Care 4 Kids
Connecticut child care subsidy. Administered by: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC)
Connecticut state guide
Childcare centers in Connecticut
Connecticut has 4,119 childcare centers and homes in its state licensing records, across 229 cities, with about 136,000 licensed seats at the 3,446 centers that report capacity. Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing handles licensing. This guide covers the rules that apply, how to check a license, how subsidy works, and how to find a center in your city.
Data updated October 22, 2026 · Source: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing (opens in a new tab) public records · How we compile this →
Largest cities for childcare in Connecticut
Ranked by centers and homes on file. Each city page lists every center in that city.
- 01Waterbury271 centers and homes
- 02New Haven223 centers and homes
- 03Bridgeport214 centers and homes
- 04Stamford169 centers and homes
- 05Hartford151 centers and homes
- 06Norwalk131 centers and homes
- 07Danbury129 centers and homes
- 08West Haven97 centers and homes
- 09Stratford94 centers and homes
- 10Hamden90 centers and homes
- 11Fairfield78 centers and homes
- 12Meriden78 centers and homes
Centers and homes listed per city, of 4,119 in Connecticut.
All 229 Connecticut citiesAll 229 cities in Connecticut, A to Z
Jump to a letter, or open a group below.
A · 5 cities
B · 18 cities
- Baltic2 centers
- Bantam1 center
- Barkhamsted3 centers
- Beacon Falls5 centers
- Berlin17 centers
- Bethany5 centers
- Bethel30 centers
- Bethlehem2 centers
- Bloomfield21 centers
- Bolton4 centers
- Bozrah2 centers
- Branford19 centers
- Bridgeport214 centers
- Bristol54 centers
- Broad Brook4 centers
- Brookfield12 centers
- Brooklyn9 centers
- Burlington8 centers
C · 16 cities
D · 7 cities
E · 14 cities
G · 8 cities
H · 9 cities
L · 7 cities
M · 17 cities
- Madison18 centers
- Manchester47 centers
- Mansfield1 center
- Mansfield Center2 centers
- Marion1 center
- Marlborough8 centers
- Meriden78 centers
- Middlebury11 centers
- Middlefield5 centers
- Middletown55 centers
- Milford51 centers
- Milldale1 center
- Monroe21 centers
- Moodus7 centers
- Moosup6 centers
- Morris3 centers
- Mystic14 centers
N · 22 cities
- Naugatuck39 centers
- New Britain61 centers
- New Canaan26 centers
- New Fairfield8 centers
- New Hartford7 centers
- New Haven223 centers
- New London32 centers
- New Milford24 centers
- New Preston Marble Dale1 center
- Newington38 centers
- Newtown17 centers
- Niantic4 centers
- Norfolk2 centers
- North Branford7 centers
- North Franklin4 centers
- North Grosvenordale7 centers
- North Haven18 centers
- North Stonington6 centers
- Northfield1 center
- Northford7 centers
- Norwalk131 centers
- Norwich15 centers
O · 8 cities
P · 12 cities
R · 6 cities
S · 25 cities
- Salem3 centers
- Salisbury3 centers
- Sandy Hook6 centers
- Scotland1 center
- Seymour13 centers
- Sharon5 centers
- Shelton49 centers
- Sherman1 center
- Simsbury19 centers
- Somers6 centers
- South Glastonbury5 centers
- South Kent3 centers
- South Windham1 center
- South Windsor22 centers
- Southbury20 centers
- Southington35 centers
- Southport5 centers
- Stafford Springs9 centers
- Stamford169 centers
- Sterling2 centers
- Stonington3 centers
- Storrs3 centers
- Storrs Mansfield5 centers
- Stratford94 centers
- Suffield9 centers
T · 7 cities
W · 31 cities
- Wallingford42 centers
- Washington2 centers
- Washington Depot3 centers
- Waterbury271 centers
- Waterford14 centers
- Watertown15 centers
- Wauregan1 center
- Weatogue3 centers
- West Cornwall3 centers
- West Granby1 center
- West Hartford60 centers
- West Haven97 centers
- West Redding1 center
- West Simsbury3 centers
- West Suffield1 center
- Westbrook5 centers
- Weston9 centers
- Westport31 centers
- Wethersfield27 centers
- Willimantic15 centers
- Willington1 center
- Wilton30 centers
- Windham4 centers
- Windsor36 centers
- Windsor Locks4 centers
- Winsted2 centers
- Wolcott12 centers
- Woodbridge8 centers
- Woodbury10 centers
- Woodstock9 centers
- Woodstock Valley3 centers
License types in Connecticut
Connecticut’s licensing records use these categories. Each listing shows which one applies.
Family child care home
1,824 listingsCare in a private family home for up to six children (up to nine with an approved assistant), for three to twelve hours a day on a regular basis. Up to three more school-age children are allowed during the school year. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-77(a)(3), CT Office of Early Childhood (opens in a new tab)
Child care center
1,573 listingsA program of care on a regular basis for more than twelve children, outside their own homes. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-77, CT Office of Early Childhood (opens in a new tab)
Youth camp
545 listingsA camp or organized program that runs during school vacations or on weekends for five or more children who are at least 3 and under 16 years old. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-420, CT Office of Early Childhood (opens in a new tab)
License-exempt child care center
96 listingsA child care center that state law excludes from licensing, such as a program run by a public school system or a municipal agency. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §19a-77(b), CT Office of Early Childhood (opens in a new tab)
Group child care home
50 listingsA program of care on a regular basis for seven to twelve children, in a setting that is either a residential or a commercial facility. Source: Conn. Agencies Regs. §19a-79-1a, CT Office of Early Childhood (opens in a new tab)
License-exempt youth camp
19 listingsA youth camp run by a public or private school or by a municipality, which is exempt from state licensing. Source: CT Office of Early Childhood, Licensing Division notice (opens in a new tab)
Connecticut child care ratios
Connecticut sets a maximum number of children per staff member for each age in licensed child care centers. Each row cites the regulation it comes from.
Connecticut ratios by age
| Age | Staff : children | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 0–23 months | 1:4 | Regs., Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-10(c)(2)-(3) (opens in a new tab) |
| 2 years | 1:5 | Regs., Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-10(c)(2)-(3) (opens in a new tab) |
| 3–5 years | 1:10 | Regs., Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-4a(d)(4)(A), (d)(5)(A) (opens in a new tab) |
These are the state’s minimums for licensed child care centers, and a center can staff richer. Read the linked rule text before relying on a figure: regulations change.
How to check a daycare license in Connecticut
Every licensed center in Connecticut has a public record with Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing. Here is how to read it.
Search the state’s site
Open State of Connecticut eLicense Online (opens in a new tab) and look the center up by name and city. Confirm the license type and that its status is active.
Read the inspection information
Open the center’s record and read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for it.
Compare with Clear Day’s center page
Our page shows the license type and capacity next to the hours and programs the center lists, so you can weigh the state’s record beside what the center offers.
Open State of Connecticut eLicense Online (opens in a new tab)
Each Clear Day center page in Connecticutlinks to that center’s state record when the state publishes one, so step 3 starts one click from step 1.
Paying for childcare in Connecticut
These programs help Connecticut families pay for care. Which one fits depends on income, your child’s age and where you live.
School Readiness
Connecticut pre-K. Administered by: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC)
33%accept pre-K1,345 of 4,107 centers reporting
Head Start and Early Head Start
Federal programs for families with low incomes, from pregnancy through age five.
100%accept Head Start12 of 12 centers reporting
100%accept Early Head Start13 of 13 centers reporting
Frequently asked questions about childcare in Connecticut
Answers use the numbers on this page, as of October 22, 2026.
How many childcare centers are in Connecticut?
Connecticut has 4,119 childcare centers and homes in the state licensing records Clear Day reads, across 229 cities. Waterbury has the most, with 271, followed by New Haven (223) and Bridgeport (214).
What is the child-to-staff ratio for infants in Connecticut?
For children 0–23 months in licensed child care centers, Connecticut allows up to 4 children per staff member, a ratio of 1:4 under Regs., Conn. State Agencies §19a-79-10(c)(2)-(3). For 2 years it is 1:5. The full table is on this page.
How do I check if a daycare is licensed in Connecticut?
Look the center up in State of Connecticut eLicense Online, the state's public license lookup. Confirm the license is active, then read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for that center. Clear Day center pages link to the state's record for that center when the state publishes one.
Does Connecticut help pay for childcare?
Yes. Connecticut's child care subsidy program is Care 4 Kids. Public pre-K is a separate option: School Readiness.
Where does this data come from?
Center records come from Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing public records. Every share on the page names the number of centers it is counted over, and the methodology page explains how.
When was this data last updated?
The state records on this page were last imported October 22, 2026. Each center page shows its own record date. See the methodology for details.
For center directors
Run a center in Connecticut?
Your center is already listed here, built from state records. Claim it free and get a free enrollment website built from your listing.
Other state guides
Connecticut is one of 36 states in the directory: 174,646 centers and homes across 14,123 cities. Each state has its own guide with its own rules, agency and license lookup.
- New York17,606 centers and homes
- Texas15,837 centers and homes
- California13,298 centers and homes
- Florida11,924 centers and homes
- Massachusetts9,440 centers and homes
- Ohio8,707 centers and homes
- Minnesota7,814 centers and homes
- Michigan7,700 centers and homes
- Pennsylvania7,670 centers and homes
- Georgia6,970 centers and homes
- Maryland6,592 centers and homes
- North Carolina5,074 centers and homes
- Wisconsin4,687 centers and homes
- Colorado4,636 centers and homes
- New Jersey4,083 centers and homes
- Virginia3,589 centers and homes
- Iowa3,184 centers and homes
- Nebraska2,639 centers and homes
- Oklahoma2,628 centers and homes
- Missouri2,618 centers and homes
- Washington2,581 centers and homes
- Arizona2,536 centers and homes
- Tennessee2,303 centers and homes
- South Carolina2,296 centers and homes
- Idaho2,156 centers and homes
- Kentucky2,001 centers and homes
- Alabama1,826 centers and homes
- Utah1,798 centers and homes
- Delaware1,267 centers and homes
- West Virginia1,186 centers and homes
- North Dakota1,077 centers and homes
- Vermont1,048 centers and homes
- South Dakota711 centers and homes
- Nevada589 centers and homes
- District of Columbia456 centers and homes
- All 36 states174,646 centers and homes
Where this data comes from
Center records come from Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing public records. Every percentage on this page names the number of Connecticut centers it is counted over. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Clear Day does not rate, rank or review centers.
- Last updated
- October 22, 2026
This information is sourced from public records and may be incomplete or out of date. For the most current and accurate details, please verify directly with Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing or contact the center directly. Clear Day does not rate, rank or endorse any center.
Data updated Oct 22, 2026 · Source: Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing public records · Connecticut license lookup (opens in a new tab) · How we compile this →