Start with the state’s free Child Care Search, call your regional Child Care Resource and Referral agency for free help, then tour your top picks, read each program’s state inspection results and join more than one waitlist. That’s the playbook. Here’s how to run it.

By our editors · Facts checked October 7, 2026

Listen to this article (9 min)

Disclosure: Treehouse Learning Center, which runs childcare and therapy programs in Massachusetts, publishes KidBrief. Our directory lists every licensed program, and we always label ours. Some links may be affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

The short version

  • The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) runs a free search of licensed centers and family child care homes, with inspection results.
  • Your regional referral agency (CCR&R) helps you find care and apply for help paying, at no cost.
  • Public school preschools and other license-exempt programs won’t show up in EEC’s search. Ask who oversees them.
  • Waitlists are normal. Join several and check in on a schedule.
  • Programs generally can’t turn a child away because of a disability.
A teacher sits with a group of young children around a table in a bright, cozy classroom
Photo: Yegor Makarenko / Unsplash

Know your options: center, home or exempt

Massachusetts has three broad kinds of care outside your home. A license means a program must meet state health and safety standards, staff ratios, First Aid and CPR training, and background record checks.

TypeWhereWho oversees itGood to know
Center-based care (EEC calls it group and school age child care)A center in a community building, such as a stand-alone site or a school buildingEEC licenseSmall programs serve up to 10 kids; large programs serve 11 or more. Kids are usually grouped by age, with set ratios, like one educator for every three infants.
Family child careThe provider’s homeEEC licenseUp to 6 kids, up to 8 if at least 2 are school age, or up to 10 with an approved assistant. Ages are often mixed.
License-exempt carePublic school preschools and after-school programs, some private and parochial schools, drop-in programs, playgroups, informal arrangementsNot licensed by EEC; public school programs answer to the districtWon’t appear in EEC’s search.

Licensed programs get at least one unannounced EEC visit a year. Not sure which type fits your kid’s age? Our explainer on daycare vs. preschool vs. pre-K sorts it out.

Step 1: Search EEC’s official Child Care Search

EEC’s Child Care Search is the state’s own directory of licensed programs. Search near home, work or your commute, and note every program that serves your child’s age. You can also browse our directory of licensed programs.

Then open each listing and read the inspection record. Since October 1, 2019, EEC has posted what its licensors found on visits and investigations, including any rules a program broke and its plan to fix them. Results stay up for five years.

Can’t find a program you heard about? Call your EEC regional office to confirm its license. Our guide to daycare tour questions and license checks lists the office numbers and shows how to read a record.

Step 2: Call your Child Care Resource and Referral agency

CCR&R agencies help families find care that fits and help eligible families apply for child care financial assistance. After EEC’s 2024 region changes, the agencies are:

  • Northeast: Child Care Circuit
  • Metro Boston: a network run by Child Care Choices of Boston and Community Care for Kids
  • Southeast: a network run by Child Care Works (PACE) and Child Care Network
  • Central and Western: Seven Hills Child Care Resources

Use EEC’s CCR&R lookup to find yours. Your local Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) program is another free resource: more than 80 CFCE programs serve 350 cities and towns and share current info on local programs.

Step 3: Build a shortlist of 3 to 5

Narrow it to three to five programs you’d be glad to use. Score each on:

  • Location: close to home, work or whoever does pickups.
  • Hours and calendar: open and close times, holiday closures, part-time options.
  • Openings: a spot, or a waitlist, for your child’s age group.
  • Cost: tuition, fees and whether it accepts financial assistance. Benchmark it against what child care costs in Massachusetts.
  • Record: what the state inspection results show.
  • Ratios: how many kids per teacher. Know the state ratio rules before you ask.
  • Fit: group size, languages spoken and an approach that suits your kid. As EEC’s family guide puts it, “The best program is the one that matches your own child’s temperament.”

Call before you visit. Ask if it’s licensed, whether there’s space, hours and cost, whether it takes state assistance, and when you can tour. Childcare.gov suggests visiting your top picks in person before you decide.

Step 4: Get on waitlists, and stay on them

Waitlists are common, so start as soon as you know your start date. When you join one, ask:

  • How many families are ahead of us for my child’s age group?
  • Is there a fee to join, and is it refundable?
  • How do you pick who gets the next spot? Do siblings or staff kids go first?
  • How often should I check in, and how will you reach me?

Join more than one list. Keep a simple tracker: program, date joined, contact person, last check-in.

The financial assistance waitlist is separate

Need help paying? Apply for state Child Care Financial Assistance through the MyChildCareMA portal. EEC keeps one central waitlist for income-eligible families. Households at or below 85% of state median income can qualify, families caring for a child with a disability are a priority group, and families get 15 calendar days to respond to an offer.

Expect a wait. As of July 2026, 31,724 children were on the income-eligible waitlist, GBH News reported. In September 2026 the state announced new funding to start serving waitlisted families again, but officials said it won’t reach everyone. Our guide to help paying for child care covers every option.

For children who need extra support

Every kid deserves a good program, including kids with speech delays, autism and other developmental differences.

When you call, ask what experience the staff has with kids like yours, whether your child’s therapist can visit, and how they share information with your child’s team.

Common questions

How do I know if a daycare is licensed in Massachusetts?

Look it up in EEC’s Child Care Search. Licensed programs must also post their license in a prominent spot, per EEC’s family guide. If a program isn’t listed, call your EEC regional office.

Is a home daycare as safe as a center?

Licensed family child care homes and centers both follow EEC regulations and get unannounced state visits. Neither is automatically better. Check each program’s inspection history, ask about ratios and pick the setting that fits your child.

What does license-exempt mean?

Some programs don’t need an EEC license, like public school preschools, drop-in programs and informal co-ops. They won’t appear in EEC’s search, so ask who oversees the program and what safety rules it follows.

How early should I start looking for daycare?

As soon as you know your start date. Many programs keep waitlists, and joining several early gives you more choices. If you need financial help, apply at the same time, because that waitlist is separate.

Looking for bilingual care or pediatric therapy on the North Shore? Our publisher, Treehouse Learning Center, has programs in Lynn.

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Sources

From the team behind KidBrief

KidBrief is published by Treehouse Learning Center, an early education program in Lynn, Massachusetts. Looking for care on the North Shore? Schedule a free tour →