How many child care centers are in Connecticut?

Connecticut had 948 child day care businesses with paid employees in 2023, employing 16,532 people. Another 6,737 providers worked on their own in 2024.

Which Connecticut counties have the most child care centers?

Capitol Planning Region (230), Western Connecticut Planning Region (195), South Central Connecticut Planning Region (155) have the most centers with paid employees.

How do I find a licensed child care provider in Connecticut?

Connecticut licenses child care providers. Use the state's official provider search, which you can reach from childcare.gov.

Checked Oct 22, 2026

Child Care Businesses in Connecticut

Counts by county from the U.S. Census Bureau. No provider names or addresses.

Centers with employees (2023): 948
Child care workers: 16,532
Average yearly pay: $31,210
Self-employed providers (2024): 6,737; 21.2 businesses per 10,000 residents

Child care by county

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

County	Centers	Workers	Self-employed	Per 10,000
Capitol Planning Region	230	4,294	1,949	22.3
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region	97	1,812	853	28.9
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	50	719	151	11.4
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region	119	2,074	982	24.2
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region	21	244	85	11.0
Northwest Hills Planning Region	26	309	94	10.6
South Central Connecticut Planning Region	155	2,495	1,023	20.6
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region	55	896	323	13.5
Western Connecticut Planning Region	195	3,689	1,277	23.5

The Census Bureau adds noise to worker counts in small counties to protect business privacy, and leaves out counts it cannot publish. Counties with no centers that have employees show "None reported".

Frequently asked questions

How many child care centers are in Connecticut?: Connecticut had 948 child day care businesses with paid employees in 2023, employing 16,532 people. Another 6,737 providers worked on their own in 2024.
Which Connecticut counties have the most child care centers?: Capitol Planning Region (230), Western Connecticut Planning Region (195), South Central Connecticut Planning Region (155) have the most centers with paid employees.
How do I find a licensed child care provider in Connecticut?: Connecticut licenses child care providers. Use the state's official provider search, which you can reach from childcare.gov.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns and Nonemployer Statistics (NAICS 624410) · 2023 and 2024 data