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Infant care

Infant Daycare in Washington

Most Washington daycares that take infants accept babies from 6 weeks or younger, by the ages on their state record. Full-time infant care at a center costs a median of $328 a week in the middle Washington county (2022).

daycares that take infants listed
752
towns
156
towns have their own infant daycare page
68
of all Washington daycares
30%

Map of Washington: each dot is a town with daycares that take infants, sized by how many are listed

Infant care
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record lists infants among the ages it serves, or it says it offers infant care.A daycare without this tag may still take infants; ask.

Infant care

Infant care in Washington: ages and costs

the most common youngest age on the state record in Washington
From 4 weeks
Of the 658 daycares here whose state record gives a starting age, 596 take babies from 6 weeks or younger.
Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Washington county (2022)
$328
The median of 39 county medians, from $237 in the lowest county to $478 in the highest.
of infant programs' websites say they provide meals
34%
Of the 330 websites we read for daycares that take infants in Washington, 34% say meals are provided, 22% mention a parent app with photos or daily notes, and 6.1% mention cameras parents can watch. A website that does not say so may still offer it; ask.
Staff-to-child ratios for babies in WashingtonDaycare cost in Washington, by age and county

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

Washington

Largest towns for infant daycare in Washington

Seattle89 take infantsSpokane44 take infantsBellevue29 take infantsTacoma29 take infantsVancouver23 take infantsEverett19 take infantsYakima19 take infantsLynnwood18 take infantsKirkland17 take infantsLacey17 take infantsPuyallup17 take infantsRedmond17 take infants

Programs

Programs in Washington

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 daycares2,500
Take infants752
Child care centers2,500
Accept subsidy138
In-home daycaresNone listed
Christian & church daycares163
Montessori schools184
Preschools & pre-K1,678
Early morning daycare338
Part-time daycare160
Drop-in daycare60
After-school care2,218
Bilingual daycare79
Head Start120

The Washington state record

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families licenses daycares in Washington.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Washington state records

Before you enroll

Choosing infant care in Washington

  1. 1

    Ask about the waitlist

    Infant spots fill first. Ask how long the waitlist is and whether you can join it before your baby is born.

  2. 2

    How many babies each caregiver has

    Ask how many infants one caregiver looks after, and whether the same caregiver is there each day.

  3. 3

    Safe sleep

    Ask where and how babies nap. Where the state publishes inspections, every visit with a sleep rule cited is on the listing's state record.

  4. 4

    Feeding and the daily log

    Ask how bottles and breast milk are handled, and how you will hear about feeds, naps and diapers each day.

Washington

Cost, inspections and ratios in Washington

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

A to Z

All 156 Washington towns with infant daycare, A to Z

A4 towns
B15 towns
C12 towns
D4 towns
E6 towns
F6 towns
G5 towns
H1 town
I2 towns
J1 town
K6 towns
L11 towns
M14 towns
N2 towns
O7 towns
P10 towns
Q1 town
R8 towns
S18 towns
T7 towns
U2 towns
V1 town
W11 towns
Y2 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

Oregon290 take infantsIdaho69 take infants

Questions

Questions about infant daycare in Washington

How many daycares that take infants are in Washington?

752 daycares that take infants are listed in 156 Washington towns. A daycare without this tag may still take infants; ask.

Which Washington town has the most daycares that take infants?

Seattle, with 89 listed. Next are Spokane (44) and Bellevue (29).

How much does infant daycare cost in Washington?

In the middle Washington county, full-time infant care at a center cost $328 a week in 2022 (U.S. Department of Labor). Each town page shows its own county.

How young a baby do daycares in Washington take?

Most often from 4 weeks: of the 658 daycares in Washington whose state record gives a starting age, 596 take babies from 6 weeks or younger and 652 from 3 months or younger. A daycare's own minimum can be older than its license allows, so ask.

Is there newborn daycare in Washington?

596 daycares in Washington take babies from 6 weeks or younger by the state record. Ask each one the youngest age it takes now.

Who licenses daycares in Washington?

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families licenses daycares in Washington. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.