Skip to content
DaycarePal
Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Gainesville, FL

Most preschools in Gainesville take part in Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK), for children who are 4 by September 1. It is free.

preschools and pre-K programs in Gainesville
91
daycare centers
73
in-home daycares
18
take infants
79
State license records

All preschools and pre-K programs in Gainesville

Showing 1 to 30 of 91

Providers on paid plans are listed first, then those in a state pre-K program, then those that offer pre-K on their own website, then A to Z by name. We do not rank daycares.

  1. Child care centerPreschool & pre-K

    A Child's Academy

    3.9· 83 reviews

    3401 Nw 34th St, Gainesville, FL

    VPK providerInfants to school-ageMeals provided
    CallDirections
  30. Child care centerPreschool & pre-K

    Kiddie Academy

    4.2· 44 reviews

    6476 Sw 75th St, Gainesville, FL

    VPK providerInfants to school-ageAccepts subsidy
    CallDirections
30 of 91
How this list is made: Gainesville daycares whose Florida record serves preschool-age children, plus those that say they offer pre-K or whose name says preschool. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

All 91 preschools and pre-K programs in Gainesville, A to Z

Preschool and pre-K

Pre-K and preschool costs in Gainesville

preschools here take part in Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK)
55
By the Florida license record. It is for children who are 4 by September 1. It is free.
Preschool-age care at a center in Alachua County, per week (2022)
$160
The Alachua County median for full-time care. At a home daycare it is $130 a week.
Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK): the official pageVPK providers in Gainesville

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

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Gainesville

  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.

Nearby

Preschools & pre-K in nearby towns

Alachua8 · 13 miNewberry9 · 15 miHawthorne6 · 16 miMelrose3 · 19 miHigh Springs8 · 19 miWilliston4 · 20 miKeystone Heights4 · 20 miBronson3 · 23 miStarke8 · 24 mi

More in this area

More daycare in Gainesville

All daycares in Gainesville123Preschools & Pre-K in FloridaChristian Preschools & Church Daycares in Gainesville18Head Start in Gainesville11VPK Providers in Gainesville55Infant Daycare in Gainesville81In-Home Daycares in Gainesville18Affordable Daycare in Gainesville61Early Morning Daycare in Gainesville16Part-Time Daycare in Gainesville11Drop-In Daycare in Gainesville3After-School Care in Gainesville114

Questions

Questions

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

91 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in Gainesville. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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 pre-K in Florida?

Yes. Florida runs Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK), for children who are 4 by September 1. It is free. Apply online on the Family Portal; the local early learning coalition reviews the application and, if approved, issues a Certificate of Eligibility to take to any VPK provider.

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.

Are these daycares licensed in Florida?

Every listing here comes from the Florida child care license records.