A child care pricing study
Got a call from the Open Tuition Project? Here’s who we are.
The Open Tuition Project is a community child care pricing study. Our automated assistant calls centers on their business lines with a few quick questions about tuition. Participating centers get a free, anonymized local market pricing report.
The study is run by Triple Nine Zero Solutions, a company that insures child care centers, with partners who asked to remain unnamed. We’re not selling anything.
About the study
Setting tuition usually means guessing what other centers nearby charge. The Open Tuition Project collects current tuition from licensed child care centers and combines it into anonymized local pricing ranges, so directors, owners and policymakers can see the market without anyone’s individual prices being exposed.
We ask centers directly, one short phone call at a time, and we give the results back to the centers that take part. Aggregated, anonymized results are also shared with policymakers working on child care. The study isn’t designed for insurance use.
What we ask about
- Full-time tuition for each age group you serve: infants, toddlers, preschool, pre-K and before- and after-school
- Part-time or half-day tuition, if you offer it
- Registration fees, deposits and other regular fees
- Whether meals or snacks are included
- Whether you have openings or a waitlist
- Where to send your free report, if you want one
You can skip any question.
Your free local pricing report
Participating centers get a free, anonymized local market pricing report: tuition ranges for centers in your area, by age group.
- It shows only combined local ranges, so no single center stands out, including yours.
- It’s free. No sales call comes with it.
- We send the report once enough centers nearby have taken part that no single center’s prices can be picked out. Every area fills in at a different pace, so we can’t give a date. If your area is slow to fill in, we’ll look at combining it with neighboring areas so you still get a useful picture.
- We’ll only use your email to send the report and its updates.
You can ask for the report on the call, or sign up here.
Know a center? Invite them. Any center, anywhere: every center that takes part makes the picture clearer for providers and policymakers, and nearby centers help your local report arrive sooner. Email us the center’s name and town.
Free guide for directors and owners · new edition monthly
Pricing Child Care with Confidence
A plain-language guide to knowing your true cost of care, setting tuition by age group, pricing fees, deposits, part-time care and meals, using your state’s market rate survey and subsidy payments, and talking with families about price changes. It ends with a fill-in pricing review worksheet.
- 12 pages, PDF (250 KB). Free to share with any center.
- Every figure cites a public source, listed with web addresses at the end.
- No sign-up needed to download.
Issue 1, November 2026. A new guide on a different topic comes out each month; this link always has the latest: /guides/latest
How the calls work
Calls come from an automated assistant, on business lines, and take about 2 minutes. This is how every call starts:
“Hi, this is the Open Tuition Project, a community child care pricing study. Centers that take part get a free, anonymized local pricing report. I'm an automated assistant calling for Triple Nine Zero Solutions, with a few quick questions about tuition. Do you have two minutes?”
- It asks for two minutes. Say yes, suggest a better time, point it to the right person or say no.
- It asks about tuition and fees, one question at a time. You can skip any of them.
- It offers the free report and asks where to email it.
- It ends the call by thanking you and giving our number, (475) 225-2002.
Automated, and says so
The assistant isn’t a person and tells you so. It isn’t a parent looking to enroll a child.
Business lines only
If we reached a personal or home number, tell the assistant and it will end the call and remove the number.
About 2 minutes
Short and to the point. Busy? Name a better time or an email address instead.
Not recorded
Calls aren’t recorded. The assistant only notes your answers to the study questions.
Privacy and data use
You should know exactly what happens to what you tell us. Here it is, plainly.
- Aggregated and anonymized only. Your answers are combined with other centers’ and reported only as anonymized local ranges.
- Who sees results. Participating centers and policymakers, as anonymized local ranges only. The study isn’t designed for insurance use.
- We’re not selling anything. Not on the call, and not afterward.
- Contact only if you ask. If you request the report, we use your email to send it and any updates. That’s it.
- Opt-outs are honored. Ask us not to contact your center and we won’t.
- No recordings. Calls aren’t recorded.
Opt out of contact
Don’t want to hear from us? That’s fine. We’ll remove your center’s number and honor your request.
- On any call, say “please don’t call again.” The assistant will end the call and remove the number.
- Or email us with your center’s name and the phone number we called.
Request an opt-out by email
This opens a pre-filled email to principal@mail.grokbot.com.
Email an opt-out requestWho runs the study
The Open Tuition Project is run by Triple Nine Zero Solutions, a company that insures child care centers, with partners who asked to remain unnamed. We tell you this up front because you should know who’s asking before you share anything.
Questions about the study or a call you received? Email principal@mail.grokbot.com or call (475) 225-2002.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Open Tuition Project legitimate?
Yes. It's a child care pricing study run by Triple Nine Zero Solutions, a company that insures child care centers, with partners who asked to remain unnamed. If you got a call and want to check, this page is the official description of the study, and you can email us at principal@mail.grokbot.com.
Was I talking to a real person?
No. The calls are made by an automated assistant. It says so at the start of the call and again if you ask.
Was the call recorded?
No. Calls aren't recorded. The assistant only notes your answers to the study questions.
Is this a sales call? Are you selling insurance?
No. We're not selling anything, on the call or afterward.
Will my prices be used against me?
Not at all. That's not what this is for. Your prices are combined with other centers' and shown only as local ranges, so no single center stands out. The goal is to help centers like yours and give policymakers a clearer picture of what care really costs. If you'd like more detail, we're happy to have someone from the team call you back.
Who sees the results? Is this for insurance?
This is a community project. Aggregated, anonymized results go back to participating centers and are shared with policymakers, for the good of the child care field. The study isn't designed for insurance use. Triple Nine Zero Solutions insures child care centers, and we say so up front because you should know who is asking.
When will I get the report?
We send the report once enough centers nearby have taken part that no single center's prices can be picked out. Every area fills in at a different pace, so we can't give a date. If your area is slow to fill in, we'll look at combining it with neighboring areas so you still get a useful picture.
Do I have to answer every question?
No. Taking part is voluntary. You can skip any question, ask the assistant to call back at a better time, or say no.
What do I get for taking part?
A free anonymized local market pricing report showing tuition ranges for centers in your area. It doesn't show any individual center's prices, including yours.
Does "Open" mean you publish prices?
No. "Open" means we share what we learn back with centers, as anonymized local ranges. No single center's prices can be picked out.
Who are the partners?
The study's partners asked to remain unnamed. Triple Nine Zero Solutions runs the study and is responsible for it.
Can I suggest another center?
Know a center? Invite them. Any center, anywhere: every center that takes part makes the picture clearer for providers and policymakers, and nearby centers help your local report arrive sooner. Tell the assistant on the call, or email us the center's name and town. We only call centers on their business lines.
Will you contact me again?
Only if you ask for the report, and only to send it and any updates to it. Tell us to stop and we will.
How do I stop calls to my center?
Tell the assistant "please don't call again" on any call, or email principal@mail.grokbot.com with your center's name and phone number. We'll remove your number and honor your request.
Why did you call this number?
We call child care centers on their business lines. If we reached a personal or home number by mistake, tell the assistant and it will end the call and remove the number.