Columbia is about 20 miles Southwest of Baltimore and 40 miles from Washington, DC. It has been consistently ranked in the top 10 of CNN Money's Best Places to live in the US. As one of the principal cities of the Baltimore and Washington Metropolitan Area, residents pay the price for quality child care and preschool. The average annual cost of full-time care is $19,240 for infants in a center ($1,605/month), compared to $13,520 (or $1,125/month) in a family child care program. For preschoolers, prices go down with an annual average of $12,690 in a center ($1,055/month), and $11,230 in a home-based preschool ($935/month). To find out the cost of daycare for your child's specific age and in your zip code, click here to use our child care cost calculator. There are plenty of reasons for which 107,000 people have chosen to live in Columbia. The city has a wide variety of recreational facilities, which include 23 outdoor swimming pools, six indoor pools, ice- and roller-skating rinks, and even an equestrian center. There are also 24/7 Sports and Health Clubs, playgrounds, and senior centers. Columbia is the 2nd most populous community in Maryland, after Baltimore. Home to many technology and healthcare companies, as well as the US federal government, Columbia residents earn an annual median household income of $105,000 on average. Attending a high-quality child care and early education program has been proven to positively impact future academic achievement. Columbia parents can select from 199 licensed child care facilities which are regulated by the Maryland State Department of Education – Office of Child Care (OCC). Among those 199 programs, 123 are Family Child Care Homes and 76 are Child Care Centers. Both types of facilities are great options, depending on individual preferences. In-home daycares and preschools are generally more affordable (about 10% cheaper than centers in Columbia, on average). They can be more flexible in terms of hours of operation. Centers tend to be more structured, with separate classes for different age groups. As long as the facility is licensed, both homes and centers are great options. Opting for a licensed program is recommended since those child care facilities have satisfied the minimum legal requirements specified under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). As long as the facility is licensed, both homes and centers are great options. Opting for a licensed program is recommended since those child care facilities have satisfied the minimum legal requirements specified under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). To be licensed, caregivers must pass federal and state criminal background checks (for home-based programs, that requirement applies to all adults with regular access to the facility). Families have many options when choosing a child care facility. Some children suffer from food allergies and will be best cared for in one of the 7 peanut-free daycares in Columbia. Learning a foreign language is essential to some families. Those parents will likely settle for one of the 9 language immersion preschools, where children will participate in developmentally appropriate learning activities in another language. In addition to the Maryland State license, accredited child care facilities also serve Columbia. There are many accreditations available, one of the major ones being delivered by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Achieving accreditation isn't always a sign of top quality. Still, it does usually require a higher level of commitment to providing a high-quality early education program. The cost of child care in accredited facilities are generally more expensive. Working families within the income guidelines specified by Child Care Subsidy Central may apply for financial assistance through the Child Care Scholarship Program. Parents must provide evidence that they are employed or in an approved training program or attending school. They must be a recipient of Temporary Cash Assistance or Supplemental Security Income or pursuing child support if both parents are not living together. They must also be willing to abide by the Maryland child immunization standards and ready to provide proof of identification. US Citizenship is not a requirement to qualify for the program.