How Much Do Home Daycare Providers Make in Ohio

The honest answer is that it depends heavily on your license type, the ages of children you enroll, whether you accept state subsidies, and which county you operate in. A Type B provider running at capacity with private-pay families in a suburban Columbus neighborhood will earn a fundamentally different income than a subsidized Type B provider in a rural Appalachian county. Understanding the math before you invest in licensing prevents the disappointment that drives many first-year providers to close.

Private-Pay Rate Ranges

Ohio does not set private-pay rates — you charge whatever the market supports. But the state's annual child care market rate survey provides useful benchmarks for what families in your area are currently paying.

Infant care commands the highest rates because of the tight 1:5 ratio cap (you can only serve 3 children under 2 in a Type B home). Statewide averages for home-based care run roughly:

• Infants (under 12 months): $175–$250 per week
• Toddlers (12–35 months): $155–$225 per week
• Preschoolers (3–5 years): $135–$200 per week
• School-age (before/after school): $85–$140 per week

These ranges shift significantly by geography. Urban counties (Franklin, Hamilton, Cuyahoga) consistently sit at the higher end, while rural counties can fall 20–30% below the statewide median. Check your county's specific rates in the state's most recent market rate survey before pricing your program.

Subsidy Reimbursement and SUTQ Enhancements

If you accept families who qualify for Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC), the state pays you directly based on county-specific base rates. These base rates are typically lower than private-pay market rates, but SUTQ payment enhancements close the gap:

• Bronze SUTQ rating: 10% above the base rate
• Silver SUTQ rating: 15% above the base rate
• Gold SUTQ rating: 25% above the base rate

For providers who serve a mix of subsidized and private-pay families, the SUTQ enhancements can push total revenue closer to what an all-private-pay model generates, especially in counties where the base subsidy rate already tracks the market median closely.

One significant development: Ohio is capping family copays at 7% of household income starting August 2026, which is expected to increase the number of families using subsidies. More subsidized families in your area means more potential enrollment, but it also means your revenue per child may be partially dictated by state rates rather than what you would charge privately.

Running the Numbers on a Type B Home

A Type B home with a maximum capacity of 7 children and a single provider looks something like this at full enrollment with a mixed-age group:

Assume 3 toddlers at $180/week and 4 preschoolers at $155/week. That produces gross weekly revenue of $1,160, or roughly $60,320 annually (assuming 52-week operation with typical 2-week vacancy gaps bringing it closer to $58,000).

Your actual take-home depends on expenses. Common monthly costs include:

• Insurance: $35–$100/month
• Food and supplies: $300–$600/month (offset partially by CACFP reimbursements if enrolled)
• Professional development and training: $20–$50/month averaged
• Utilities increase, cleaning supplies, toys and materials: $100–$200/month

After expenses, a well-run Type B home at near-full capacity typically nets between $35,000 and $48,000 annually before taxes. The Time-Space Percentage tax deduction (discussed in our Ohio daycare tax guide) significantly reduces your tax burden by allowing you to deduct the business-use portion of your mortgage or rent, utilities, repairs, and depreciation.

Type A Economics

Scaling to a Type A license (8–14 children) sounds like a straightforward revenue multiplier, but the economics are more complex. Once you exceed 7 children, you must hire a second staff member, which adds $25,000–$35,000 in annual payroll plus employer tax obligations. You also become subject to municipal zoning requirements, commercial building code inspections, and potentially fire marshal approvals — none of which apply to Type B homes.

A critical factor: Rule 5180:6-1-10 reduced the PFCC reimbursement rate for Type A homes to match the lower Type B rate. Because Type A providers carry higher overhead (staffing costs, commercial compliance costs, zoning variance fees), this rate reduction has squeezed margins for subsidy-heavy Type A programs. Advocacy groups report weekly revenue reductions of $600–$825 for Type A programs in urban counties, pushing some operators to downsize back to Type B to reduce overhead.

Before committing to a Type A license, run the numbers with realistic staffing costs and your county's actual reimbursement rates. The additional capacity only translates to higher profit if your revenue per child exceeds the per-child cost increase that comes with mandatory second staff.

What Moves the Needle on Profitability

The providers who earn at the higher end of the range share several patterns:

Infant slots command a premium. Despite serving fewer total children when infants are present (the ratio bottleneck), the per-child rate is high enough that strategic infant enrollment often beats maximum preschool capacity on net revenue.

CACFP enrollment offsets food costs. The Child and Adult Care Food Program reimburses qualifying providers for meals and snacks served to children. This can recover $200–$400 per month in food costs, directly improving your bottom line.

SUTQ rating improves subsidy revenue. The jump from no rating to Gold can add 25% to every subsidized child's reimbursement — a meaningful difference when 40–60% of your enrollment is subsidized.

Low vacancy rates matter more than high rates. A provider charging $10 less per week but maintaining full enrollment year-round will outperform one charging premium rates with a half-empty roster. Waitlist management and flexible scheduling (accepting drop-in or part-time children to fill gaps) protect revenue.

If you are mapping out the financial picture before applying for your license, our Ohio daycare licensing guide covers the full launch sequence — from business registration and insurance through PFCC enrollment and SUTQ rating — so you can build your financial plan on a realistic timeline and cost structure.

See more Ohio guides →