Preschools & Pre-K in Maine
Preschool and pre-K programs across Maine take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $188 a week in the middle Maine county (2022).
- preschools and pre-K programs listed
- 143
- towns
- 74
- towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
- 15
- of all Maine daycares
- 10%
Map of Maine: each dot is a town with preschools and pre-K programs, sized by how many are listed
Preschool and pre-K
What preschool costs in Maine
- 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.
Maine
Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Maine
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.
| Program | Listed |
|---|---|
| All daycares | 1,365 |
| Take infants | 60 |
| Child care centers | 782 |
| Accept subsidy | 866 |
| In-home daycares | 583 |
| Christian & church daycares | 25 |
| Montessori schools | 33 |
| Preschools & pre-K | 143 |
| Early morning daycare | 71 |
| Part-time daycare | 39 |
| Head Start | 64 |
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
Before you enroll
Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Maine
- 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
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
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
Check the license record
Open a listing for its state license, the ages it serves and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.
Maine
Cost, inspections and ratios in Maine
A to Z
All 74 Maine towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z
B7 towns
C9 towns
- Canaan1 preschool
- Cape Elizabeth2 preschools
- Caribou1 preschool
- Casco2 preschools
- Chelsea2 preschools
- Cherryfield1 preschool
- China1 preschool
- Corinth1 preschool
- Cumberland1 preschool
D1 town
- Damariscotta1 preschool
E1 town
- Eliot2 preschools
F3 towns
- Falmouth2 preschools
- Farmingdale2 preschools
- Freeport1 preschool
I1 town
- Islesboro1 preschool
N8 towns
- New Gloucester1 preschool
- Newcastle1 preschool
- Norridgewock1 preschool
- North Bridgton1 preschool
- North Haven1 preschool
- North Yarmouth1 preschool
- Northeast Harbor1 preschool
- Norway2 preschools
P1 town
- Portland7 preschools
S8 towns
- Sabattus1 preschool
- Saco3 preschools
- Scarborough6 preschools
- Searsport1 preschool
- South China1 preschool
- South Portland5 preschools
- Standish1 preschool
- Swans Island1 preschool
T1 town
- Turner2 preschools
U1 town
- Unity1 preschool
W13 towns
- Waldoboro1 preschool
- Waterville2 preschools
- Wells4 preschools
- West Baldwin1 preschool
- West Gardiner1 preschool
- Westbrook1 preschool
- Whitefield1 preschool
- Wilton1 preschool
- Windham3 preschools
- Winterport1 preschool
- Winthrop1 preschool
- Wiscasset2 preschools
- Woolwich1 preschool
No town on this list matches. Check the spelling, or search by ZIP code above.
Nearby
Nearby states
Questions
Questions about preschools and pre-K in Maine
How many preschools and pre-K programs are in Maine?
143 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 74 Maine towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.
Which Maine town has the most preschools and pre-K programs?
Portland, with 7 listed. Next are Gorham (6) and Scarborough (6).
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 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.