Daycares in Washington
Washington scores licensed daycares through Early Achievers, the state's quality rating program. Early Achievers scores providers on a Level 1 to Level 5 scale across five standards areas: environment, classroom interactions, curriculum, staff support and training, and child and family partnerships.
Washington requires a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential at minimum for lead teachers in licensed centers, which is stricter than what most states require (typically a high school diploma). Compared with 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, the state's other minimum legal requirements are mixed. Adult-to-child ratios match NAEYC at 1:4 for infants and 1:10 for preschool, with toddlers at 1:7 (NAEYC accepts 1:6). Infant group sizes match NAEYC's recommended cap of 8; toddler groups can hold up to 14 children, above NAEYC's recommended 12, and preschool groups are capped at 20, matching NAEYC. Pre-service training hours are not set in state rule, and required ongoing professional development is 7 hours per year, well below NAEYC's recommended 25.
These minimum legal requirements apply to every licensed daycare in Washington, regardless of its Early Achievers rating. They are one of the Structural inputs in every Childery rating shown above. The rating distribution above combines that Structural input with Early Achievers scores and other Process inputs to produce the Overall scores. For the full breakdown, see the Washington methodology page.
Rating Distribution in Washington
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 Washington: 4.7 (Sample of 2,498).
Process rating across all displayed daycares in Washington: 3.5 (Sample of 833).
Structural rating across all displayed daycares in Washington: 4.9 (Sample of 2,498).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How many licensed daycares are in Washington?
- Childery tracks 2,498 licensed child care providers across Washington.
- How do Washington daycares score on teaching quality?
- Washington daycares average 3.5 out of 5 on Childery's Process score, which combines state QRIS ratings, national accreditations (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA), and federal Head Start CLASS scores. 833 providers have classroom-quality data.
- Which cities in Washington have the most daycares?
- The cities with the most licensed daycares in Washington are Seattle (339), Spokane (113), and Vancouver (107).
- Is there financial help for childcare in Washington?
- Washington offers childcare financial assistance for income-eligible families. See income limits, waitlist status, priority groups, and how to apply.Childcare subsidies in Washington
- How do I choose a good daycare in Washington?
- Childery's guide covers what to look for when touring daycares in Washington, questions to ask providers, and how to use quality ratings when comparing options.How to find a good daycare in Washington
- How does Childery rate daycares in Washington?
- Childery's Overall Rating (1–5 stars) combines Washington's state QRIS where available, national accreditations (NAEYC, NAC, NECPA), federal Head Start CLASS scores, and the state regulatory baseline.View Childery's Washington methodology