Pennsylvania state guide

Childcare centers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 7,670 childcare centers and homes in its state licensing records, across 891 cities, with about 411,000 licensed seats at the 5,857 centers that report capacity. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services handles licensing. This guide covers the rules that apply, how to check a license, quality ratings, how subsidy works, and how to find a center in your city.

Data updated October 19, 2026 · Source: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services (opens in a new tab) public records · How we compile this →

Largest cities for childcare in Pennsylvania

Ranked by centers and homes on file. Each city page lists every center in that city.
  1. Philadelphia1,769 centers and homes
  2. Pittsburgh404 centers and homes
  3. Allentown286 centers and homes
  4. Lancaster125 centers and homes
  5. Harrisburg123 centers and homes
  6. Reading123 centers and homes
Show 6 more
  1. Erie108 centers and homes
  2. York85 centers and homes
  3. Lebanon73 centers and homes
  4. Bethlehem62 centers and homes
  5. Scranton54 centers and homes
  6. Easton50 centers and homes

Centers and homes listed per city, of 7,670 in Pennsylvania.

All 891 Pennsylvania cities

All 891 cities in Pennsylvania, A to Z

Jump to a letter, or open a group below.

A · 32 cities

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B · 72 cities

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C · 82 cities

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D · 38 cities

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E · 46 cities

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F · 36 cities

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G · 29 cities

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H · 47 cities

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I · 5 cities

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J · 15 cities

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K · 15 cities

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L · 43 cities

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M · 92 cities

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N · 42 cities

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O · 18 cities

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P · 43 cities

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Q · 2 cities

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R · 37 cities

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S · 82 cities

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T · 32 cities

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U · 7 cities

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V · 5 cities

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W · 61 cities

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Y · 8 cities

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Z · 2 cities

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Pennsylvania childcare centers by county

66 Pennsylvania counties have licensed centers or homes on file, ranked here by how many. Philadelphia County has the most, with 1,770 centers and homes.
  1. Philadelphia County1,770 centers and homes
  2. Allegheny County745 centers and homes
  3. Montgomery County463 centers and homes
  4. Lehigh County388 centers and homes
  5. Delaware County340 centers and homes
  6. Bucks County302 centers and homes
  7. Chester County280 centers and homes
  8. Lancaster County237 centers and homes
  9. Berks County192 centers and homes
  10. York County190 centers and homes
  11. Luzerne County180 centers and homes
  12. Dauphin County170 centers and homes
  13. Westmoreland County144 centers and homes
  14. Erie County143 centers and homes
  15. Northampton County137 centers and homes
  16. Cumberland County120 centers and homes
  17. Lackawanna County120 centers and homes
  18. Lebanon County99 centers and homes
All 66 Pennsylvania counties, A to Z

License types in Pennsylvania

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

Pennsylvania child care ratios

Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania ratios by age
Maximum children per staff member in licensed child care centers, by age, under 55 Pa. Code § 3270.51
AgeStaff : childrenRule
0–11 months1:455 Pa. Code § 3270.51 (opens in a new tab)
12–23 months1:555 Pa. Code § 3270.51 (opens in a new tab)
2 years1:655 Pa. Code § 3270.51 (opens in a new tab)
3–5 years1:1055 Pa. Code § 3270.51 (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 Pennsylvania

Every licensed center in Pennsylvania has a public record with Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services. Here is how to read it.

  1. Search the state’s site

    Open COMPASS Provider 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 COMPASS Provider Search (opens in a new tab)

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

Keystone STARS quality ratings

Keystone STARS (opens in a new tab) is Pennsylvania’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.

6,357 of 6,624 Pennsylvania centers have a Keystone STARS rating

Share of 6,624 Pennsylvania centers in the directory, by Keystone STARS level.

  • STAR 1 46%3,024 centers
  • STAR 2 18%1,159 centers
  • STAR 3 3%223 centers
  • STAR 4 29%1,951 centers
  • No rating on file 4%267 centers

Paying for childcare in Pennsylvania

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

Child Care Works (CCW)

Pennsylvania child care subsidy. Administered by: DHS OCDEL, through local Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs)

89%are current subsidy providers5,869 of 6,624 centers reporting

About Child Care Works (opens in a new tab)

Head Start and Early Head Start

Federal programs for families with low incomes, from pregnancy through age five.

2%accept Head Start120 of 6,624 centers reporting

1%accept Early Head Start36 of 6,624 centers reporting

Head Start locator (opens in a new tab)

Frequently asked questions about childcare in Pennsylvania

Answers use the numbers on this page, as of October 19, 2026.
How many childcare centers are in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has 7,670 childcare centers and homes in the state licensing records Clear Day reads, across 891 cities. Philadelphia has the most, with 1,769, followed by Pittsburgh (404) and Allentown (286).

What is the child-to-staff ratio for infants in Pennsylvania?

For children 0–11 months in licensed child care centers, Pennsylvania allows up to 4 children per staff member, a ratio of 1:4 under 55 Pa. Code § 3270.51. For 12–23 months it is 1:5. The full table is on this page.

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

Look the center up in COMPASS Provider 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 Pennsylvania help pay for childcare?

Yes. Pennsylvania's child care subsidy program is Child Care Works (CCW). 5,869 of the 6,624 centers in our directory that report subsidy status (89%) are current providers. Public pre-K is a separate option: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.

What is Keystone STARS?

Keystone STARS is Pennsylvania's quality rating program for child care. 6,357 of 6,624 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 Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification 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 19, 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

Pennsylvania 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.

Where this data comes from

Center records come from Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services public records. Every percentage on this page names the number of Pennsylvania 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 19, 2026
Agency
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification 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 Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services or contact the center directly. Clear Day does not rate, rank or endorse any center.

Data updated Oct 19, 2026 · Source: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services public records · Pennsylvania license lookup (opens in a new tab) · How we compile this →