In my center days I found small, independent centers usually offered a discount to its employees. I've seen everything from 50% off to 1 free kid and 25% off additional children. Larger centers or those affiliated with a business or school did not do discounts. A lot of times affiliated centers won't offer discounts because technically that is a "staff benefit" that they would have to provide everyone if they gave it to child care staff. The only centers I've ever worked in that allowed staff to care for their own child were ones that only had a single room per age group.
Another factor is what state rules are. In IL if you take any state pay kids you cannot offer any discount that the state doesn't get. So if you give staff 50% off you have to give the state that rate. A lot of smaller centers in this area told the state to shove it when they changed the rule.
