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Methodology

How Childery Rates Montana Daycares

Updated May 2026.

Rating Distribution in Montana

Childery shows 843 daycares in Montana. Here's how their Overall Ratings break down.

574(68%)
52(6%)
13(2%)
0(0%)
204(24%)

Mean rating across all displayed daycares in Montana: 3.94.

Process Quality

Childery's Process Rating for Montana daycares averages metrics from National Accreditation Programs and Federal Head Start Classroom Observation Scores. Missing metrics do not count against a provider.

  • NAEYC Accreditation

    NAEYC accreditation is awarded after a provider demonstrates excellence across 9 standards (relationships with children within the classroom, family and community partnerships, curriculum, teaching, assessment, health, physical environment, educator professionalism, and program leadership) through both a document review and on-site classroom visit.

  • NAC Accreditation

    NAC accreditation is awarded after a provider demonstrates excellence across 7 component areas (administration, professional development, family engagement, curriculum, teacher-child interactions, and program- and classroom-level health and safety) through document review, on-site classroom observation, family and employee surveys, and interviews.

  • NECPA Accreditation

    NECPA accreditation is awarded after a provider demonstrates excellence across 4 categories (program administration, teacher-child interactions, curriculum and developmental program, and staff qualifications) through a self-study and improvement period followed by an on-site verification visit reviewing documentation and observing classrooms.

  • NAFCC Accreditation

    NAFCC accreditation is awarded after a home-based provider demonstrates excellence across 5 content areas (relationships, the environment, developmental learning activities, safety and health, and professional and business practices) through a self-study followed by an on-site observation visit with an educator interview.

  • Federal Head Start Classroom Observation Scores

    Head Start CLASS scores are produced for each center across 3 domains (emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support) by trained federal observers.

Structural Quality

Childery's Structural Rating for Montana daycares averages metrics from the Montana regulatory baseline, scored against NAEYC, NIEER, Federal Head Start, Federal CCDBG, or Childery benchmarks. Missing metrics do not count against a provider.

Child-to-Staff Ratios
NAEYC Standard
  • Infants
    NAEYC
    1:4
    Montana
    1:4
  • Toddlers
    NAEYC
    1:6
    Montana
    1:6
  • Preschool
    NAEYC
    1:10
    Montana
    1:10
Group Sizes
NAEYC Standard
  • Infants
    NAEYC
    ≤8
    Montana
    12
  • Toddlers
    NAEYC
    ≤12
    Montana
    12
  • Preschool
    NAEYC
    ≤20
    Montana
    20
Teacher Training
NAEYC/NIEER/Childery Standard
  • Lead Teacher Credential
    NAEYC/NIEER/Childery
    Bachelor's Degree
    Montana
    High School Diploma
  • Pre-Service
    NAEYC/NIEER/Childery
    ≥2,080 Hours
    Montana
    32 Hours
  • Ongoing Professional Development
    NAEYC/NIEER/Childery
    ≥25 Hours/Year
    Montana
    16 Hours/Year
Health and Safety Training
Federal CCDBG Standard
  • Federal CCDBG
    First Aid
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    CPR
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Reduction of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Administration of Medication
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Recognition and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Precautions in Transporting Children
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Child Development
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Building and Physical Premises Safety
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Handling and Storage of Hazardous Materials
    Montana
    X
  • Federal CCDBG
    Food Emergencies
    Montana
    X

Additional Methodology Information

Need more help? Read frequently asked questions about how Childery rates daycares — covering what each star level means, why Process and Structural are separated, how missing signals are handled, and how to flag a record that looks incorrect.

View Methodology