Effective October 1, 2009.
The calculation of child care rates in Alabama for purposes of figuring child support is far more complicated than it needs to be, but here we are. Start by deciding in which care category your child fits, either a Child Care Center (licensed to serve more than 12 children), a Group Family Day Care (licensed to serve 7-12 children), or a Family Day Care Center (licensed to serve 1-6 children). Then find the age category into which your child falls, either 0-30 months, 30-60 months, or 60-months to 12 years (or up to 18 if the child is disabled). For example, let’s say that your 4-year-old child goes to a day care center that has 20 children in it. That means you would use the “Child Care Center” column, and then within it the “Pre-School – 30-60 months” column.
Once you know your column, follow that column down to the county where the child lives to determine the weekly child care rate. Multiply that number times 4.2 weeks in a month to calculate the monthly child care cost allowed for your child.
Yes, I know these rates are comically low compared to what parents actually have to pay for child care. Part of the difference you can attribute to the assumption that the custodial parent receives tax exemptions and credits that reduce the after-tax cost of child care. The rest of it you can attribute to . . . well, you can take it up with DHR.
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Child Day Care Rate Maximums by County Revised 10/01/09 |
Child Care Center (Licensed to serve more than 12 children) |
Group Family Day Care (Licensed to serve 7 to 12 children) |
Family Day Care Center (Licensed to serve 1 to 6 children) |
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Infant/ Toddler
0-30 months |
Pre-School
30-60 months |
School Age (Generally 60 mos – 12 years) |
Infant/ Toddler
0-30 months |
Pre-School
30-60 months |
School Age (Generally 60 mos – 12 years) |
Infant/ Toddler
0-30 months |
Pre-School
30-60 months |
School Age (Generally 60 mos – 12 years) |
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Autauga County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Baldwin County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Barbour County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
|
Bibb County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Blount County |
111.00 | 102.00 | 94.00 | 94.00 | 90.00 | 86.00 | 89.00 | 83.00 | 84.00 |
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Bullock County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Butler County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Calhoun County |
73.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 | 81.00 | 66.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 62.00 | 60.00 |
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Chambers County |
91.00 | 87.00 | 80.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 81.00 | 80.00 | 80.00 |
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Cherokee County |
74.00 | 70.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 60.00 | 60.00 |
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Chilton County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Choctaw County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Clarke County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Clay County |
73.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 | 81.00 | 66.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 62.00 | 60.00 |
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Cleburne County |
73.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 | 81.00 | 66.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 62.00 | 60.00 |
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Coffee County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Colbert County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Conecuh County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Coosa County |
73.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 | 81.00 | 66.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 62.00 | 60.00 |
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Covington County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Crenshaw County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Cullman County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Dale County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Dallas County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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DeKalb County |
74.00 | 70.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 60.00 | 60.00 |
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Elmore County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Escambia County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Etowah County |
74.00 | 70.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 60.00 | 60.00 |
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Fayette County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Franklin County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Geneva County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Greene County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
| Hale County | 86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Henry County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Houston County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Jackson County |
74.00 | 70.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 60.00 | 60.00 |
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Jefferson County |
111.00 | 102.00 | 94.00 | 94.00 | 90.00 | 86.00 | 89.00 | 83.00 | 84.00 |
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Lamar County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Lauderdale County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Lawrence County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Lee County |
91.00 | 87.00 | 80.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 81.00 | 80.00 | 80.00 |
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Limestone County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Lowndes County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Macon County |
91.00 | 87.00 | 80.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 81.00 | 80.00 | 80.00 |
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Madison County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Marengo County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Marion County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Marshall County |
74.00 | 70.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 60.00 | 60.00 |
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Mobile County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Monroe County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Montgomery County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Morgan County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
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Perry County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Pickens County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Pike County |
75.00 | 73.00 | 69.00 | 64.00 | 64.00 | 65.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 |
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Randolph County |
73.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 | 81.00 | 66.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 62.00 | 60.00 |
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Russell County |
91.00 | 87.00 | 80.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 81.00 | 80.00 | 80.00 |
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St. Clair County |
111.00 | 102.00 | 94.00 | 94.00 | 90.00 | 86.00 | 89.00 | 83.00 | 84.00 |
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Shelby County |
111.00 | 102.00 | 94.00 | 94.00 | 90.00 | 86.00 | 89.00 | 83.00 | 84.00 |
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Sumter County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Talladega County |
73.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 | 81.00 | 66.00 | 66.00 | 64.00 | 62.00 | 60.00 |
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Tallapoosa County |
91.00 | 87.00 | 80.00 | 68.00 | 67.00 | 65.00 | 81.00 | 80.00 | 80.00 |
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Tuscaloosa County |
86.00 | 82.00 | 79.00 | 64.00 | 63.00 | 63.00 | 69.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
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Walker County |
111.00 | 102.00 | 94.00 | 94.00 | 90.00 | 86.00 | 89.00 | 83.00 | 84.00 |
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Washington County |
101.00 | 91.00 | 85.00 | 82.00 | 78.00 | 74.00 | 88.00 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
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Wilcox County |
95.00 | 83.00 | 79.00 | 77.00 | 74.00 | 66.00 | 81.00 | 79.00 | 78.00 |
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Winston County |
101.00 | 92.00 | 87.00 | 93.00 | 86.00 | 75.00 | 91.00 | 86.00 | 79.00 |
Full-time Rates – The above rates reflect the maximum full-time rates for child care services averaging more than 25 hours per week. The maximum full-time rate applicable to informal care providers shall not exceed $35 per week.
Part-time Rates – The maximum rate for child care services averaging 25 hours per week or less shall not exceed one-half of the applicable full-time rate.
Key to Provider Type
Child Care Center – a child care facility licensed by the Department or otherwise legally authorized, which receives more than 12 children during the day or night, as applicable.
GFDC – Group Family Day Care, an individual licensed by the County Department to provide care in a private residence, other than the eligible child=s residence, for at least
seven (7), but not more than twelve (12), children during the day or night, as applicable.
FDC – Family Day Care, an individual licensed by the County Department to provide care as the sole caregiver in a private residence, other than the eligible child=s residence,
for no more than six (6) children during the day or night, as applicable.
Key to Care Level
Infant/Toddler – Birth to age 30 months
Pre-School – 30 months to 5 years
School Age – 5 years through age 12 (or through age 18 if the child has a physical or mental disability documented by a licensed physician, psychologist or psychiatrist).