Suffolk County

Daycare and child care in Boston, MA

Licensed programs
952
271 centers · 681 home-based
Take infants
128
centers; family child care homes may take babies too
Typical infant price
$2,879
a month at centers in the state’s Metro Boston region · prices by region
Take financial assistance
820
Child Care Financial Assistance · How it works

Boston, including Allston, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Dorchester Center, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End and West Roxbury, has 952 licensed child care programs: 271 centers and 681 home-based programs in Suffolk County.

Room for young children nearby

About average for MA

1.7children under 5 for every licensed spot within 10 miles

About 87,480 children under 5 live in MA within 10 miles of Boston (Census, 2020–2024). Programs there that take them are licensed for 52,117, counting any school-age spots, so it’s a bit tighter than this. MA overall: 1.7. See the 1303 programs nearby

All 952 licensed programs in Boston

With 952 programs, each one gets a line here. The search has a map and more filters.

Search near a neighborhood: Allston (9) · Brighton (23) · Charlestown (14) · Dorchester (218) · Dorchester Center (20) · East Boston (49) · Hyde Park (104) · Jamaica Plain (44) · Mattapan (75) · Roslindale (60) · Roxbury (59) · South Boston (18) · South End (2) · West Roxbury (31)

Child care near Boston

1,303 more programs within 10 miles, in Quincy, Winthrop, Cambridge and 25 other towns. Closest first.

Annette Anderson

Home-based · Winthrop · about 3.2 mi · 6 children

Ages not listed by the state: ask

Celestina Galeas

Home-based · Winthrop · about 3.2 mi · 8 children

Ages not listed by the state: ask

Takes financial assistance

See all within 10 miles

Daycare in Boston by age

Toddler care in Boston

171 programs take toddlers, and 684 more may too (the state doesn’t list their ages; most are family child care homes).

Preschool in Boston

215 programs take preschoolers, and 684 more may too (the state doesn’t list their ages; most are family child care homes).

Before- and after-school care in Boston

106 programs take school-age children, and 684 more may too (the state doesn’t list their ages; most are family child care homes).

New and growing in Boston

Nearby towns

From the state’s list of licensed child care programs (Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, on the state’s Education-to-Career data hub), retrieved Oct 27, 2026. The state updates its list once a month. It gives each program’s licensed capacity, not its openings or prices. Always confirm details with the program. This page’s details last changed Oct 27, 2026.