Daycare directory · Arlington, TX

Daycare in Arlington.

Published ·Updated

380+ licensed providers across Arlington, with verified 2026 tuition ranges, parent reviews, and a clearer path to subsidies and free Pre-K seats. Always free for families. The Texas market is large and price-sensitive; pay attention to ratio quality before you commit.

380+
Verified providers
$850
Starting monthly tuition
4 mo
Median infant waitlist
Browse Arlington daycares → Estimate your cost
Arlington Texas skyline near AT&T Stadium
2026 cost overview

What daycare actually costs in Arlington.

Tuition ranges are full-time, center-based monthly rates pulled from 380+ Arlington providers and cross-checked against Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation.

Infant (6 wk – 15 mo)
Infant care
$1,050 to $1,650
per month, full-time

Centers near the entertainment district and along I-30 tend to price at the top of the range. South Arlington and Mansfield-adjacent family child cares come in $150 to $300 below.

Toddler (15 mo – 3 yr)
Toddler care
$900 to $1,400
per month, full-time

Texas licensing shifts ratios at 18 months. Mansfield ISD and Arlington ISD pre-K partners frequently offer reduced tuition for toddler siblings of enrolled preschoolers.

Preschool (3 – 5 yr)
Preschool
$850 to $1,250
per month, full-time

Arlington ISD and Mansfield ISD both offer free full-day Pre-K for income-eligible four-year-olds at neighborhood elementaries, plus a growing list of partner daycares.

Sources: Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Child Care Aware of America 2025 Texas state report, DaycareSquare Arlington operator survey (Q1 2026). Updated May 2026.

Featured providers

A sample of Arlington daycares.

Eight illustrative examples of local daycares. A searchable directory of verified, state-licensed providers is rolling out — these examples show the local landscape for now.

Arlington Highlands Academy
NAEYC accredited
Arlington Highlands Academy
North Arlington · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,500/mo
UTA Children's Center
Premium listing
UTA Children's Center
UTA area · 6 mo – 5 yr
From $1,350/mo
Pantego Christian Daycare
Faith-based
Pantego Christian Daycare
Pantego · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,200/mo
South Arlington KinderCare
Texas Rising Star
South Arlington KinderCare
South Arlington · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,150/mo
Mansfield Border Montessori
Montessori
Mansfield Border Montessori
Mansfield border · 18 mo – 6 yr
From $1,350/mo
West Arlington Early Learning
Premium listing
West Arlington Early Learning
West Arlington · 12 wk – 5 yr
From $1,250/mo
East Arlington Family Childcare
Home-based
East Arlington Family Childcare
East Arlington · 6 mo – 5 yr
From $950/mo
Arlington ISD Pre-K
Free Pre-K
Arlington ISD Pre-K
Multiple sites · 4 yr
From $0/mo (free)
See all 380+ Arlington daycares →
By neighborhood

Daycare in your neighborhood.

Arlington tuition can vary by hundreds of dollars per month across a few miles. These are the neighborhoods with the most active providers in our directory.

Downtown Arlington
32 daycares · From $1,200
Entertainment District
28 daycares · From $1,250
North Arlington
62 daycares · From $1,150
South Arlington
78 daycares · From $950
West Arlington
48 daycares · From $1,050
East Arlington
52 daycares · From $1,000
Pantego
22 daycares · From $1,100
Dalworthington Gardens
18 daycares · From $1,150
Mansfield border
44 daycares · From $1,000
Grand Prairie border
38 daycares · From $950
UTA area
26 daycares · From $1,100
Six Flags area
24 daycares · From $1,150

A short, honest guide to Arlington daycare.

Arlington sits at the geographic and economic crossroads of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and its daycare market mirrors that position. Costs run noticeably below Dallas and slightly below Fort Worth, with a deep supply of mid-tier centers, a growing roster of Texas Rising Star four-star programs, and free full-day Pre-K through Arlington ISD and Mansfield ISD. Parents commuting east toward Dallas often pick a center near a Cooper Street or I-30 exit; parents commuting west toward Fort Worth lean on south and west Arlington.

Texas licensing and ratios

Texas requires a 1:4 infant ratio, 1:9 for older toddlers, and 1:18 for ages 4 to 5 in licensed centers — among the higher ratios in the country. Texas Rising Star four-star programs voluntarily operate below those minimums. NAEYC-accredited centers in Arlington commonly hold 1:3 or 1:4 infant ratios. Every legal daycare in Texas is licensed by Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation and listed on Texas HHS Child Care Search (find.childcare.texas.gov). Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that source monthly.

Source: Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation, 2025-2026 licensing data.

Where Arlington parents tend to overpay

  • Premium centers when a comparable program a few neighborhoods over costs 15 to 25 percent less.
  • Add-on enrichment fees (music, language, sports) that quietly raise the monthly bill after enrollment.
  • Annual registration and supply fees that are not disclosed on the website. Ask for the all-in monthly figure before you tour.

Financial help

Working families earning under 85 percent of state median income may qualify for Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County child care scholarships. Arlington ISD and Mansfield ISD provide free full-day Pre-K for income-eligible four-year-olds, plus partial seats for income-eligible three-year-olds. All families can use the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and a Dependent Care FSA. Our tax credit explainer walks through the math at common Arlington income levels.

Before your first tour, download the free DaycareSquare comparison checklist and the tour questions list for a side-by-side scoring sheet.

Related reading for Arlington families

Frequently asked

Daycare in Arlington.

How much does daycare cost in Arlington?
Full-time center-based daycare in Arlington runs $850 to $1,650 per month in 2026, depending on age and neighborhood. Premium centers cluster at the top of the range; family child care and moderate neighborhoods sit at the lower end.
How long is the waitlist for Arlington daycare?
Our 2026 Arlington operator survey found a median infant waitlist of four months. Flagship centers in the most in-demand neighborhoods can stretch longer. Toddler and preschool seats commonly turn over within one to three months across the city.
Who licenses daycares in Texas?
Every legal daycare in Texas is licensed by Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that database monthly.
What is the staff-to-child ratio in Texas daycares?
Texas requires a 1:4 infant ratio, 1:9 for older toddlers, and 1:18 for ages 4 to 5 in licensed centers — among the higher ratios in the country. Texas Rising Star four-star programs voluntarily operate below those minimums. NAEYC-accredited centers in Arlington commonly hold 1:3 or 1:4 infant ratios.
Can I get help paying for daycare in Arlington?
Working families earning under 85 percent of state median income may qualify for Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County child care scholarships. Arlington ISD and Mansfield ISD provide free full-day Pre-K for income-eligible four-year-olds, plus partial seats for income-eligible three-year-olds. All families can also use the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and a Dependent Care FSA. Read our tax credit explainer.
How do I tour a Arlington daycare?
Use our free tour questions list and the DaycareSquare comparison checklist to score every tour on the same 27 questions. Most Arlington centers offer in-person tours weekday mornings.
Keep going

Useful next steps.

Statewide

Daycare in Texas

Costs, licensing, and subsidy programs across all of Texas, not just Arlington.

View state page → Free tool

Arlington cost calculator

Plug in your ZIP, child age, and care type. Get your personal monthly range in about sixty seconds.

Try the calculator → Free download

Comparison checklist

Twenty-seven questions to ask at every tour, plus a side-by-side scoring sheet. PDF.

Get the checklist →
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Get matched with licensed daycares near you.

Tell us your child’s age and when you need care. We’ll send a shortlist of nearby licensed options — checked against state licensing data. Most centers keep waitlists, so the earlier you reach out, the better your odds. No spam, no obligation.