Cost
Every rate, published.
Most centres in this city will not put a number on a page. Here is all of ours: five rooms, three schedules each, what is included, what is not, and what happens when you are late.
- $58 – $255 a week
- Meals included
- 10% sibling discount
Weekly tuition by room and schedule
| Room | Five days a week | Three days a week | Two days a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infants6 weeks – 17 months | $255 | $175 | $130 |
| Toddlers18 months – 2 years | $235 | $162 | $122 |
| Preschool3 years | $205 | $142 | $108 |
| Pre-K4 – 5 years | $195 | $136 | $104 |
| School-age5 – 12 years | $105Before and after school | $78After school only | $58Before school only |
Summer programme for school-age children is a flat $185 a week for full days. Summer details
Weekly cost estimator
What would our week actually cost?
The seventh thing we built instead of a cursor effect. Pick a room and a schedule and read the number. Nothing is sent anywhere and no email is asked for.
Fees and discounts
| Charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $75 | Once per child, per year, at enrolment. |
| Nappies and wipes | $12/wk | Optional, for children under three. Bring your own and pay nothing. |
| Late pick-up | $1/min | After 6:30 pm. It exists to protect our staff’s evenings, not to make money. |
| Sibling discount | 10% off | Applied to the lower of the two tuitions, automatically, from the first week. |
| Holding a place | Free | We do not take a deposit to hold a waitlist position. |
Included in every rate
- Breakfast, lunch and two snacks every day, at no extra charge — we take part in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program
- All materials, art supplies, books and outdoor equipment
- Full-day care on school holidays and teacher work days for school-age children
- Bus transport to and from the five campuses we serve
- Written daily sheets for infants and toddlers, and progress notes twice a year for preschool and Pre-K
Charged separately
- Nappies and wipes, if you would like us to supply them ($12 a week)
- A one-off registration fee of $75 per child, per year
- Late pick-up after 6:30 pm, at $1 a minute
- Field trip fees for school-age children in the summer programme (never more than $15, always optional)
How and when you pay
- Tuition is charged weekly, on Monday, by card or bank transfer. There is no annual contract.
- Two weeks’ written notice to leave, or to change a schedule. No penalty, no fee.
- If your child is off sick, on holiday or at home for the week, tuition still runs — the place is being held and staffed for them.
- If we close for weather or an emergency for more than two consecutive days, we credit the days beyond the second.
Days we are closed
- New Year's Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day and the day after
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
- Two staff development days each year (announced 60 days ahead)
Tuition is not reduced for these days — they are already priced into the weekly rate, in the same way a salary is.
Cost questions
What time do you open and close?
Bright Start is open Monday to Friday, 6:00 am to 6:30 pm, and closed at weekends. There is no early-drop or late-stay surcharge inside those hours — one price covers the day, whether your child is here for six hours or twelve. After 6:30 pm we charge $1 a minute, which exists to protect our staff’s evenings rather than to make money.
How much does it cost?
Weekly tuition at Bright Start runs from $58 for before-school care to $255 for full-time infant care, and every rate is published on the schedules and tuition page. Meals, snacks, materials and school-holiday cover are included. The only extra charges are a $75 registration fee once a year, optional nappies at $12 a week, and late pick-up.
Do you accept CCS, the Texas child care subsidy?
Yes. Bright Start accepts Child Care Services (CCS), the subsidy programme funded by the Texas Workforce Commission and administered in Bexar County by Workforce Solutions Alamo. If you are approved, the board pays the provider directly and your family pays a parent share of cost set on a sliding scale — federal rules cap that share at 7% of household income. You apply through the local board, not through us, but we will sit down with you and help you fill it in.
How does the waitlist work?
The waitlist is by date of request, per room, and it is free to join. Siblings of currently enrolled children move ahead of new families, and that is the only exception. We call in order, we tell you your position when you ask, and we do not take a deposit to hold a place on the list.
Come and see the room your child would be in.
No appointment needed. Come during the day when the rooms are full, ask what the ratio is right now, and take the answer with you.