---
title: "Day Care and Preschool CPI"
slug: day-care-and-preschool-cpi
summary: "Day care and preschool prices rose 3.1% in the 12 months to September 2026, by our calculation from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data."
category: "Prices"
unit: percent
frequency: monthly
direction: higher_is_worse
latest_value: 3.1332599540826456
latest_period: "2026-09"
trend: unknown
trend_suppressed: "rate_of_change_series"
last_updated: "2026-10-29T17:24:17Z"
source: "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics"
measurement_basis: "The 12-month percent change in the Bureau of Labor Statistics index for day care and preschool fees (CUSR0000SEEB03, seasonally adjusted, December 1990 = 100), which the Bureau builds from prices collected each month at day care centers, preschools and nursery schools. The index tracks the price of care, not family spending on it. Seasonally adjusted months can be revised. No index was published for October 2025 (the lapse in appropriations), so that month is blank and the following October has no year-earlier comparison."
source_url: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SEEB03
canonical_html: https://americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/
citation_apa: "Kilburn, R. (2026). Day Care and Preschool CPI [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/"
citation_chicago: "Kilburn, Ross. 2026. \"Day Care and Preschool CPI.\" American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/."
citation_mla: "Kilburn, Ross. \"Day Care and Preschool CPI.\" American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/."
---

# Day Care and Preschool CPI

> Day care and preschool prices rose 3.1% in the 12 months to September 2026, by our calculation from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

## Current Reading

As of September 2026, Day Care and Preschool CPI is **3.13%**.

## Recent Values

| Period | Value |
|--------|-------|
| 2026-09 | 3.13% |
| 2026-08 | 3.98% |
| 2026-07 | 3.39% |
| 2026-06 | 3.54% |
| 2026-05 | 3.46% |
| 2026-04 | 4.04% |
| 2026-03 | 3.99% |
| 2026-02 | 3.73% |
| 2026-01 | 3.77% |
| 2025-12 | 4.81% |
| 2025-11 | 4.67% |
| 2025-09 | 5.19% |

## Historical Context

- Peak since 1998: **6.96%** in April 2023
- Low since 1998: **0.74%** in March 2021
- Pre-pandemic average (2015-01 – 2019-12): **2.75%**
- Post-pandemic average (2020-01 – 2024-12): **3.93%**

## Methodology

This indicator carries monthly observations and is interpreted as higher values indicate worse household conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Measurement basis: The 12-month percent change in the Bureau of Labor Statistics index for day care and preschool fees (CUSR0000SEEB03, seasonally adjusted, December 1990 = 100), which the Bureau builds from prices collected each month at day care centers, preschools and nursery schools. The index tracks the price of care, not family spending on it. Seasonally adjusted months can be revised. No index was published for October 2025 (the lapse in appropriations), so that month is blank and the following October has no year-earlier comparison.
Automation: collected automatically on the daily refresh pipeline, with no hand entry.

## Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — [https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SEEB03](https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUSR0000SEEB03)

Data retrieved: 2026-10-29T17:24:17Z

## Machine-Readable Endpoints

- HTML page: https://americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/
- JSON: https://americandefault.org/api/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi.json
- CSV: https://americandefault.org/api/downloads/day-care-and-preschool-cpi.csv
- BibTeX: https://americandefault.org/citations/day-care-and-preschool-cpi.bib
- RIS: https://americandefault.org/citations/day-care-and-preschool-cpi.ris

## Citation

**APA 7th**

    Kilburn, R. (2026). Day Care and Preschool CPI [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/

**Chicago (author-date)**

    Kilburn, Ross. 2026. "Day Care and Preschool CPI." American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/.

**MLA 9th**

    Kilburn, Ross. "Day Care and Preschool CPI." American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/day-care-and-preschool-cpi/.

Use **American Default Research** as the institutional name in source lists, bibliographies, and press citations. **American Default** is the brand and URL form. **American Distress Index (ADI)** is the product name for the national composite score.