Daycares in Waco, Texas
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
85 of 91 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
91 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
May 18, 2026
Latest inspection
May 13, 2026
Provenance
Texas licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Waco currently has 91 tracked providers. 85 have inspection history, 91 appear active, and 12% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is May 13, 2026.
Updated May 18, 2026 from Texas licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
Methodist Childrens Home CPA
524 W WACO DR
South Waco YMCA of Central Texas
2104 GURLEY LN
Hines YMCA of Central Texas
301 GARRISON ST
Deanna Horn
3917 N 27TH ST
Brook YMCA of Central Texas
720 BROOK AVE
Robins Nest
426 LAZY ACRES DR
Cortney Casper
11217 ECHO DR
La Vega YMCA of Central Texas
4400 HARRISON ST
Mountainview YMCA of Central Texas
5901 BISHOP DR
Turtle Creek Kids
104 TURTLE CREEK RD
Crestview YMCA of Central Texas
1120 N NEW RD
SoCo Child Care Center
615 N 25TH ST
Thelma Rhodes
120 S LAKEVIEW DR
Lake Air YMCA of Central Texas
4601 COBBS DR
Bells Hill YMCA of Central Texas
2100 ROSS AVE
Champion Zone LLC
7465 ROCK CREEK RD
EOAC Johnette Hicks Early Head Start Center
510 S 12TH ST
Talitha Koum Nurture Center
1311 CLAY AVE
Champion Zone LLC
11495 WORTHAM BEND
Thurman E Dorsey Head Start EOAC
3221 SPEIGHT AVE
Home Daycares in Waco
Browse 22 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 Waco
Waco currently has 91 daycares in our directory. 12% 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.
12%
A or B safety grades
69
Center-based providers
1
Accredited or Head Start providers
$4,330/mo
Infant center cost in MCLENNAN
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is Deanna Horn with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Waco include Licensed Center, Licensed Child-Care Home, Listed Family Home.
The average provider in this market has 153.3 recorded violations, while 14 providers currently show none in the data we track.
Local cost and care context
MCLENNAN accounts for the largest share of providers we track in Waco, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.
Infant Center
$4,330/mo
Preschool Center
$4,330/mo
Toddler Home Daycare
$507/mo
Texas regulation snapshot
Inspection frequency
Licensed centers receive at least one unannounced inspection per year. Newly licensed operations are inspected more frequently during their first year. Complaint-based inspections occur at any time and are always unannounced.
Background checks
All owners, directors, caregivers, and employees must pass a name-based criminal history check through the Texas Department of Public Safety and an FBI fingerprint check. A search of the Texas sex offender registry and the central abuse and neglect registry (DFPS) is also required before employment.
Parent rights
Texas law guarantees parents the right to enter and observe their child's childcare operation at any time during hours of operation without prior notice. Inspection and investigation reports are publicly available through the HHSC search tool.
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 Waco
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Waco?
We rank providers in Waco 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 Waco?
11 of the 91 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 Waco?
Waco currently shows 22 home-based providers and 0 Head Start sites in the directory. Texas rules still apply: Licensed centers receive at least one unannounced inspection per year. Newly licensed operations are inspected more frequently during their first year. Complaint-based inspections occur at any time and are always unannounced.