I think your numbers might be outdated, we're paying ~1200/mo in a fairly rural area outside of the baltimore area (not exactly known for wealth) for the cheapest "professional" daycare for about 4h a day, as the child is in kindergarden and only needs 3-4 hours a day of extra help. I'm told that the upper end daycare (across the street) is more like 4-5k/mo in the same semi-rural area.