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Massachusetts Child Care Licensing: A Parent's Guide

A plain-English guide to how child care licensing works in Massachusetts — who regulates it, how to check any program's license and public record, and where to find the official state information. Childcare Alerts indexes 9,097 licensed Massachusetts providers, free.

Who licenses child care in Massachusetts?

Child care in Massachusetts is licensed and monitored by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Massachusetts licenses programs through the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). The EEC search shows the license status; the full inspection history is on the official record.

How to check a program's license and record

1. Search on Childcare Alerts. Look up any Massachusetts program 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. Massachusetts Dept. of Early Education & Care ↗ is the system of record — always the final word.

What Childcare Alerts shows for Massachusetts

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

See the Massachusetts child care report and the Massachusetts deserts map 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 program with no action on record has not necessarily had a clean history — always open the official record.

Worried a program is operating without a license, or seen something unsafe? Here's how to report it in Massachusetts.