Updated Oct 29, 2026

Infant care in Vermont

629 of Vermont’s 1,059 regulated child care programs are licensed for infants. In the 60 days before Oct 29, 2026, 68 of them reported an open infant spot to the state. Here’s where the spots are, and how to get on the right waitlists.

629Programs licensed for infants
3,894Licensed infant spots
68Reported an infant opening (last 60 days)
371Registered homes, listed with 2 infant spots each

Infant care by county

CountyLicensed for infantsInfant spotsOpening reportedPer 1,000 children under 5
Addison30160020.1
Bennington45276127.7
Caledonia502321340.1
Chittenden11613661016.0
Essex511121.6
Franklin71247224.9
Grand Isle752223.3
Lamoille25173320.7
Orange27143422.0
Orleans49147237.5
Rutland543111022.4
Washington63286425.7
Windham372241421.3
Windsor50266221.1

Infant spots are the licensed capacity in the state’s infant band (6 weeks through 12 months), not open spots; every registered family child care home is listed with 2. “Opening reported” counts programs that told the state about an open infant spot in the last 60 days. “Per 1,000 children under 5” is how many programs are licensed for infants for every 1,000 children under 5 living in the county (Census estimate for 2020–2024).

Towns with the most infant programs

Find infant care near you

Why infant spots are hard to find

Babies need the most hands-on care, so state rules require more teachers per child in infant rooms than for any other age. That makes infant rooms small and expensive to run, and many programs don’t offer them at all. Ask each program who gets priority when a spot opens, and keep in touch.

How to get on the right waitlists

  1. Start early. If you can, join lists during pregnancy.
  2. Contact several programs. Ask whether they have space or a waitlist for infants, how it works, whether there’s a fee to join, and roughly how long families are waiting right now.
  3. Tour your top choices, and take notes while it’s fresh.
  4. Check in every few weeks. A short, friendly note keeps you active on the list.
  5. When you choose, tell the others, so the next family moves up.
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Questions

How many daycares in Vermont take infants?

629 of Vermont’s 1,059 regulated child care programs are licensed for infants (6 weeks through 12 months), with 3,894 infant spots in all, as of Oct 29, 2026. 371 of them are registered family child care homes, which the state lists with 2 infant spots each; ask which ages each one takes.

How much does infant daycare cost in Vermont?

Vermont doesn’t publish programs’ prices, so ask each program when you call. Families who qualify for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program pay a weekly share based on income, from $0 up to $425 a week.

How long are infant daycare waitlists in Vermont?

The state doesn’t publish waitlist lengths. What it does show: in the 60 days before Oct 29, 2026, 68 of the 629 programs licensed for infants reported an open infant spot. Nationally, in a Care.com survey of US parents (November 2024), 55% of those who had been on a daycare waitlist waited four months or more.

When should I get on an infant daycare waitlist?

As early as you can, ideally during pregnancy. Call several programs, ask how their waitlist works and whether there’s a fee, and check in every few weeks.

Need help paying? See who qualifies for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program.

From the state’s list of child care providers (Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division, on the state’s open data portal), retrieved Oct 29, 2026. The state updates its list once a month. Openings are what each program last reported to the state, on the date shown. Always confirm details with the program. The state’s data is shared under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0.