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New York Child Care Licensing: A Parent's Guide

A plain-English guide to how child care licensing works in New York — who regulates it, how to check any program's license and public record, and where to find the official state information. Childcare Alerts indexes 16,808 licensed New York providers, free.

Who licenses child care in New York?

Child care in New York is licensed and monitored by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). New York regulates programs through the Office of Children and Family Services (and, in NYC, the Health Department). The public record shows the regulatory status, including any pending revocation or suspension.

How to check a program's license and record

1. Search on Childcare Alerts. Look up any New York 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. New York OCFS Child Care Search ↗ is the system of record — always the final word.

What Childcare Alerts shows for New York

For New York, we surface the provider directory, the state quality rating where available, and a flag on any provider listed under a pending revocation or suspension.

See the New York child care report and the New York 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 New York.