Home Daycare in Ithaca, New York
12 licensed family childcare providers in Ithaca. Home daycares offer smaller group sizes in a residential setting.
Creative Care by Karin, LLC
1523 Trumansburg Road
KING MONTESSORI ACADEMY
320 King Rd East
Aspen Grove Caterpillars
111 E York Street
West Hill Educare
310 Richard Place
Abuelitas
612 West State Street
Marfran Ventures LLC
100 Graham
Growing Wildflowers Childcare Program
141 Troy road
Barber, Judy
260 Jersey Hill Rd.
Judd, Lindsey
299 Ridgecrest Road
Owl Creek Nature Playschool
326 1/2 Stone Quarry Road
Acorn Ithaca LLC
35 Turkey Hill Road
Tenwolde, Marcia
554 Spencer Road
How home daycare compares in Ithaca
Ithaca has 12 home-based providers in the directory, about 31% of the local market. Home daycares can be a strong fit for parents who want smaller group sizes, but the inspection history still matters just as much as it does for centers.
23%
A or B safety grades
12
Home providers tracked
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 57.9 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
Home daycare pages use the same inspection-based scoring model as center pages.
Smaller capacity does not automatically mean safer care; the record still needs to support it.
Compare home providers against the broader city listing if you want to trade off price, size, and violation history.
Frequently asked questions about daycare in Ithaca
What is the difference between home daycare and daycare centers in Ithaca?
Ithaca currently shows 12 home-based providers and 27 center-based options in the directory. Home daycares usually mean smaller group sizes and a residential setting, while centers often provide more staff depth and classroom separation by age.
Are home daycares regulated and inspected in New York?
All childcare programs in New York State must be licensed or registered by OCFS, except for programs operating in New York City, which are licensed by the NYC DOHMH. Day care centers, school-age child care programs, family day care homes, and group family day care homes each have specific regulatory requirements under Title 18 NYCRR. 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.
Is home daycare usually cheaper than a center in Ithaca?
Often, yes, but not always. Home daycare can be more affordable because providers run smaller operations with lower overhead. Use the local cost context on this page as a benchmark, then compare quotes provider by provider because tuition can vary a lot even within the same city.