Daycares in New York
New York scores licensed daycares through QUALITYstarsNY, the state's quality rating program. QUALITYstarsNY scores providers on a 1 to 5 star scale across four standards categories: learning environment, family engagement, qualifications and experience, and management and leadership.
New York's minimum legal requirements for adult-to-child ratios meet the standards published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the leading professional accreditation body for early-childhood programs and the most widely cited benchmark for high-quality care, at the infant and toddler age bands. The state caps infant ratios at 1:4 (matching NAEYC) and toddler ratios at 1:5 (stricter than NAEYC's 1:6); preschool ratios are not set as a single state rule and vary by provider. Infant group sizes match NAEYC's recommended cap of 8, and toddler group sizes match NAEYC's recommended cap of 12; preschool group sizes vary by provider. The state does not set a single rule on lead-teacher credentials. Required pre-service training is 2,080 hours, matching NAEYC's benchmark, and required ongoing professional development is 15 hours per year, below NAEYC's recommended 25.
These minimum legal requirements apply to every licensed daycare in New York, regardless of its QUALITYstarsNY rating. They are one of the Structural inputs in every Childery rating shown above. The rating distribution above combines that Structural input with QUALITYstarsNY scores and other Process inputs to produce the Overall scores. For the full breakdown, see the New York methodology page.
Rating Distribution in New York
These are Childery's Overall Ratings (1–5 stars) — our composite that combines this state's QRIS where it exists, national accreditation (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA, NAFCC), federal Head Start CLASS scores, and the state regulatory baseline. They are not the state's stand-alone QRIS score. See our methodology for the full breakdown.
Mean rating across all displayed daycares in New York: 4.2 (Sample of 17,142).
Process rating across all displayed daycares in New York: 2.9 (Sample of 1,729).
Structural rating across all displayed daycares in New York: 4.3 (Sample of 17,121).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How many licensed daycares are in New York?
- Childery tracks 17,142 licensed child care providers across New York.
- How do New York daycares score on teaching quality?
- New York daycares average 2.9 out of 5 on Childery's Process score, which combines state QRIS ratings, national accreditations (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA), and federal Head Start CLASS scores. 1,729 providers have classroom-quality data.
- Which cities in New York have the most daycares?
- The cities with the most licensed daycares in New York are Bronx (3,680), Brooklyn (2,255), and New York (956).
- Is there financial help for childcare in New York?
- New York offers childcare financial assistance for income-eligible families. See income limits, waitlist status, priority groups, and how to apply.Childcare subsidies in New York
- How do I choose a good daycare in New York?
- Childery's guide covers what to look for when touring daycares in New York, questions to ask providers, and how to use quality ratings when comparing options.How to find a good daycare in New York
- How does Childery rate daycares in New York?
- Childery's Overall Rating (1–5 stars) combines New York's state QRIS where available, national accreditations (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA), federal Head Start CLASS scores, and the state regulatory baseline.View Childery's New York methodology