Home Daycares Near You

Licensed or registered care in the provider's own home, usually a small mixed-age group with one or two caregivers.

18,287 home daycares

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What is a home daycare?

Home daycares are licensed or registered programs run in the provider's own house, usually with one or two caregivers and a small mixed-age group. The mixed ages are the point for many families: siblings stay together, and a baby is not moved to a new room and new adults at every birthday. The trade is that a home has fewer people in it, so illness, vacations and one provider's own emergencies land directly on the families who use it.

What to ask before you enroll

  • Ask what happens when the provider is sick or takes time off, and whether there is a backup caregiver.
  • Ask how many children are there and at what ages, since a mixed group behaves differently at different mixes.
  • Ask who else is in the house during care hours, including other adults and older children.
  • Ask about the outdoor space and how often the group actually uses it.
  • Check whether the provider is licensed or registered in your state, and what that distinction means there.

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