North Dakota
Working families in North Dakota need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in North Dakota. But too many working families in North Dakota are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the North Dakota economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 71% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $12,299 a year (or $1,025 per month).
More than 3,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 17% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $511 a month.
2.5K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 17% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 54% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 19.6K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $516 million each year in lost earnings and productivity.
North Dakota: In The Headlines
ND child care providers watch federal funding review closely
KFYR | January 13, 2026
A nationwide federal review of child care funding has providers and state officials watching closely to see whether anything could change.
Letter: Investing in the workforce of tomorrow starts in early childhood
Inforum | fEBRUARY 16, 2026
When programs struggle to hire and retain qualified educators, classrooms close. When classrooms close, families cannot reliably work.
What does child care cost in North Dakota?
Argus Leader | march 24, 2025
Child care is one of the biggest expenses families face – it’s also more costly than in-state tuition for a public college in 38 states, including North Dakota.
North Dakota Resources & News
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