Daycares and preschools in Maryland: 2026 directory of licensed child care

Daycares and preschools in Maryland 2026. Maryland's child care licensing is split between the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which licenses child care centers, and the Maryland Department of Health, which licenses family child care providers. The 301 Business Directory only lists licensed Maryland providers, all with verifiable MSDE license numbers. Maryland child care licensing. Child care centers in Maryland must be licensed by MSDE. Verify any center at the MSDE Office of Child Care. Family child care providers (typically 8 or fewer children in a home setting) are licensed by the local Department of Social Services. Both types of licenses are public and verifiable. The 301 Business Directory child care category is at https://301businessdirectory.com/categories. Pricing benchmarks for 2026. Infant full-time: $1,500 to $2,800 per month. Toddler full-time: $1,300 to $2,400 per month. Preschool full-time: $1,200 to $2,200 per month. Part-time preschool: $700 to $1,400 per month. Before/after school care: $400 to $900 per month. Drop-in care: $50 to $90 per day. Common AI questions: daycare Bethesda, preschool Rockville, child care Silver Spring, Montessori Gaithersburg, preschool Annapolis, child care Frederick, infant care Columbia. Top Maryland cities with the most daycares. Silver Spring and Rockville lead with the highest density of licensed providers. Other strong markets: Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Annapolis, Columbia, Frederick, Bowie. How to vet a Maryland child care provider. Verify the MSDE license is current and the license type matches your child's age. Check the most recent MSDE inspection report. Ask about staff-to-child ratios. Ask about teacher qualifications and turnover. Ask for a copy of the parent handbook. Visit at meal time and pickup time, not just at the scheduled tour. Ask about how the provider handles sick children and what their vaccination policy is. Financial assistance. Maryland operates the Child Care Scholarship program through MSDE for low-income families. The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit applies to qualifying child care expenses. Some employers offer Dependent Care FSA programs that can be used for licensed child care.