Daycare directory · Lexington, KY

Daycare in Lexington.

Published ·Updated

260+ licensed providers across Fayette County from Chevy Chase to Hamburg, with verified 2026 tuition ranges, real waitlist intel, and Kentucky's All STARS quality ratings transparent for every center. Always free for families.

260+
Verified providers
$800
Starting monthly tuition
4 mo
Median infant waitlist
Browse Lexington daycares → Estimate your cost
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2026 cost overview

What daycare actually costs in Lexington.

Tuition ranges are full-time, center-based monthly rates pulled from 260+ Lexington providers and cross-checked against Kentucky Division of Regulated Child Care licensing data.

Infant (6 wk – 12 mo)
Infant care
$1,050 to $1,500
per month, full-time

Hamburg, Andover, and Chevy Chase centers cluster near the top. Tates Creek and family child cares run $200 to $350 below.

Toddler (12 mo – 3 yr)
Toddler care
$900 to $1,350
per month, full-time

Kentucky licensing tightens ratios at 24 months. All STARS four- and five-star centers charge $100 to $250 above the median.

Preschool (3 – 5 yr)
Preschool
$800 to $1,200
per month, full-time

Kentucky Pre-K offers free seats at Fayette County Public Schools for income-eligible four-year-olds and three-year-olds with IEPs. Capacity is limited.

Sources: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Regulated Child Care, Kentucky All STARS quality rating data, US Department of Labor 2023 National Database of Childcare Prices, Child Care Aware of America 2025 Kentucky state report, DaycareSquare Lexington operator survey (Q1 2026). Updated May 2026.

Featured providers

A sample of Lexington 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.

Chevy Chase Children's Academy
All STARS 5
Chevy Chase Children's Academy
Chevy Chase · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,450/mo
Hamburg Early Learning
Premium listing
Hamburg Early Learning
Hamburg · 12 wk – 5 yr
From $1,350/mo
Andover Montessori
Montessori
Andover Montessori
Andover · 18 mo – 6 yr
From $1,250/mo
Beaumont KinderCare
National chain
Beaumont KinderCare
Beaumont · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,150/mo
Lansdowne Christian Daycare
Faith-based
Lansdowne Christian Daycare
Lansdowne · 18 mo – 5 yr
From $975/mo
Hartland Bilingual Preschool
Spanish immersion
Hartland Bilingual Preschool
Hartland · 2 – 5 yr
From $1,100/mo
Tates Creek Family Care
Home-based
Tates Creek Family Care
Tates Creek · 6 mo – 5 yr
From $900/mo
Fayette County Pre-K
Free Pre-K
Fayette County Pre-K
Multiple sites · 4 yr
From $0/mo (free)
See all 260+ Lexington daycares →
By neighborhood

Daycare in your neighborhood.

Lexington's grid stretches from downtown across the Bluegrass. These are the neighborhoods with the most active providers in our directory.

Chevy Chase
18 daycares · From $1,100
Hamburg
26 daycares · From $1,050
Andover
22 daycares · From $1,000
Beaumont
20 daycares · From $950
Lansdowne
16 daycares · From $900
Hartland
18 daycares · From $1,000
Tates Creek
28 daycares · From $850
Versailles Road
22 daycares · From $800

A short, honest guide to Lexington daycare.

Lexington-Fayette is Kentucky's second-largest city and the medical and academic hub of the Bluegrass region, home to the University of Kentucky and roughly 320,000 residents. Daycare costs in Lexington run slightly above the Kentucky state median but below most US metros of comparable size, according to Child Care Aware of America. Chevy Chase, Hamburg, and Andover hold the top of the market with Kentucky All STARS four- and five-star centers; Tates Creek and Versailles Road hold most of the city's family child care supply and the most affordable centers. Many Lexington families combine paid infant and toddler care with free Fayette County Public Schools Pre-K once their child turns four.

Kentucky licensing and ratios

Kentucky requires a 1:5 infant ratio, 1:6 for one-year-olds, 1:10 for two-year-olds, and 1:12 to 1:14 for older preschoolers in licensed Type I (center) facilities, set by the Kentucky Division of Regulated Child Care under 922 KAR Chapter 2. Type II (home-based) facilities are licensed for up to 12 children. Every legal daycare in Lexington is licensed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and listed in the state's All STARS quality rating portal. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked monthly.

Source: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Regulated Child Care, 922 KAR Chapter 2, 2025-2026 licensing data.

Where Lexington parents tend to overpay

  • Hamburg premium centers when an All STARS five-star program in Andover or Beaumont costs 10 to 20 percent less for similar quality.
  • Add-on enrichment fees (music, gymnastics, language) 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 Lexington families earning under 85 percent of state median income may qualify for the Kentucky Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Head Start operates citywide through the Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison & Nicholas Counties. Kentucky Pre-K is free for income-eligible four-year-olds at Fayette County Public Schools. UK-affiliated families may use the UK Early Childhood Lab on campus. 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 Lexington 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 Lexington families

Frequently asked

Daycare in Lexington.

How much does daycare cost in Lexington?
Full-time center-based daycare in Lexington runs $800 to $1,500 per month in 2026, depending on age and neighborhood. Chevy Chase, Hamburg, and Andover cluster at the top; Tates Creek and Versailles Road sit at the lower end.
How long is the waitlist for Lexington daycare?
Our 2026 Lexington operator survey found a median infant waitlist of four months. All STARS five-star centers can stretch longer. Toddler and preschool seats commonly turn over within four to eight weeks.
Who licenses daycares in Kentucky?
Every legal daycare in Kentucky is licensed by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Regulated Child Care. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that database monthly.
What is the staff-to-child ratio in Kentucky daycares?
Kentucky requires 1:5 for infants, 1:6 for one-year-olds, 1:10 for two-year-olds, and 1:12 to 1:14 for older preschoolers in licensed centers. All STARS four- and five-star programs commonly operate below those minimums.
Can I get help paying for daycare in Lexington?
Working families earning under 85 percent of Kentucky state median income may qualify for the Kentucky Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Head Start operates citywide, and Kentucky Pre-K is free for income-eligible four-year-olds at Fayette County Public Schools. Read our Pre-K explainer and tax credit guide.
How do I tour a Lexington daycare?
Use our free tour questions list and the DaycareSquare comparison checklist to score every tour on the same 27 questions.
Keep going

Useful next steps.

Statewide

Daycare in Kentucky

Costs, licensing, Pre-K, and subsidy programs across all of Kentucky.

View state page → Free tool

Lexington cost calculator

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

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Comparison checklist

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

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