Daycares in Ithaca, New York
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
39 of 39 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
37 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
May 18, 2026
Latest inspection
May 11, 2026
Provenance
New York licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Ithaca currently has 39 tracked providers. 39 have inspection history, 37 appear active, and 13% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is May 11, 2026.
Updated May 18, 2026 from New York licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
KING MONTESSORI ACADEMY
320 King Rd East
South Hill School Age Program
520 Hudson Street
Aspen Grove Caterpillars
111 E York Street
Creative Care by Karin, LLC
1523 Trumansburg Road
Abuelitas
612 West State Street
Growing Wildflowers Childcare Program
141 Troy road
Ithaca Community Childcare at Kendal
2230 N. Triphammer Rd.
West Hill Educare
310 Richard Place
Marfran Ventures LLC
100 Graham
Tompkins Community Action, Inc.
210 Hancock Street Suite #2
Cayuga Heights School Age Program
110 East Upland Road
Belle Sherman After School Program
501 Mitchell Street
Northeast Kids Count, Inc.
425 Winthrop Drive
Barber, Judy
260 Jersey Hill Rd.
Tompkins Community Action, Inc.
1 Bella Vista Drive
Greater Ithaca Activities C.-SACC
318 North Albany St.
YMCA SACC Year Round School's Out Y Site
50 Graham Road West
Stepping Stones Montessori
208 East Buffalo Street
RAFT TRILINGUAL MONTESSORI DAYCARE
2343 N Triphammer Rd
Owl Creek Nature Playschool
326 1/2 Stone Quarry Road
Home Daycares in Ithaca
Browse 12 home-based providers.
Childcare Cost Calculator
Compare costs in your area by age group and care type.
How to Choose a Safe Daycare
A parent's guide to evaluating childcare.
What the daycare market looks like in Ithaca
Ithaca currently has 39 daycares in our directory. 13% of the market earns an A or B safety grade. Use this page to compare inspection history, provider mix, and local cost context before you start touring.
13%
A or B safety grades
27
Center-based providers
2
Accredited or Head Start providers
$1,208/mo
Infant center cost in Tompkins
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is KING MONTESSORI ACADEMY with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Ithaca include DCC, SACC, GFDC.
The average provider in this market has 267.9 recorded violations, while 4 providers currently show none in the data we track.
Local cost and care context
Tompkins accounts for the largest share of providers we track in Ithaca, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.
Infant Center
$1,208/mo
Preschool Center
$1,064/mo
Toddler Home Daycare
$4/mo
New York regulation snapshot
Inspection frequency
Licensed and registered programs are inspected at least once during each licensing period (typically every two years). Unannounced inspections can occur at any time. Complaint investigations are conducted as warranted. New York City programs are regulated by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and may follow a different inspection schedule.
Background checks
All prospective operators, employees, and volunteers must undergo a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting for an FBI and New York State criminal history search, a check of the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR), and a Sex Offender Registry check.
Parent rights
Parents and guardians have the right to visit their child's childcare program at any time without advance notice during the program's operating hours. All inspection reports and enforcement actions are public records and can be requested from OCFS or accessed online.
How to use this page
Safety grades are derived from official state inspection records, not reviews or sponsored placement.
Repeated and severe violations weigh more heavily than isolated paperwork issues.
Filters are best used after you understand the full city baseline on the default ranking view.
Frequently asked questions about daycare in Ithaca
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Ithaca?
We rank providers in Ithaca using official state inspection records. Health, safety, staffing, and compliance findings are converted into a composite score, and severe or repeated violations hurt more than isolated minor issues.
What should parents compare first when choosing daycare in Ithaca?
5 of the 39 providers in this market currently hold an A or B safety grade, but grade alone is not enough. Start with higher-scoring providers, then compare the full inspection timeline, repeated violations, staffing patterns, and whether the program type actually fits your child and schedule.
Are there home daycare or Head Start options in Ithaca?
Ithaca currently shows 12 home-based providers and 1 Head Start site in the directory. New York rules still apply: Licensed and registered programs are inspected at least once during each licensing period (typically every two years). Unannounced inspections can occur at any time. Complaint investigations are conducted as warranted. New York City programs are regulated by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and may follow a different inspection schedule.