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Affordable Daycare in Massachusetts

Full-time care at a center costs a median of $352 a week for a baby and $270 for a preschooler in the middle Massachusetts county (2022). Families who qualify can get help paying through Child Care Financial Assistance, and the daycares listed here accept it.

daycares that accept child care assistance listed
6,436
towns
363
towns have their own affordable daycare page
252
of all Massachusetts daycares
72%

Map of Massachusetts: each dot is a town with daycares that accept child care assistance, sized by how many are listed

Accepts assistance
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record says it accepts child care subsidies, or it says it accepts child care assistance or vouchers.Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Cost and help paying

What daycare costs in Massachusetts, and help paying for it

Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Massachusetts county (2022)
$352
The median of 14 county medians, from $330 in the lowest county to $590 in the highest.
Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Massachusetts county (2022)
$270
The median of 14 county medians, from $230 in the lowest county to $420 in the highest.
Head Start or Early Head Start centers in Massachusetts
178
Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
How to apply: Child Care Financial AssistanceHead Start in MassachusettsDaycare cost in Massachusetts, by age and county

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

Massachusetts

Largest towns for affordable daycare in Massachusetts

Lawrence460 accept assistanceSpringfield425 accept assistanceWorcester377 accept assistanceLowell252 accept assistanceLynn231 accept assistanceDorchester204 accept assistanceBoston180 accept assistanceMethuen137 accept assistanceBrockton129 accept assistanceHaverhill128 accept assistanceFitchburg108 accept assistanceEverett107 accept assistance

Programs

Programs in Massachusetts

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares8,884
Take infants1,428
Child care centers3,010
Accept subsidy6,436
In-home daycares5,874
Christian & church daycares93
Montessori schools173
Preschools & pre-K2,248
Early morning daycare236
Part-time daycare426
Drop-in daycare39
After-school care1,651
Bilingual daycare158
Head Start178

The Massachusetts state record

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care licenses daycares in Massachusetts.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
On some licenses only; elsewhere shown where the daycare gives them
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Massachusetts state records

Before you enroll

Paying for daycare in Massachusetts

  1. 1

    Apply for assistance first

    Your state decides who qualifies and how much it pays. Apply through the state's child care assistance office before you choose a daycare.

  2. 2

    Ask about the copayment

    Most families pay a share of the cost. Ask the daycare whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much.

  3. 3

    Ask about open subsidy spots

    Some daycares cap how many children on assistance they take. Ask whether a spot is open now.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

Massachusetts

Cost, inspections and ratios in Massachusetts

Daycare cost in MassachusettsWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in MassachusettsHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 363 Massachusetts towns with affordable daycare, A to Z

A21 towns
B27 towns
C23 towns
D15 towns
E14 towns
F11 towns
G11 towns
H24 towns
I2 towns
J2 towns
K1 town
L18 towns
M27 towns
N32 towns
O6 towns
P10 towns
Q1 town
R12 towns
S45 towns
T10 towns
U2 towns
V1 town
W46 towns
Y2 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

New York229 accept assistanceConnecticut95 accept assistanceVermont33 accept assistanceNew Hampshire26 accept assistanceRhode Island24 accept assistance

Questions

Questions about affordable daycare in Massachusetts

How many daycares that accept child care assistance are in Massachusetts?

6,436 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed in 363 Massachusetts towns. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Which Massachusetts town has the most daycares that accept child care assistance?

Lawrence, with 460 listed. Next are Springfield (425) and Worcester (377).

How do I apply for child care assistance in Massachusetts?

Apply through Child Care Financial Assistance, run by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. It is for families with a recognized reason for needing child care, such as parents or caregivers who are working or in an education, training or job search program, and who meet income rules. Families referred by DTA or DCF may also qualify. Income limits change each year, so check the current limits on the state's site.

Is there free daycare?

Some families can get it. Head Start and Early Head Start are free for children from families who qualify, and some states waive the family's share of the cost for the lowest incomes. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Does a daycare that accepts assistance cost more?

Not by itself. Accepting assistance means the daycare takes payments from the state program; its own prices vary like any daycare's. Ask whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much you would pay.

How does child care assistance work?

Each state runs a child care assistance program, paid for in part by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Families who qualify by income, and usually by working, looking for work or going to school, get help paying a daycare that accepts it; the help is often called a voucher or subsidy. Most families pay a share called a copayment, set by the state. Apply through the Massachusetts child care assistance office.

Can I get free daycare?

Some families can. States may waive the copayment for families with the lowest incomes, and Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Who licenses daycares in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care licenses daycares in Massachusetts. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.