Iowa state guide

Childcare centers in Iowa

Iowa has 3,203 childcare centers and homes in its state licensing records, across 460 cities. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services handles licensing. This guide covers how to check a license, quality ratings, how subsidy works, and how to find a center in your city.

Data updated October 1, 2026 · Source: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (opens in a new tab) public records · How we compile this →

Largest cities for childcare in Iowa

Ranked by centers and homes on file. Each city page lists every center in that city.
  1. Des Moines387 centers and homes
  2. Davenport143 centers and homes
  3. Cedar Rapids136 centers and homes
  4. Waterloo98 centers and homes
  5. Sioux City94 centers and homes
  6. Ankeny89 centers and homes
Show 6 more
  1. Council Bluffs72 centers and homes
  2. Iowa City70 centers and homes
  3. West Des Moines64 centers and homes
  4. Dubuque62 centers and homes
  5. Urbandale44 centers and homes
  6. Burlington43 centers and homes

Centers and homes listed per city, of 3,203 in Iowa.

All 460 Iowa cities

All 460 cities in Iowa, A to Z

Jump to a letter, or open a group below.

A · 31 cities

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B · 24 cities

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C · 42 cities

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D · 29 cities

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E · 21 cities

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F · 14 cities

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G · 24 cities

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H · 17 cities

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I · 8 cities

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J · 5 cities

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K · 9 cities

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L · 32 cities

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M · 46 cities

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N · 14 cities

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O · 16 cities

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P · 17 cities

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R · 18 cities

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S · 41 cities

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T · 10 cities

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U · 5 cities

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V · 6 cities

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W · 30 cities

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Z · 1 city

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Iowa childcare centers by county

99 Iowa counties have licensed centers or homes on file, ranked here by how many. Polk County has the most, with 693 centers and homes.
  1. Polk County693 centers and homes
  2. Linn County207 centers and homes
  3. Scott County201 centers and homes
  4. Black Hawk County159 centers and homes
  5. Johnson County159 centers and homes
  6. Woodbury County115 centers and homes
  7. Dallas County103 centers and homes
  8. Pottawattamie County87 centers and homes
  9. Dubuque County81 centers and homes
  10. Story County73 centers and homes
  11. Des Moines County55 centers and homes
  12. Warren County52 centers and homes
  13. Webster County38 centers and homes
  14. Cerro Gordo County37 centers and homes
  15. Marshall County37 centers and homes
  16. Muscatine County37 centers and homes
  17. Clinton County35 centers and homes
  18. Jasper County30 centers and homes
All 99 Iowa counties, A to Z

License types in Iowa

Iowa’s licensing records use these categories. Each listing shows which one applies.

  • Child Care Center

    1,477 listings

How to check a daycare license in Iowa

Every licensed center in Iowa has a public record with Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Here is how to read it.

  1. Search the state’s site

    Open Childcare Compliance and Complaint Reports (opens in a new tab) and look the center up by name and city. Confirm the license type and that its status is active.

  2. Read the inspection information

    Open the center’s record and read whatever inspection or compliance information the state posts for it.

  3. 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 Childcare Compliance and Complaint Reports (opens in a new tab)

Each Clear Day center page in Iowalinks to that center’s state record when the state publishes one, so step 3 starts one click from step 1.

Iowa Quality for Kids quality ratings

Iowa Quality for Kids (opens in a new tab) is Iowa’s own quality rating program for child care. The level a center holds comes from the state.

This is the state’s rating, shown as the state’s. Clear Day does not rate or review centers.

407 of 1,477 Iowa centers have a Iowa Quality for Kids rating

Share of 1,477 Iowa centers in the directory, by Iowa Quality for Kids level.

  • Level 1 11%160 centers
  • Level 2 4%55 centers
  • Level 3 8%124 centers
  • Level 4 4%60 centers
  • Level 5 1%8 centers
  • No rating on file 72%1,070 centers

Paying for childcare in Iowa

These programs help Iowa families pay for care. Which one fits depends on income, your child’s age and where you live.

Frequently asked questions about childcare in Iowa

Answers use the numbers on this page, as of October 1, 2026.
How many childcare centers are in Iowa?

Iowa has 3,203 childcare centers and homes in the state licensing records Clear Day reads, across 460 cities. Des Moines has the most, with 387, followed by Davenport (143) and Cedar Rapids (136).

How do I check if a daycare is licensed in Iowa?

Look the center up in Childcare Compliance and Complaint Reports, 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 Iowa help pay for childcare?

Yes. Iowa's child care subsidy program is Child Care Assistance (CCA). 1,237 of the 1,477 centers in our directory that report subsidy status (84%) are current providers. Public pre-K is a separate option: Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children.

What is Iowa Quality for Kids?

Iowa Quality for Kids is Iowa's quality rating program for child care. 407 of 1,477 centers in the Clear Day directory carry a rating. The ratings are the state's. Clear Day does not rate or review centers.

Where does this data come from?

Center records come from Iowa Department of Health and Human Services 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 1, 2026. Each center page shows its own record date. See the methodology for details.

How we compile the data →

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Other state guides

Iowa is one of 35 states in the directory: 173,052 centers and homes across 13,878 cities. Each state has its own guide with its own rules, agency and license lookup.

Where this data comes from

Center records come from Iowa Department of Health and Human Services public records. Every percentage on this page names the number of Iowa centers it is counted over. This page is a guide, not legal advice. Clear Day does not rate, rank or review centers.

Read the full methodology →

Last updated
October 1, 2026
Agency
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (opens in a new tab)

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 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services or contact the center directly. Clear Day does not rate, rank or endorse any center.

Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · Source: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services public records · Iowa license lookup (opens in a new tab) · How we compile this →