Some of the Best Daycares in Fort Smith, AR
Of Fort Smith's 272 daycares, 29 (11%) hold a 4 or 5 star rating from Childery, below Arkansas's statewide rate of 16%. Locally, providers average 3.0 stars on Process inputs (state QRIS, NAEYC and other accreditation, federal Head Start CLASS scores) and 3.3 stars on Structural inputs (state regulatory baseline plus provider-level licensing data), compared with Arkansas averages of 3.0 on Process and 3.5 on Structural.
The local market includes 41 centers and 198 family child care homes, a higher home-based share than Arkansas's average of 66%.
Listed alphabetically below are some of the highest-rated providers in Fort Smith. Childery ranks providers using publicly auditable inputs: state QRIS scores, NAEYC-aligned ratios and group sizes, and federal CCDBG training coverage. See the Arkansas methodology page for the full breakdown.
Rating Distribution in Fort Smith
Mean rating across all displayed daycares in Fort Smith: 3.2 (Sample of 272).
Process rating across all displayed daycares in Fort Smith: 3.0 (Sample of 37).
Structural rating across all displayed daycares in Fort Smith: 3.3 (Sample of 272).
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Some of the Best Daycares in Fort Smith
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many licensed daycares are in Fort Smith?
- There are 272 licensed child care providers in Fort Smith.
- What percentage of Fort Smith daycares have high quality ratings?
- 11% of Fort Smith daycares hold 4 or 5 stars on Childery's composite rating, compared to 71% statewide in Arkansas.
- What types of childcare are available in Fort Smith?
- 41 center-based, 198 home-based providers operate in Fort Smith.
- How do Fort Smith daycares score on teaching quality compared to the rest of Arkansas?
- Fort Smith daycares average 3.0 out of 5 stars on Childery's Process score (teaching quality, QRIS ratings, and accreditations), compared to a Arkansas statewide average of 3.0.
- Is there financial help for childcare in Arkansas?
- Arkansas offers childcare subsidies and assistance programs for income-eligible families. See income limits, waitlist status, and how to apply.Childcare subsidies in Arkansas