Preschools & Pre-K in Rhode Island
Preschool and pre-K programs across Rhode Island take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $248 a week in the middle Rhode Island county (2022).
- preschools and pre-K programs listed
- 118
- towns
- 35
- towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
- 15
- of all Rhode Island daycares
- 28%
Map of Rhode Island: 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 Rhode Island
- Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Rhode Island county (2022)
- $248
- The median of 5 county medians, from $245 in the lowest county to $263 in the highest.
Rhode Island
Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Rhode Island
Programs
Programs in Rhode Island
Counts come from each daycare's name and what it says it offers; the state license list is not on DaycarePal yet. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.
| Program | Listed |
|---|---|
| All daycares | 429 |
| Take infants | 76 |
| Child care centers | 388 |
| Accept subsidy | 24 |
| In-home daycares | 41 |
| Christian & church daycares | 6 |
| Montessori schools | 21 |
| Preschools & pre-K | 118 |
| Early morning daycare | 81 |
| Part-time daycare | 30 |
| Bilingual daycare | 14 |
| Head Start | 21 |
The Rhode Island license list
Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Office of Child Care licenses daycares in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island license list is not on DaycarePal yet.
- Listings
- From public business listings: the name, address, phone, website and hours each business publishes
- License
- No license record is matched to these listings yet; that does not mean a daycare is unlicensed
- Inspections
- Not on these listings; check the state's own search
Before you enroll
Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Rhode Island
- 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.
Rhode Island
Cost, inspections and ratios in Rhode Island
A to Z
All 35 Rhode Island towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z
B3 towns
- Barrington5 preschools
- Bristol2 preschools
- Burrillville1 preschool
C6 towns
- Central Falls1 preschool
- Charlestown1 preschool
- Chepachet2 preschools
- Coventry2 preschools
- Cranston8 preschools
- Cumberland3 preschools
E3 towns
- East Greenwich6 preschools
- East Providence1 preschool
- Exeter2 preschools
G1 town
- Greenville3 preschools
H2 towns
- Harrisville1 preschool
- Hope Valley1 preschool
L1 town
- Lincoln2 preschools
M1 town
- Middletown8 preschools
N1 town
- North Kingstown4 preschools
P3 towns
- Pawtucket2 preschools
- Portsmouth4 preschools
- Providence13 preschools
S2 towns
- Smithfield3 preschools
- South Kingstown4 preschools
T1 town
- Tiverton3 preschools
W6 towns
- Warren1 preschool
- Warwick13 preschools
- West Greenwich2 preschools
- West Warwick1 preschool
- Westerly4 preschools
- Woonsocket2 preschools
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 Rhode Island
How many preschools and pre-K programs are in Rhode Island?
118 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 35 Rhode Island towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.
Which Rhode Island town has the most preschools and pre-K programs?
Providence, with 13 listed. Next are Warwick (13) and Cranston (8).
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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Office of Child Care licenses daycares in Rhode Island. Its license list is not on DaycarePal yet, so the listings here come from public business listings and show no license or inspection record. Use the state's own search, linked on this page, to check a daycare's license.