There are dozens of top-rated day cares and preschools in Washington DC serving more than 10,000 children. With so many options, it might be difficult to choose the best for your child. To help you make this crucial decision, here are the top five daycares in the nation’s capital.
Child Development Center at the Dept. of Labor
The Child Development Center at the Department of Labor is a top-rated daycare dedicated to providing high-quality care and education for children of Department of Labor employees and the surrounding community.
Operated by KinderCare Learning Centers LLC, the place takes pride in being one of the daycares accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) — which only accounts for 10 percent of all daycares around the country.
The center offers a wide range of age-appropriate activities, including music, art, and movement, to encourage learning and development. In addition, it has a strong focus on social-emotional development and provides a healthy meals program. The staff is experienced and highly qualified, and the center is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for children.
“Here they can build a skyscraper, cook an imaginary feast, or heal a teddy bear’s runny nose,” the center writes on its website.
Their programs include infant programs (6 weeks–1 year), toddler programs (1–2 years), preschool programs (3–4 years), prekindergarten programs (4–5 years), school break programs (preschool, prekindergarten, and school-age), phonics adventures (2–4 years), and STEM Innovators (3–8 years).
👩🏫 Early Childhood, Day Care
👦 6 weeks to 5 years
📌 200 Constitution Ave NW #1450, Washington DC, 20210
☎️ (202) 693-7979
🕙 8 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday
🌐 https://www.kindercare.com/our-centers/washington/dc/081074
BIDKids Child Development Center
Another KinderCare learning center, BIDKids is also accredited by NAEYC.
Their programs include infant programs (6 weeks–1 year), toddler programs (1–2 years), discovery preschool programs (2–3 years), preschool programs (3–4 years), and prekindergarten programs (4–5 years).
Their play-based approach focuses on early academics and social-emotional development. They have naturally talented infant teachers that collaborate with families for a safe and peaceful transition of kids under one year of age into their infant programs.
For two and three-year-olds, they offer a variety of books and toys, as well as artwork. Children also learn simple math and science while they are prepared for an actual school setting.
Three and four-year-olds get to explore science experiments, create artwork, and play pretend. And four and five-year-olds get to connect letters with words while they improve in language, math, science, Spanish, as well as social skills.
Finally, BIDKids has a strong focus on language development and offers a bilingual curriculum, with classes in Spanish and English. The center also provides a healthy meals program and has a large outdoor play area.
👩🏫 Child Care, Day Care, Preschool
👦 2 months to 5 years
📌 1300 New York Ave NW, Washington DC, 20577
☎️ (202) 623-3600
🕙 8 am to 6:30 pm, Monday to Friday
🌐 https://www.kindercare.com/our-centers/washington/dc/081061
Montessori School of Washington DC
The Montessori School of Washington DC is a highly regarded day care that offers a unique and innovative approach to early childhood education. This center is dedicated to the Montessori method of education, which emphasizes self-directed learning and hands-on exploration.
Their programs include practical life exercises about care and maintenance of the child’s own environment, sensorial materials that help them master the perceptions of their senses such as colors, sounds, and geometric shapes, language materials that prepare kids for writing and reading, and simple mathematics.
Montessori School of Washington DC offers a variety of enrichment classes to students such as Chinese, music and dance, yoga, fun-fitness, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), which includes experiments, DIY constructions, and even simple coding.
The staff is highly trained and experienced in the Montessori method, and they work closely with each child to support their individual needs and interests.
The Montessori School is a top choice for parents looking for a unique and innovative approach to early childhood education.
👩🏫 Early Childhood, Day Care
👦 2 to 6 years
📌 4380 MacArthur Blvd NW, Washington DC, 20007
☎️ (202) 338-1557
🕙 8 am – 3 pm
🌐 https://www.montessoriwashington.org/
Bambini Play&Learn Child Development Center
Among Bambini’s key missions is to foster the acquisition of Spanish by immersing their students in the language during the entire time they attend classes. For this purpose, they have qualified teachers that are fluent in Spanish or native speakers.
The center bases this goal on the idea that being bilingual or multilingual helps children perform better in other areas at school, become more creative, and have greater mental flexibility.
Among Bambini’s key missions is to foster the acquisition of Spanish by immersing their students in the language during the entire time they attend classes. For this purpose, they have qualified teachers that are fluent in Spanish or native speakers.
The center bases this goal on the idea that being bilingual or multilingual helps children perform better in other areas at school, become more creative, and have greater mental flexibility.
They use the Creative Curriculum for their classes, which focuses on developmentally appropriate goals for children within these categories of interest: social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language.
Bambini promises to design programs according to the children’s needs, as well as the way they learn and develop. They also challenge children just beyond the level of their current abilities and give them chances often to practice newly acquired skills.
👩🏫 Child Care, Day Care
👦 3 months to 5 years
📌 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC, 20004
☎️ (202) 289-0984
🕙 8 am to 6 pm
🌐 https://www.bambinicdc.com/
Broadcasters’ Child Development Center
Founded in 1980 by employees of the broadcasting industry, this center has decades of experience in daycare. It prides itself on having a diverse staff and creating an environment for children that celebrates diversity.
Broadcasters’ Child Development Center has a play-based curriculum that encourages creativity while respecting multi-cultural values. It implements the Creative Curriculum, and assigns each child a primary teacher within their classroom to get to know the child.
Their enrichment classes include Spanish, music, yoga, and soccer. Children also have the opportunity to spend time in the playground two times a day, and go on nature and neighborhood walks.
👩🏫 Child Care, Day Care
👦 0 to 5.5 years
📌 4200 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC 20016
☎️ (202) 364-8799
🕙 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday
🌐 https://bcdconline.org/
These are just a few of the best daycares in Washington, DC. When choosing a daycare, it’s important to consider location, curriculum, and the staff’s qualifications and experience.
By carefully considering these factors, parents can find the perfect daycare for their child and ensure that they receive the best possible care and education. 👏