Daycare in San Antonio.

A short, honest guide to San Antonio daycare.

San Antonio is one of the country's most affordable major-city daycare markets, with verified center-based care starting under $900 per month for older preschoolers. It is also one of the most under-marketed: many families never hear about Pre-K 4 SA or Workforce Solutions Alamo subsidies until a friend mentions them. This page tries to fix that.

Pre-K 4 SA

Pre-K 4 SA is the city's free, full-day, high-quality pre-K program for four-year-olds, funded by a one-eighth-cent sales tax that voters approved in 2012 and renewed in 2020. The program operates four model centers plus a network of partner classrooms at participating private daycares and Head Start sites across San Antonio. Income and residency rules apply for some seats; others are open to any San Antonio four-year-old. Read our Pre-K 4 SA walkthrough.

Texas Rising Star

Texas Rising Star is the state's voluntary quality rating system on a 2 to 4 star scale. 4-star programs operate at the highest level for staff qualifications, ratios, curriculum, and parent involvement. Texas Rising Star 4 programs are required for many subsidy contracts, so quality and affordability often line up at the same providers.

Texas licensing and ratios

Texas requires 1:4 for infants under twelve months, 1:5 for ages twelve to seventeen months, 1:9 for ages two to three, and 1:13 for ages three to four. These ratios are looser than most states, which is one reason Texas daycare is cheaper than the national average. Every legal daycare in Texas is licensed by Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation, and every provider in our directory is cross-checked monthly.

Where San Antonio parents tend to overpay

• National-chain centers in Stone Oak when an equivalent Texas Rising Star 4 program at the Medical Center or Castle Hills runs $200 to $400 less per month.
• Add-on enrichment fees (Spanish, sports, technology) that are listed as optional but quietly become standard.
• Annual registration and supply fees that are not on the website pricing page. Ask for the all-in monthly figure before you tour.

Financial help

In addition to Pre-K 4 SA, working families up to a state-set income threshold may qualify for a child care subsidy through Workforce Solutions Alamo, the local workforce board that administers the federal Child Care Development Fund. 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 San Antonio income levels.

Before your first tour, download the free DaycareSquare comparison checklist and the tour questions list.