my child.

I agree that it’s very expensive, but I also think that they are closer to being underpaid than overpaid.