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District of Columbia Child Care Licensing: A Parent's Guide

A plain-English guide to how child care licensing works in District of Columbia — who regulates it, how to check any provider's license and public record, and where to find the official state information. Childcare Alerts indexes 454 licensed District of Columbia providers, free.

Who licenses child care in District of Columbia?

The District licenses child development facilities through OSSE (Office of the State Superintendent of Education). My Child Care DC shows each facility's license, capacity, and inspection dates.

How to check a provider's license and record

1. Search on Childcare Alerts. Look up any District of Columbia provider by name, city, or ZIP — free. Each page shows what's on the public record in plain English and links to the official state file.
2. Read the record. Check the license status and any licensing actions. Not sure what a term means? See violations explained.
3. Confirm on the state's own site. My Child Care DC ↗ is the system of record — always the final word.

What Childcare Alerts shows for District of Columbia

For District of Columbia, we surface the provider directory, with a direct link to the official state record for each provider's full inspection history.

See the District of Columbia child care report for the statewide picture.

Before you choose care

The record is one input, not the whole story. See 10 questions to ask on a tour and what accreditation means. A provider with no action on record has not necessarily had a clean history — always open the official record.

Worried a provider is operating without a license, or seen something unsafe? Here's how to report it in District of Columbia.