Enrollment
Enrollment process
CDL Administration will send a confirmation email within one week of receiving your application.
We begin offering available spots to new families each year in March for the upcoming enrollment year.
If your family is offered a spot, you will have 48 hours to accept or decline the offer. If you accept, you will also be asked to complete and sign your enrollment contract within that timeframe.
A deposit of 1st month of tuition and $75 contract fee are due at contract signing.
Picture your child here
Explore the rhythms and routines that shape each day.
Enrollment priority
Our mission is to provide opportunities for research, teaching, and outreach, while ensuring high quality early care and education. We strive to support opportunities for researchers and students to learn from a diverse population of children and families. Our enrollment priorities aim to increase access to high quality childcare for UW–Madison students, faculty, and staff receiving childcare funding.
- Sibling of a currently enrolled child
- Child of a Child Development Lab staff
- UW students: 25% of total enrolled children at CDL need to be parents who qualify for funding
- Students who receive Child Care Tuition Assistance Program (CCTAP) &/or Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) will be given priority
- SoHE students will be given priority
- Child of a School of Human Ecology employee
- UW–Madison faculty and staff
- Community families
* Any families receiving childcare tuition funding will get priority in their category.
** The CDL maintains the right to balance gender and/or age in each classroom.
Tuition
tuition rates
2026|27 school year
Infant rooms
Children ages 6 weeks-23 months by September 1st
$580/week
Toddler rooms
Children ages 2-3 years by September 1st
2 years – $461/week
3 years – $424/week
Preschool room*
Children ages 4 by September 1st
*Children in the 4K room who are not enrolled in Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) 4K will pay the 3-year-old tuition rate.
$389/week
tuition Assistance
Tuition assistance
UW Madison students
-
Child Care Tuition Assistance Program (CCTAP)
-
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program
UW–Madison staff & faculty
Community assistance
4K
4K enrollment procedure
- Enroll with the CDL at our normal January registration time.
- You will then register with Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) online via Infinite Campus. Go to MMSD’s website to begin this process.
- If you are NOT a Madison resident, you have one more step. You must also apply for open enrollment with the Department of Instruction (DPI). Go to DPI’s website to complete the open enrollment process.
- There is a $40 materials fee that will be due for all 4K students at the beginning of August. Checks for this will be made out to MMSD, but the funds will be returned to the CDL to cover 4K materials.
4K FAQ
- Universal for all children in Madison and most surrounding districts who meet eligibility.
- Play-based, inquiry curriculum that is:
- Age appropriate
- Individually appropriate
- Culturally appropriate
- Monthly 4K activity bags from September-June
- Children who are 4 years of age on or before September 1. There is no process for early admittance into 4K.
- Families who reside in Madison.
- Families who reside outside of the MMSD whose home school district has a 4K program may apply for “Open Enrollment.”
- Nurturing, experienced, licensed early childhood teachers
- Small class sizes: maximum 1:10 adult/child ratio. MMSD school sites are budgeted at a 1:18 ratio.
- State Licensed, City of Madison Accredited, 5-Star rating with Young Star Quality Rating Scale in Wisconsin and Nationally Accredited through National Early Childhood
Program Accreditation (NECPA). Our program meets the highest standards of early care and education. - Dynamic and innovative setting that incorporates the teaching, research and outreach mission of UW–Madison and the School of Human Ecology.
- Our classrooms and playground are specifically designed for children aged 6 weeks-5 years old.
- Continuity of care and honoring attachments — children can remain in a familiar place with familiar teachers.
- Developmental portfolios are in addition to 4K progress reports that all 4K children receive.
- Monday-Friday: 9:00-11:30AM
- Full day of enrichment includes morning and afternoon care from 7:30-9:00AM & 11:30AM-5:00PM.
- The Child Development Lab (CDL) only offers a full-time option for 4K. The 4K portion of the day is free (M-F, 9-11:30 September to early June). CDL families pay tuition for the full day enrichment hours beyond 4K designated time.
- $40 materials fee will be due at the beginning of August. Checks will be made out to Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD).
No, the CDL is not a transportation site (MMSD is not able to bus children to and from our building).
No. We are required to provide 437 hours of “instructional time” for 4K. To do so, our school year will start and end similarly to the MMSD schools. Our school closing dates during the academic year may be different (e.g. CDL winter break is 2 weeks.)
If you are NOT a Madison resident, you will need to apply for Open Enrollment at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) website
Tours
During a tour, parents can explore our indoor and outdoor spaces. A wide variety of topics will be covered.
- Research, teaching, and outreach missions: Research projects, observation booths, research spaces
- Site information: Licensing, accreditation, tuition, staff, scheduling
- Classroom information: Ratios, routines, curriculum
- Access: Parking options, drop-off, pick-up
Our parent tours are by appointment only and last 30 minutes to an hour. We suggest reviewing our Family Handbook prior to your tour.
Visit us
Tour our facilities, meet the staff, and see if the Child Development Lab is right for your family.
Where your child can thrive
Join a welcoming community where children feel safe, supported, and inspired to grow — guided by UW–Madison expertise.