Comparing Preschool Prices? Ask About These Extra Fees

Request a written quote for one specific schedule

Give each provider the same schedule and ask which dates and services the quote covers. Ask whether the amount is current, when it takes effect, how long it is valid, and whether it is a school-confirmed quote or an estimate. If the provider cannot quote one of your options, mark it unknown rather than comparing it as zero.

• Age group, start date, days per week, drop-off and pickup times:
• Rate amount, unit (day/week/month), effective date, and quote expiration:
• Scheduled care days and any planned closure weeks:
• What changes the quoted schedule or rate, and how much notice is given?

Build a like-for-like cost comparison

Use a worksheet with one column per provider. Keep recurring charges separate from one-time and conditional charges. To estimate a comparable period, total the charges that actually apply to that schedule: recurring care charges for the dates you expect to use, plus required enrollment or annual charges, required supplies or meals, and any other applicable fees. State your assumptions and the number of care weeks; do not silently multiply a monthly amount into a year or assume closures are unpaid.

Itemize application or enrollment charges, deposits, annual or registration fees, classroom materials and supplies, meals and snacks, activities or field trips, transportation, extended hours, late pickup, schedule changes, and charges related to absences, closures, or withdrawal when they apply. Ask for the amount, due date, and written terms for each. A deposit may be refundable, nonrefundable, or credited under the school's written terms; do not assume which.

• Recurring tuition and billing frequency:
• Application, enrollment/registration, annual, materials, supplies, meals/snacks, activities/field trips, transportation, and extended-hours charges:
• Deposit or other upfront payment; when and under what written terms it is returned or credited:
• Late pickup, schedule change, absence, holiday, closure, withdrawal, and other conditional charges:
• For every charge: required or optional; refundable, nonrefundable, or credited; amount and due date:
• Questions not yet answered and who will confirm them in writing:

Ask what is included—and what is not

• Are meals and snacks included on each day of the schedule? What should families send?
• Are classroom supplies, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, uniforms, field trips, or special activities included?
• Are there different charges for part-time days, extended hours, a changed schedule, or a school-age sibling?
• Are there required registration or annual fees in addition to tuition?
• How are billing dates, late payment, holidays, absences, closures, and unused days handled?
• For each fee or upfront payment, is it required or optional, and can families decline it?
• Which payments are refundable, which can be credited toward tuition, and what written deadlines or conditions apply?
• Can I receive the current itemized written fee schedule, contract, and refund/withdrawal terms before paying?

How to treat assistance and unknown amounts

Arizona DES administers Child Care Assistance separately from ADHS child-care facility licensing. Eligibility, availability, required family contributions, and provider participation are determined by DES under its current program rules; do not assume a family or a school qualifies from a directory listing. Contact DES for a current determination and ask the provider whether it participates.

Pick My Preschool does not invent prices or imply that a blank amount is free. School-confirmed tuition is labeled separately from sourced estimates and missing information. Confirm all amounts, dates, inclusions, and assistance arrangements directly with the provider and DES where applicable.

• Is the provider participating in the DES assistance program, and who can verify current participation?
• What does DES say about current eligibility, next steps, and any family contribution for my case?
• Which cost items remain unconfirmed in the written comparison?

A simple comparison worksheet

Copy this list for each program. Keeping a dated written quote beside each answer makes later changes easier to spot.

• Provider, campus, quote date, and staff contact:
• Matched age group, schedule, start date, and quote validity:
• Recurring amount, unit, billing calendar, and number of care weeks used in my comparison:
• Required one-time / annual / recurring extras:
• Closure, absence, late pickup, deposit, withdrawal, and refund terms:
• DES assistance question, if applicable; current status to confirm directly:
• Unknown items and follow-up date:

Official sources

Open each agency page to verify the current information. These links do not establish when the agency last updated its page; check dates on the actual campus record or document.

• Arizona Department of Economic Security — Child Care Assistance
  https://des.az.gov/services/child-and-family/child-care
• Arizona Department of Economic Security — How to Apply for Child Care Assistance
  https://des.az.gov/services/child-and-family/child-care/how-apply-for-child-care-assistance
• Arizona Department of Health Services — Child Care Facilities Licensing and parent information
  https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/childcare-facilities/index.php

Try these checks on public school profiles

These are alphabetical examples from Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale, not recommendations or claims about prices or safety. Check each profile's evidence dates and confirm details with the school and official sources.

• 1st Step To Greatness, L.L.C. — Phoenix profile
• 1st Academy Preschool & Childcare — Mesa profile
• Amore Preschool — Scottsdale profile

Find another school in the Arizona directory.