Types of child care
Eight kinds of licensed care, how each one works and where to find it.
Daycare centers
Full-day group care in a licensed facility, usually from infancy.
59,122 listed · Ages 6 wks to 5 →Home daycares
Small mixed-age groups in a licensed provider's home.
58,765 listed · Ages 6 wks to 12 →Preschools
Part or full-day early learning before kindergarten.
459 listed · Ages 3 to 5 →Montessori
Child-led learning in mixed-age classrooms.
1,855 listed · Ages 18 mo to 6 →Head Start
Free federally funded programs for eligible families.
3,483 listed · Ages 0 to 5 →Public Pre-K
State or district-funded pre-kindergarten, often free.
6,688 listed · Ages 4 to 5 →Before and after school
Care around the school day, plus holidays and summer.
6,186 listed · Ages 5 to 12 →Language immersion
Bilingual and immersion classrooms from the early years.
677 listed · Ages 1 to 5 →Not sure which one fits? Read daycare, home daycare, preschool or Montessori: what is the difference?