Our Methodology

How DaycareFacilities.org sources, processes, and presents state child care licensing data, including quality ratings, staffing measures, enforcement actions, and their limitations.

This page describes where our data originates, how we handle it, and what the numbers actually represent. Being transparent about method matters more than any individual score.

Primary source

Our provider data is drawn from public datasets released by state child care licensing agencies and compiled through the Child Care Aware of America directory, the US Child Care Providers dataset, and the Head Start Service Locations dataset published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These are public records and public-domain government works. We keep source provenance on every provider record, including the source name, the dataset identifier, and the processing date.

How we process the data

1. Acquire. We download the published licensing datasets covering child care centers, family child care homes, group child care homes, preschools, Head Start programs, school-age programs, and other child care providers.
2. Normalize. We standardize names, addresses, geographic fields, and identifiers so that records can be joined and compared.
3. Compute aggregates. For state, county, and city pages we derive counts, average ratings, and bed totals from the underlying provider rows.
4. Render. We display the values as published, with the strengths and limits of each measure spelled out on the page.

Quality ratings and measures

Some state licensing agencies publish quality ratings for child care programs that blend licensing compliance, caregiver qualifications, and classroom quality measures. Each component draws on different data with different reporting periods. A high score in one domain does not guarantee quality in another. We label ratings as their source data and neither recalculate nor override them.

Staffing and turnover

Staffing measures describe reported caregiver-to-child ratios and staff turnover. Reporting methods differ, and the figures reflect an average that may not match any specific classroom or shift. The needs of the children in care are not fully captured by ratios alone.

Penalties and enforcement

Fine and enforcement totals come from state licensing enforcement data. A penalty is evidence of a past deficiency, not proof that a problem continues today, and the absence of a penalty is not a guarantee of quality.

Limitations

• Data trails real-world change and may not capture recent ownership or staffing shifts.
• Measures are population-level summaries, not predictions about any individual.
• Small providers may have few data points, which makes averages unstable.
• Our aggregation is mechanical and makes no adjustment for local market differences.

Corrections and updates

We re-pull source data whenever the state registries publish updates and correct errors in our own processing. To report a problem, use the contact page. See Data Sources for the exact datasets and licenses.

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.