Kentucky state guide

Childcare centers in Kentucky

Kentucky has 2,001 childcare centers and homes in its state licensing records, across 290 cities, with about 178,000 licensed seats at the 1,799 centers that report capacity. Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care 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: Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care (opens in a new tab) public records · How we compile this →

Largest cities for childcare in Kentucky

Ranked by centers and homes on file. Each city page lists every center in that city.
  1. Louisville474 centers and homes
  2. Lexington183 centers and homes
  3. Bowling Green47 centers and homes
  4. Frankfort34 centers and homes
  5. Paducah32 centers and homes
  6. Owensboro31 centers and homes
Show 6 more
  1. Florence30 centers and homes
  2. Elizabethtown26 centers and homes
  3. Hopkinsville26 centers and homes
  4. Richmond24 centers and homes
  5. Shelbyville24 centers and homes
  6. Nicholasville23 centers and homes

Centers and homes listed per city, of 2,001 in Kentucky.

All 290 Kentucky cities

All 290 cities in Kentucky, A to Z

Jump to a letter, or open a group below.

A · 9 cities

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B · 27 cities

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C · 32 cities

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D · 7 cities

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E · 11 cities

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F · 17 cities

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G · 11 cities

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H · 23 cities

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I · 2 cities

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J · 5 cities

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K · 1 city

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L · 23 cities

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M · 26 cities

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N · 6 cities

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O · 6 cities

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P · 18 cities

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R · 9 cities

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S · 25 cities

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T · 6 cities

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U · 3 cities

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V · 4 cities

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W · 18 cities

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Y · 1 city

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Kentucky childcare centers by county

118 Kentucky counties have licensed centers or homes on file, ranked here by how many. Jefferson County has the most, with 486 centers and homes.
  1. Jefferson County486 centers and homes
  2. Fayette County183 centers and homes
  3. Kenton County81 centers and homes
  4. Boone County57 centers and homes
  5. Campbell County54 centers and homes
  6. Hardin County53 centers and homes
  7. Warren County50 centers and homes
  8. Bullitt County39 centers and homes
  9. Christian County34 centers and homes
  10. Franklin County34 centers and homes
  11. McCracken County34 centers and homes
  12. Daviess County33 centers and homes
  13. Oldham County33 centers and homes
  14. Madison County32 centers and homes
  15. Shelby County27 centers and homes
  16. Jessamine County26 centers and homes
  17. Nelson County25 centers and homes
  18. Hopkins County23 centers and homes
All 118 Kentucky counties, A to Z

License types in Kentucky

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

  • Licensed Child Care Center

    1,759 listings

  • Licensed Provider, 12 or Fewer Children

    40 listings

How to check a daycare license in Kentucky

Every licensed center in Kentucky has a public record with Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care. Here is how to read it.

  1. Search the state’s site

    Open Public Child Care Search (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 Public Child Care Search (opens in a new tab)

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

Kentucky All STARS quality ratings

Kentucky All STARS (opens in a new tab) is Kentucky’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.

1,775 of 1,799 Kentucky centers have a Kentucky All STARS rating

Share of 1,799 Kentucky centers in the directory, by Kentucky All STARS level.

  • Level 1 58%1,050 centers
  • Level 2 5%96 centers
  • Level 3 17%295 centers
  • Level 4 10%174 centers
  • Level 5 9%160 centers
  • No rating on file 1%24 centers

Paying for childcare in Kentucky

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

Frequently asked questions about childcare in Kentucky

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

Kentucky has 2,001 childcare centers and homes in the state licensing records Clear Day reads, across 290 cities. Louisville has the most, with 474, followed by Lexington (183) and Bowling Green (47).

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

Look the center up in Public Child Care Search, 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 Kentucky help pay for childcare?

Yes. Kentucky's child care subsidy program is Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). 1,504 of the 1,504 centers in our directory that report subsidy status (100%) are current providers.

What is Kentucky All STARS?

Kentucky All STARS is Kentucky's quality rating program for child care. 1,775 of 1,799 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 Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care 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

Kentucky 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 Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care public records. Every percentage on this page names the number of Kentucky 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
Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care (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 Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care or contact the center directly. Clear Day does not rate, rank or endorse any center.

Data updated Oct 1, 2026 · Source: Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Regulated Child Care public records · Kentucky license lookup (opens in a new tab) · How we compile this →