Child Care Centers, Family Child Care & Preschools in North Carolina

North Carolina is home to 4,903 state-licensed care providers spanning 100 counties and 540 cities. Among rated providers, the average overall quality rating is not available.

540Cities

100Counties

4,903Certified providers

—Avg quality rating

Care type	Providers
Child Care Centers	3,283	View in North Carolina
Family Child Care Homes	959	View in North Carolina
Group Child Care Homes	0	—
Preschools	661	View in North Carolina
Head Start Programs	512	View in North Carolina
School-Age Programs	1	View in North Carolina
Child Care Providers	0	—

Cities in North Carolina

Charlotte, NC 480 providers Raleigh, NC 240 providers Greensboro, NC 224 providers Durham, NC 223 providers Fayetteville, NC 219 providers Winston-Salem, NC 103 providers Wilmington, NC 76 providers Asheville, NC 71 providers Cary, NC 67 providers Concord, NC 62 providers Goldsboro, NC 62 providers Greenville, NC 57 providers

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Counties in North Carolina

Showing 60 of 100 counties.

Choosing care in North Carolina

The strongest comparisons weigh several signals together - licensing record, ratios and group sizes, caregiver experience, and the particular hours and services a family needs. No single measure captures all of that, and nothing replaces a visit.

For families in North Carolina, the key questions are availability and waitlists, tuition and fees, hours of operation, and how caregivers communicate with parents each day. A visit plus direct questions remains the surest way to judge whether a program fits.

Frequently asked questions

How many state-licensed providers does North Carolina have?

According to current licensing data, North Carolina has 4,903 licensed providers: 3,283 child care centers, 959 family child care homes, and 661 preschools.

How does North Carolina score on average quality ratings?

Not every provider in North Carolina has a published average rating; open individual facility pages to view quality ratings where available.

Which cities in North Carolina have the highest number of care providers?

In the current data, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro lead North Carolina for certified provider counts. The city list above shows counts.

Data sources

Data source: ChildCare.gov state licensing resources, the state licensing agency data, and Head Start Service Locations (HHS/ACF). Data as of 2026-10-07. This page is informational and is 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.