Finding child care in Delaware is simpler than in most states, because one agency licenses every provider in all three counties. The same rules apply to a center in Wilmington and a home program near Georgetown. This page explains who regulates daycare here, how New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties differ, and what to check before you enroll a child. Use it alongside the listings and county pages to build a short list of providers worth calling.

Who Licenses and Inspects Daycare in Delaware

Child care licensing is handled by the Office of Child Care Licensing, usually shortened to OCCL. It sits inside the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. Delaware has no separate county licensing offices, so a provider in Kent County follows the same state regulations as one in New Castle County.

The state recognizes several types of programs. Child care centers operate from commercial space, churches or school buildings. Family child care homes operate in a provider's own residence with a small group of children. Large family child care homes take more children and typically need a second adult on site. School-age programs that run before and after school are a third group, which is why Boys & Girls Club sites and 4-H afterschool programs appear in our listings next to traditional preschools.

OCCL sets minimum standards for staff-to-child ratios, group sizes, building safety, health practices and staff training. Employees must clear background checks, including fingerprint-based criminal history checks. Licensing staff inspect programs and respond to complaints. A license is a baseline, not a quality grade.

For a quality signal, look at Delaware Stars for Early Success, the state's voluntary rating system. It uses five levels, and programs earn higher levels through measures such as staff education, the learning environment and family engagement. Many solid programs do not participate, so treat a missing rating as a reason to ask questions rather than a reason to cross a provider off your list.

Daycare in New Castle County: Wilmington, Newark and the I-95 Corridor

New Castle County is the state's population center and holds the largest share of our listings by a wide margin. Wilmington has more providers than any other city in Delaware, ranging from home-based programs to larger centers. One example is All My Children at 102 Becker Avenue, reachable at 302-995-9191. City parents often choose between a provider near home and one near an office, and the I-95 commute makes that choice matter.

Newark, home to the University of Delaware, has a mix of preschools, programs near campus and school-based after-school care. The 4-H Afterschool program at Shue-Medill Middle School, 1500 Capitol Trail (302-831-4977), is one school-based example. Farther south, Middletown has grown quickly, and programs such as Bethesda CDC at Silverlake Elementary, 200 East Cochran Street (302-378-8435), serve families in that growing part of the county.

Bear, New Castle, Hockessin and Claymont fill out the northern tier. A Child's World on Bear Christiana Road (302-322-9386), the Boys & Girls Club at 19 Lambson Lane in New Castle (302-655-8569), and the club at 500 Darley Road in Claymont (302-792-1882) show the range of options. Expect competition for infant and toddler spots in this county. Call several providers early and ask about waiting lists.

Daycare in Delaware's Central and Southern Counties

Kent County: Dover, Smyrna, Camden and Harrington

Kent County centers on Dover, the state capital, where state government jobs and Dover Air Force Base shape demand for dependable child care. Listings include Above and Beyond Childcare on Carlton Lane in Dover, Destined For Greatness Learning Center at 24 East North Street in Smyrna (302-514-9296), and Shells Early Learning Center at 2116 South Dupont Highway in Camden (302-698-1556).

Smaller towns have options too. Kreative Kids/Kids Kottage is in Harrington (302-398-8111), Shells Child Care Center II is on Bay Road in Frederica (302-335-0240), and Hartly Early Learning Center is on Main Street in Hartly (302-492-1152). Providers along Route 13 are spread out, so check each address against your actual commute rather than relying on the town name.

Sussex County: Georgetown, Lewes, Millsboro and the Resort Towns

Sussex County is the largest county by area and mixes farm communities, inland towns and beach resorts. Georgetown has Little Einsteins Preschool on Sand Hill Road (302-856-3122), and Lewes has Beach Babies Child Care on Learning Lane (302-644-1585). In Milford, Milford Early Learning Center is at 905 North Dupont Boulevard (302-422-6667). In Millsboro, The Growing Tree at 32615 Oak Orchard Road (302-256-7208) is run by the Boys & Girls club.

After-school choices include the 4-H program at Burton Village near Rehoboth Beach (302-856-2595), the 4-H program at Phillip Showell Elementary in Selbyville (302-856-2585), and Boys & Girls Club sites in Seaford and Laurel. Smaller towns such as Bridgeville (Helping Hands Learning Center I, 302-228-7197), Ellendale (Hand In Hand Early Learning Center, 302-222-0862) and Dagsboro (After School Club Of Hearts, 302-732-3858) also have programs, so rural families have more choices than the map suggests.

Tourism and agriculture mean some parents work evenings, weekends or seasonal schedules. Ask any provider about operating hours before you tour, since not every program fits a standard weekday workday.

A Practical Checklist Before You Enroll a Child in Delaware

A short, consistent set of questions makes it easier to compare providers from Claymont to Selbyville. Work through these with each program you call:

Call two or three providers in each town you can realistically reach, then tour your top choices. Listings change over time, so confirm phone numbers, hours and openings directly with the provider.

Paying for Child Care in Delaware: Subsidies and State Pre-K

Cost often decides the choice. Delaware's Purchase of Care program helps eligible families pay for care from a participating provider. Eligibility depends on household income, family size, and whether parents are working or attending school or training. Not every provider accepts subsidy payments, so ask before you tour.

Delaware also funds the Early Childhood Assistance Program, known as ECAP, a state preschool program for eligible four-year-olds from lower-income families, delivered through participating programs. Income limits and application steps change, so confirm current details with the state before you rely on them. If your employer offers a dependent care account, ask your benefits office how to use it with a licensed provider.

Licensed daycare and childcare programs in Delaware are regulated by the state's child care licensing division, which establishes standards for health, safety, staff qualifications, and caregiver-to-child ratios to protect enrolled children.

Daycare locations are available in 43 cities across Delaware. They are spread across 3 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Wilmington, Newark, Dover, reflecting population centers where working families have the greatest demand for licensed childcare options.

Families in Delaware searching for licensed childcare should verify that any facility is currently licensed by the state, check inspection history, and inquire about available subsidy programs that may reduce out-of-pocket childcare costs.

Daycare by Counties

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Daycare by Cities

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Families in Delaware can verify the licensing status of any childcare provider through the state's child care licensing agency online database. Income-eligible families may qualify for childcare subsidies through the Child Care and Development Fund program administered at the state level.

Browse Daycare by county across Delaware to find the nearest location.

Using Delaware's Statewide System to Your Advantage

Delaware's size works in your favor. All three counties fall under one set of licensing rules, so an inspection result or star rating means the same thing in Lewes as in Newark. Searching across county lines is also easy. A family in southern New Castle County might compare programs in Middletown and Smyrna, and a Dover commuter might consider Camden or Felton.

Your starting point depends on why you need care. For full-day infant and toddler care, focus on licensed centers and family child care homes. For a school-age child, look for programs located inside the child's school, because on-site care removes a pickup run. Examples in our listings include the Boys & Girls Club at William F. Cooke Jr. Elementary in Hockessin and the 4-H program at Phillip Showell Elementary in Selbyville.

Listings in our database are a snapshot and can lag behind real life. Providers close, move, change the ages they serve or change phone numbers. Confirm by phone, then verify license status with OCCL before you pay a deposit. The county pages for New Castle County, Kent County and Sussex County help you narrow a search to the towns you can reach each day.

Timing matters too. Many Delaware families start looking during pregnancy for infant care, and school-year after-school spots can fill over the summer. Ask about registration fees, holiday and snow-day closures, and the policy for sick children, since those details affect work attendance more than the weekly rate.

Delaware Daycare Questions Parents Ask

The Office of Child Care Licensing, part of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, licenses and inspects child care centers, family child care homes and large family child care homes across the state. To check a provider, ask to see the current license, then confirm with OCCL directly or through the state's published provider information. Ask whether recent inspection findings are available and how the provider fixed any problems. A current license that matches the address you are visiting is the first thing to confirm.

Delaware Stars for Early Success is a voluntary quality rating system with five levels. Programs move up by meeting standards tied to areas such as staff qualifications, learning activities and engagement with families. A higher level suggests a program has invested in quality beyond the licensing minimum, but it does not guarantee a good fit for your child. Some strong providers are not enrolled, and some highly rated ones have waiting lists. Use the star level as one input, then visit in person and ask about staff turnover.

Delaware offers a Purchase of Care child care subsidy for eligible families. Eligibility generally depends on household income, family size, and whether parents are working or attending school or training. The provider usually has to participate in the program. The state also funds ECAP, a preschool program for eligible four-year-olds from lower-income families. Income limits and application steps change, so contact the state or ask the provider which agency they work with before you enroll. Always ask directly whether a program accepts subsidy payments, because that varies from one provider to the next.

Not always. Our listings include a broad mix: full-day centers such as Beach Babies Child Care in Lewes, home-based programs, and school-age programs like the Boys & Girls Club sites in Seaford, Laurel and Claymont or the 4-H Afterschool programs in Newark and Selbyville. School-age programs serve different hours and ages than infant care, and licensing status can differ by program type and operator. Ask each program for its licensing status, the ages it serves, and whether it runs on school holidays, snow days and summer breaks.

For infant care in busy areas such as Wilmington, Newark and Dover, start several months ahead, and earlier if you want a particular school-based after-school program. Bring a list of questions, your child's immunization record and your work schedule. Ask about tuition, registration fees, late pickup charges, closures and sick-child rules. Visit while children are present so you can see routines and watch how staff handle drop-off, meals and nap time. Then compare at least two providers before paying any deposit.

Start by raising the issue with the director or provider and asking for a written response. If the concern involves safety, supervision or violations of licensing rules, contact the Office of Child Care Licensing, which reviews complaints about licensed programs. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. Suspected abuse or neglect can be reported to the Delaware Division of Family Services; look up the current hotline number on the state's website rather than relying on an old listing. Keep dates, names and messages as a record.