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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Connecticut

Preschool and pre-K programs across Connecticut take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $252 a week in the middle Connecticut county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
1,149
towns
188
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
106
of all Connecticut daycares
36%

Map of Connecticut: each dot is a town with preschools and pre-K programs, sized by how many are listed

Preschool & pre-K
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record lists preschool-age children among the ages it serves or names a state pre-K program, or it says it offers pre-K, or its name says preschool, pre-K or nursery school. Public school pre-K classes are often not on child care license lists; check with your school district too.A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Preschool and pre-K

What preschool costs in Connecticut

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Connecticut county (2022)
$252
The median of 8 county medians, from $235 in the lowest county to $306 in the highest.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
27%
Of the 567 websites we read for preschools in Connecticut, 27% mention part-time places and 26% mention full-time care. Ask which days and hours a place covers.

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

Connecticut

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Connecticut

Stamford55 preschoolsNew Haven50 preschoolsBridgeport47 preschoolsNorwalk35 preschoolsHartford34 preschoolsGreenwich25 preschoolsHamden25 preschoolsFairfield23 preschoolsMeriden21 preschoolsWaterbury21 preschoolsShelton20 preschoolsWallingford20 preschools

Programs

Programs in Connecticut

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 daycares3,228
Take infants856
Child care centers1,445
Accept subsidy95
In-home daycares1,783
Christian & church daycares96
Montessori schools40
Preschools & pre-K1,149
Night daycare313
Early morning daycare1,012
Weekend daycare152
Part-time daycare165
Drop-in daycare21
After-school care1,028
Bilingual daycare24
Head Start53

The Connecticut state record

Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing licenses daycares in Connecticut.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
Every visit the state publishes back to 1990
Cited rules
Each cited rule, in the state's own wording
Search the Connecticut state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Connecticut

  1. 1

    Ask about the day

    Ask how the day runs: free play, circle time, outdoor time and naps. Ask what children do to get ready for kindergarten.

  2. 2

    Half day or full day

    Many preschools run half days or school-year hours. If you work full time, ask about before- and after-care.

  3. 3

    Ask about cost

    Ask for the tuition, the registration fee and whether the state's pre-K or child care assistance can pay part of it.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

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

Connecticut

Cost, inspections and ratios in Connecticut

Daycare cost in ConnecticutWeekly prices by age and countyWhat Connecticut inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in ConnecticutHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for ConnecticutQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 188 Connecticut towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A4 towns
B14 towns
C13 towns
D7 towns
E10 towns
F3 towns
G8 towns
H7 towns
J1 town
K3 towns
L5 towns
M14 towns
N20 towns
O7 towns
P11 towns
R5 towns
S22 towns
T7 towns
U2 towns
V1 town
W24 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

New York4,338 preschoolsMassachusetts2,248 preschoolsRhode Island118 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Connecticut

How many preschools and pre-K programs are in Connecticut?

1,149 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 188 Connecticut towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Which Connecticut town has the most preschools and pre-K programs?

Stamford, with 55 listed. Next are New Haven (50) and Bridgeport (47).

What is the difference between preschool and pre-K?

Pre-K is the year before kindergarten, usually for 4-year-olds, and many states fund free or low-cost pre-K. Preschool is the wider term for programs for children of about 3 to 5. Many daycares run both, and this list has both.

Is there free preschool near me?

Head Start is free for children 3 to 5 from families who qualify, and many school districts run free pre-K classes. School-district pre-K is often not on child care license lists, so check with your school district too.

What age is pre-K?

Pre-K is usually for children who turn 4 by a cutoff date in late summer or early fall, the year before kindergarten. Each state sets its own cutoff.

What is the difference between preschool and daycare?

A preschool teaches children of about 3 to 5 before kindergarten, often for part of the day. A daycare looks after children while parents work, often all day, and many daycares run a preschool room. This list has both: places whose state record serves preschool-age children, that offer pre-K on their own website, or that are named a preschool.

Who licenses daycares in Connecticut?

Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Division of Licensing licenses daycares in Connecticut. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.