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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Vermont

Many preschools in Vermont take part in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), Act 166, for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds not yet in kindergarten. It is free for 10 hours a week, 35 weeks a year.

preschools and pre-K programs listed
886
towns
193
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
105
of all Vermont daycares
85%

Map of Vermont: 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

Pre-K and preschool costs in Vermont

preschools here take part in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), Act 166
373
By the Vermont license record. It is for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds not yet in kindergarten. It is free for 10 hours a week, 35 weeks a year.
Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), Act 166: the official page

Vermont

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Vermont

Bennington31 preschoolsBurlington31 preschoolsRutland29 preschoolsEssex24 preschoolsSt Albans22 preschoolsBrattleboro20 preschoolsSouth Burlington20 preschoolsWilliston19 preschoolsColchester17 preschoolsDerby17 preschoolsHartford17 preschoolsSpringfield17 preschools

Programs

Programs in Vermont

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 daycares1,041
Take infants625
Child care centers642
Accept subsidy33
In-home daycares399
Christian & church daycares13
Montessori schools11
Preschools & pre-K886
Early morning daycare115
Part-time daycare33
After-school care696
Head Start37

The Vermont state record

Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division licenses daycares in Vermont.

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 2008
Cited rules
The inspector's finding, in the state's own words
Corrections
Correction dates as the state records them
Search the Vermont state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Vermont

  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.

Vermont

Cost, inspections and ratios in Vermont

What Vermont inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in VermontHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for VermontQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 193 Vermont towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A4 towns
B24 towns
C17 towns
D7 towns
E4 towns
F8 towns
G7 towns
H10 towns
I1 town
J4 towns
K1 town
L7 towns
M12 towns
N8 towns
O1 town
P9 towns
R11 towns
S24 towns
T5 towns
U1 town
V2 towns
W26 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

New York4,338 preschoolsMassachusetts2,248 preschoolsNew Hampshire166 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Vermont

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

886 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 193 Vermont towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Bennington, with 31 listed. Next are Burlington (31) and Rutland (29).

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 Vermont?

Yes. Vermont runs Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), Act 166, for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds not yet in kindergarten. It is free for 10 hours a week, 35 weeks a year. Contact your school district of residence; for a public-school program the school handles enrollment, and for a prequalified community program enroll with both the provider and the school district.

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 Vermont?

Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division licenses daycares in Vermont. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.