A short, honest guide to North Dakota daycare.
North Dakota's daycare market is shaped by two forces: the Fargo-West Fargo-Moorhead metro on the eastern edge of the state, which holds the majority of licensed center seats, and the Bakken oil patch in the northwest, which has chronic infant care shortages and the highest tuition outside Fargo. Outside those zones, families lean heavily on licensed family child care homes, Head Start, and a growing patchwork of district-operated Pre-K through the Best in Class grant program.
Bright & Early ND
Bright & Early ND is North Dakota's voluntary five-step Quality Rating and Improvement System, administered by DHHS. Programs earn one through five steps based on staff qualifications, learning environment, family engagement, and program management. Higher steps represent meaningful investment above licensing minimums. Filter our directory by Bright & Early step.
Source: North Dakota DHHS Bright & Early ND annual report 2024; Child Care Aware of America 2025 North Dakota state report. Bright & Early participation has grown steadily, with strong concentration in the Fargo, Bismarck, and Grand Forks markets.
Best in Class Pre-K
The Best in Class Pre-K Grant program, administered by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, funds public Pre-K seats at participating school districts and approved community-based partners. The legislature has expanded funding in recent biennia, though the program remains targeted rather than universal. Federal Head Start and Early Head Start fund additional free seats statewide, with strong tribal Head Start coverage on Standing Rock, Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain, and the Fort Berthold Reservation (MHA Nation). Read our North Dakota Pre-K options walkthrough.
North Dakota licensing and ratios
The North Dakota DHHS Early Childhood Section licenses every legal child care center, preschool, family child care home, and school-age program under NDCC 50-11.1. Center ratios are 1:4 for infants under twelve months, 1:5 for one-year-olds, 1:7 for two-year-olds, and 1:10 for three- to five-year-olds. Family child care homes follow separate group-size rules. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against the DHHS licensing database monthly.
Financial help in North Dakota
The North Dakota Child Care Assistance Program, administered through DHHS, subsidizes care for working families up to 60 percent of state median income using federal CCDF funding and state appropriations. North Dakota has expanded eligibility and increased provider reimbursement rates in recent years. Tribal CCDF programs serve Native families across reservations. The Best in Class Pre-K Grant program funds many Pre-K seats. Head Start and Early Head Start fund additional free seats. The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, North Dakota's lack of a child-care-specific state credit, and a Dependent Care FSA if offered through work round out the options. Our tax credit explainer walks through the math.
Where North Dakota parents tend to overpay
- Joining a downtown Fargo or South Fargo waitlist when a Bright & Early high-step program in Moorhead, Dilworth, West Fargo, or Casselton runs $100 to $250 less per month for comparable care.
- Paying private preschool tuition for a four-year-old without checking whether the local district participates in Best in Class Pre-K or whether a Head Start seat is available.
- Skipping the North Dakota Child Care Assistance application; the 60 percent SMI threshold reaches well into working families, especially in the Bakken and Fargo metros where wages are higher.
Before your first tour, download the free DaycareSquare comparison checklist and the tour questions list.
