Find Child Care

Translations:

What Are My Child Care Options?

Child Care Vouchers can be used in following child care settings:

Licensed center-based child care, including:

Licensed preschools
Licensed school age child care

Registered home-based child care, including:

Family day care homes (3 - 6 children)
Group family day care homes (7 - 12 children)

Informal or relative child care, including:

In-home child care, where the child resides
Home-based family child care, where the child does not reside

Legally exempt group child care, including:

Legally exempt preschools
Legally exempt school age programs

Please note: Infants and Toddlers cannot be served by legally exempt group child care - they can only receive care in licensed, registered, or informal settings. Additionally, all families who are receiving child care vouchers as a part of the protective services, protective services, or foster care case can only use their vouchers in licensed or registered settings, regardless of the age of the child.

How Can I Find Child Care?

Licensed center-based child care in New York City is regulated by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). To find a licensed child care center in New York City, use NYC Child Care Connect.

Registered home-based child care in New York City is regulated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). To find a registered home-based child care program in New York City, use this tool.

These search tools will allow you look up a specific provider by name, or all the providers in a specific borough or zip code. You can also search by different types of care, such as family day care. The results for a program will include contact information, address, capacity, when it first opened and the current status of its license or registration.

Remember: Whether you get a list from OCFS or DOHMH, this list is just a starting point - you will need to contact the provider to see if they have space for your child and if they are approved to accept child care vouchers, and you will want to visit the child care provider to make sure for yourself that this is the right match for you and your child(ren).

Review this guide for additional information on how to search and choose a child care provider: Choosing Child Care in New York City (DOHMH).