Daycare Tuition Cash-Flow Calculator and Payment Policy Planner

Compare weekly and monthly tuition collection against the expense dates you enter. Explore late or unpaid tuition, estimate an additional starting-cash gap, and download a cash plan and editable payment-policy checklist.

For the full setup process, use the daycare startup guide.

All starting amounts are invented examples. Enter your actual rates and cash schedule. This planner models one calendar month, starting with no prior unpaid invoices or earlier collections due to arrive.

Month to plan

Children billed at this rate

Weekly tuition per child ($)

Monthly tuition per child ($)

First weekly due date (day of month)

Monthly tuition due date (day of month)

Tuition paid late (%)

Calendar days late

Tuition left uncollected (%)

Opening available cash ($)

Cash per payroll, including employer costs ($)

First payroll date (day of month; repeats every 14 days)

Monthly rent cash payment ($)

Rent payment date (day of month)

Other monthly cash outflows, including owner draws ($)

Other outflows payment date (day of month)

How to enter your billing and payment assumptions

Use one blended tuition rate and a constant enrollment count. Weekly bills repeat every seven calendar days from the first weekly due date. Monthly tuition is billed once on its due date. Enter the rates you actually charge; weekly × 52 ÷ 12 is an annualized comparison, not a promise that each month’s totals match. A calendar month can have four or five weekly bills.

Late and uncollected percentages apply to billed dollars, not a count of children, and are separate groups. Late tuition arrives the entered number of calendar days after its due date. Uncollected tuition never arrives in this scenario. The remaining share arrives on the due date. Amounts arriving after month-end are shown separately, not counted as this month’s cash.

Payroll repeats every 14 days from the first entered payroll date, not twice monthly. Include employer payroll costs paid with it. Enter rent and all other outflows on their selected dates; split or changing expense schedules require a more detailed budget. Other outflows should include food, supplies, utilities, insurance, taxes, debt payments and owner draws as applicable, counted once. Payment dates represent cash availability, so account for processing delays yourself.

One-month cash comparison
Measure	Weekly billing	Monthly billing

See daily receipts, bills and cash balances

Scroll the table sideways on a small screen.

Day	Weekly receipts	Monthly receipts	Expenses	Weekly balance	Monthly balance

Closing cash = opening cash + collected tuition − entered cash expenses. Additional opening cash = the amount needed to bring the lowest modeled balance to zero. This uses day-end balances: expenses may fall due before same-day receipts clear. It excludes prior balances, subsidy-payment schedules, fees, holidays and costs not entered. A cash result is not accounting profit.

Use the daycare break-even calculator to check whether enrollment covers costs, then use this tool to examine collection timing.

Editable parent-payment policy checklist

Write your proposed terms below and download a draft for review. This is a planning worksheet, not a ready-to-sign contract. Check your state’s requirements and any subsidy-program terms before using fees, deposits, refund or termination provisions. Keep child names, banking details and other private family information out of this worksheet.

ChildCare.gov’s contract checklist recommends documenting rates, payment frequency, fees, closures and termination terms.

Billing and payment

Deposits and credits

Absences, holidays and closures

Late tuition and unpaid balances

Late pickup

Subsidies and third-party payments

Withdrawal and changes

Review and acknowledgment

Calculations and worksheet edits stay in this browser and are not submitted by this tool. Download your work before leaving or refreshing; entries are not saved automatically.

Use the timing comparison carefully

Enter the collection dates and expenses you expect for the month you are planning. The model shows how those assumptions affect the available balance; it does not establish what fees or collection terms your program may legally use.

Keep private tuition and subsidy payments distinct. This calculator does not model voucher authorization or reimbursement rules. Our childcare subsidy payment research examines those separate issues.

Put your collection process in place

Need a way to collect tuition? Square is one option for customer payments. Check its current invoicing, recurring-payment features and fees against your program’s needs.

Explore payments with Square

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you use this provider.

Make sure your signed family agreement, invoices and payment authorizations describe the same terms. Review the downloadable policy checklist for your program and applicable requirements before using it.

If your plan still needs additional cash

First check the timing assumptions, opening costs and enrollment plan. Borrowing is optional, and repayments need a place in the budget too.

Have a defined funding need? SuperMoney offers a business-financing comparison route. Eligibility depends on lender requirements, which may include operating history, revenue and credit. Financing for a new daycare is not guaranteed.

Explore business financing with SuperMoney

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you use this provider.

Read about business funding options before comparing terms.

Your next planning step

Check enrollment and operating-cost coverage with the daycare break-even calculator. Positive monthly margin and sufficient cash on every payment date are different questions.

Return to the daycare startup guide for the full setup checklist and state requirements.