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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Delaware

Preschool and pre-K programs across Delaware take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $145 a week in the middle Delaware county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
1,065
towns
43
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
32
of all Delaware daycares
90%

Map of Delaware: 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 Delaware

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Delaware county (2022)
$145
The median of 3 county medians, from $145 in the lowest county to $210 in the highest.

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

Delaware

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Delaware

Wilmington286 preschoolsNewark120 preschoolsDover92 preschoolsNew Castle85 preschoolsBear63 preschoolsMiddletown52 preschoolsSeaford45 preschoolsSmyrna30 preschoolsMilford25 preschoolsGeorgetown24 preschoolsBridgeville21 preschoolsMillsboro21 preschools

Programs

Programs in Delaware

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 daycares1,189
Take infants767
Child care centers598
Accept subsidy913
In-home daycares591
Christian & church daycares49
Montessori schools22
Preschools & pre-K1,065
Night daycare128
Early morning daycare453
Part-time daycare25
After-school care947
Bilingual daycare14
Head Start38

The Delaware state record

Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing licenses daycares in Delaware.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
Visits with findings back to 2021; the state does not list visits without findings
Cited rules
The inspector's finding, in the state's own words
Corrections
Correction dates as the state records them
Search the Delaware state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Delaware

  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.

Delaware

Cost, inspections and ratios in Delaware

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

A to Z

All 43 Delaware towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

B4 towns
C4 towns
D4 towns
E1 town
F4 towns
G2 towns
H5 towns
L3 towns
M5 towns
N3 towns
O2 towns
R1 town
S3 towns
T1 town
W1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Maryland6,083 preschoolsNew Jersey3,329 preschoolsPennsylvania1,317 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Delaware

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

1,065 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 43 Delaware towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Wilmington, with 286 listed. Next are Newark (120) and Dover (92).

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 Delaware?

Delaware Department of Education, Office of Child Care Licensing licenses daycares in Delaware. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.