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 $12,281 a year (or $1,023 per month).
More than 3,400 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 19% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $511 a month.
2.3K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 15% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 53% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 19.7K 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
North Dakota receives nearly $3 million for home visits to support parents and infants
KX News | October 7, 2026
The funding is coming from the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. North Dakota is receiving about $2.88 million, nearly twice as much as last year.
Opinion: We cannot build a strong workforce without reliable childcare
Inforum | November 3, 2026
“Childcare is not a luxury for parents pursuing education and work. It is foundational infrastructure for North Dakota’s economic future.”
Experts say North Dakota child care crisis needs workforce fix
Kiowa County Press | mAY 13, 2026
In North Dakota, at least 14 counties meet less than 60% of the demand for child care.
North Dakota Resources & News
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