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Accepts assistance

Affordable Daycare in Maine

Full-time care at a center costs a median of $225 a week for a baby and $188 for a preschooler in the middle Maine county (2022). Families who qualify can get help paying through the Child Care Affordability Program, and the daycares listed here accept it.

daycares that accept child care assistance listed
866
towns
241
towns have their own affordable daycare page
107
of all Maine daycares
63%

Map of Maine: 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 Maine, and help paying for it

Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Maine county (2022)
$225
The median of 16 county medians, from $175 in the lowest county to $262 in the highest.
Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Maine county (2022)
$188
The median of 16 county medians, from $142 in the lowest county to $261 in the highest.
Head Start or Early Head Start centers in Maine
64
Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
How to apply: Child Care Affordability ProgramHead Start in MaineDaycare cost in Maine, by age and county

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

Maine

Largest towns for affordable daycare in Maine

Lewiston41 accept assistanceBangor23 accept assistancePortland23 accept assistanceAuburn22 accept assistanceSouth Portland19 accept assistanceBrunswick16 accept assistanceWindham16 accept assistanceAugusta15 accept assistanceSaco15 accept assistanceGorham14 accept assistanceWaterville12 accept assistanceSanford11 accept assistance

Programs

Programs in Maine

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 daycares1,365
Take infants60
Child care centers782
Accept subsidy866
In-home daycares583
Christian & church daycares25
Montessori schools33
Preschools & pre-K143
Early morning daycare71
Part-time daycare39
Head Start64

The Maine state record

Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services licenses daycares in Maine.

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 Maine state records

Before you enroll

Paying for daycare in Maine

  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.

Maine

Cost, inspections and ratios in Maine

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

A to Z

All 241 Maine towns with affordable daycare, A to Z

A8 towns
B27 towns
C22 towns
D9 towns
E4 towns
F10 towns
G7 towns
H9 towns
I3 towns
J3 towns
K5 towns
L14 towns
M15 towns
N17 towns
O8 towns
P16 towns
R8 towns
S23 towns
T6 towns
U1 town
V3 towns
W20 towns
Y3 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

New Hampshire26 accept assistance

Questions

Questions about affordable daycare in Maine

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

866 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed in 241 Maine towns. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

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

Lewiston, with 41 listed. Next are Bangor (23) and Portland (23).

How do I apply for child care assistance in Maine?

Apply through the Child Care Affordability Program, run by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. It is for eligible Maine families who need child care so parents can work, go to school, or attend job training. Retired adults who are a child legal guardian can 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 Maine 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 Maine?

Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services licenses daycares in Maine. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.