Data Sources
The public child care licensing datasets behind DaycareFacilities.org, with source URLs, license terms, update cadence, and provenance information for every provider record.
Every facility record on daycarefacilities.org comes from public data. This page lists our sources, their licenses, and how we maintain provenance.
Primary sources
| Source | What it contains | License |
|---|---|---|
| ChildCare.gov State Licensing Directory | State-by-state child care licensing contacts, inspection results, and consumer resources covering child care centers, homes, and preschools | Public domain (US Gov) |
| Child Care Aware of America | National directory and licensing lookup tools for child care centers, family child care homes, group child care homes, and preschools | Reference use |
| US Child Care Providers (Ryan Koch) | Per-state bundles of public child care licensing registries covering child care centers, family child care homes, group child care homes, and preschools | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Head Start Service Locations | Head Start and Early Head Start service locations published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Public domain (US Gov) |
| State child care licensing registries | Licensing status, capacity, and inspection records for child care centers, family child care homes, group child care homes, and preschools, aggregated from nine state open-data registries | Public record / state open-data |
Supporting sources for guides
- ChildCare.gov — information on finding and choosing child care.
- Office of Child Care (ACF) — child care subsidy, licensing, and policy resources.
- Child Care Aware of America — tools for locating and evaluating child care.
- NAEYC — early learning accreditation and quality standards.
- CDC Child Development — guidance on healthy development and safety.
- Head Start (HHS/ACF) — early education and family support programs.
- Zero to Three — resources on early childhood development and caregiving.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — federal early childhood programs and resources.
Provenance and processing
Every facility record carries a source label, a source dataset identifier, and a processing date. When we aggregate data for state, county, or city pages, we calculate counts and averages from the underlying provider rows and never change the source values shown on facility pages.
License and reuse
United States government works are generally not subject to copyright in the United States and are treated as public domain (US Gov). We make no claim of ownership over the underlying government data. Our own layout, original text, and design remain ours. See the terms of use.
Accuracy and reporting problems
Source data may be incomplete or delayed. If you think a value is wrong, check the original licensing dataset and report the issue through our contact page. See also our methodology and disclaimer.
DaycareFacilities.org is an independent informational directory. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any child care licensing agency or government agency. Informational only, not professional advice.
Required disclosures
For general information only. This website shares public data and general information about child care providers. It does not offer professional advice, and it cannot replace a visit to a provider, a review of public licensing records, or a conversation with the people you trust.
Independent and unaffiliated. DaycareFacilities.org is a private, independently run directory. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed or operated by, any government agency, child care licensing authority, or child care provider. Government agencies have not reviewed or endorsed this site.
Confirm details before acting. Provider records come from public datasets and may lag or contain errors. Always verify current licensing status, hours, availability, capacity, and costs directly with the provider and with your state or territory licensing agency.
Certain outbound links on this site are partner or affiliate links. If you use them we may receive a commission, and your price does not change. This never influences the data we publish.