Childcare Openings

Childcare providers in Southington and nearby have limited openings. Many can’t find teachers and assistants and the Covid pandemic has made the staffing situation even worse. As a result centers have empty classrooms and waiting lists. In addition, there was a mini baby-boom in 2021 with greater than 5o more children born then in each of the previous few years and that baby-boom continued in 2022. There was already as shortage of infant and toddler spots and now there are more babies looking to fill them.

Contact information for local providers is in the ECCS Resource Directory, look under either Childcare Centers or Family Childcare Provider categories.

You can also visit https://www.211childcare.org or call 2 – 1 – 1 for childcare openings State-wide. Once you do a search on the 211 Childcare website, and select a provider, you have the option to “View Inspection and Complaint History.”

The ECCS periodically surveys childcare providers in Southington and the neighboring communities to create this list.

Openings List Updated 5/22/2023:

Centers:

• UPDATE 1/21/2022: Bright Beginnings – has a few openings for infants and for ages 3, 4, and 5.  For school-age they have openings for before and aftercare.
• UPDATE 9/28/2022: Jack and Jill II Day Care Center – Almost full with a few preschool spots
• UPDATE 8/24/22: Giggles & Grins Child Care Center – No openings at this time.
• UPDATE 5/22/23: Margaret C. Griffin Child Development Center in Southington – No openings at this time and full for fall of 2023 for their 3, 4, and 5 year old classrooms. They are accepting names for the waiting list and give priority given to families who are income-eligible, payment on a sliding scale. They are not licensed for infants and toddlers.
• UPDATE 8/13/22: The Nurturing Nest Early Learning Center – Currently full and is no longer taking names for their waiting list.
• UPDATE 7/28/2022: Leadership Martial Arts in Southington – has openings for their after school program which includes transportation to several elementary schools.
• UPDATE 1/2/2023: My Little Rascals – Limited openings, call for ages.
• UPDATE 1/27/2023: My Little Rascals Too – Limited openings, call for ages.
• UPDATE 2/1/2023: Town and Country Early Learning Center in Southington – Several openings for infants who will start in September 2023. They are full for all other ages with a waiting list.
• UPDATE 4/27/23: Saint Dominic Childcare Center – Openings for infants aged 6 weeks to 9 months. Full with a waiting list for other ages.
• UPDATE 5/22/23: Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA’s full-day program – They are currently full and waitlisted for all programs for summer enrollment. For Fall 2023: Full day preschool 4’s has one opening MWF, four openings TTH and three full time M-F. The Full day preschool 3’s has 3 openings on TTH, the other spots are full. The Jump Start full day program for those eligible for Kindergarten in the fall is waitlisted.
• UPDATE 9/28/2022: Stork Club – Accepting applications.
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• UPDATE 5/22/2023: BrightPath Cheshire Child Care Center – Has openings
• UPDATE 9/2/2022: Carriage House Day Care in Meriden – Has openings
• UPDATE 6/9/2022: Great Beginnings in Plainville – Infant, Toddlers, Twos-no openings for the summer, Very limited availability for the fall. Preschool-no openings for the summer, lots of availability for the fall.
• UPDATE 8/23/22: Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center in Bristol – Accepting applications for their all-day infant/toddler and preschool program. Care4Kids accepted.
• UPDATE 9/28/2022: Plainville Early Learning Center, Inc. – Full with a waitlist.
• UPDATE 9/22/2021: Scott Swamp KinderCare Farmington – No openings at this time.
• UPDATE 11/17/2021: Over the Rainbow in Cheshire – Currently full and wait-listing children at this time.  It is best to call as availability changes all the time.
• UPDATE 9/2/22: YWCA of New Britain – Openings and is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year for full and part-time infant/toddler, and preschool. Breakfast, lunch, and snack provided. In-person, online, and hybrid options are available. Care4Kids accepted.
• UPDATE 4/4/23: Academy of Early Learning – Space for 3 FT and 1 M/W/F spots- 4 year olds for the 2023-2024 school year.

Contact information for local providers is in the ECCS Town Resource Directory, look under the Childcare Centers category.

Nursery Schools:

• UPDATE 1/2/23: Southington Catholic School – Enrolling for the 2023-2034 year. They also have space for the 2022-2023 school year for their three-year-old, four-year-old, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 5 programs. They do offer options before and after-school up to 5:30 pm.
• UPDATE 5/22/23: Southington Public School’s Preschool Program – No longer accepting applications for 2023-2024 school year. Parents pay tuition for their child to attend the integrated preschool as a community peer.
• UPDATE 5/22/23: Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA’s nursery school program – They are currently full and waitlisted for the 2022-2023 school year. Their three-year-old Nursery School which meets on T and TH from 9:00 am-11:30 am is full with a waitlist for the 2023-2024 school year. The four-year-old program which meets MWF from 9:00 am-11:30 am has 7 openings and 9:00 am to 1:00 pm has 5 openings for fall 2023.
  UPDATE 3/30/23: Village Green Nursery School – Full for the 2023-2024 school year for both 3 and 4 year olds but continuing to accept names to the waiting list.
• UPDATE 1/2/23: Zion Lutheran Nursery School – Accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year, especially for the 3’s program and the PreK 5 afternoon program.

Contact information for local providers is in the ECCS Town Resource Directory, look under the Preschool/Nursery School category.

Family Childcare (in private homes):

Note, due licensing regulations, the family childcare providers are restricted in the number of children they can enroll and so they usually don’t have openings unless a family leaves or a child graduates to kindergarten.

• UPDATE 5/22/23: Robyn Angeli, Vernondale Day School – Currently Full.
• UPDATE 8/27/21: Kristin Bausch, Kristin’s Family Day Care – Currently Full.
• UPDATE 11/17/21: Terry Bouchard, Tlc Services – Currently Full.
• UPDATE 1/2/2023: Darlene Butkiewicz – Currently Full, no expected openings until September 2024.
• UPDATE 8/27/2021: Jennifer Cook, Jennifer Cook Day Care – Currently Full.
• UPDATE 1/2/23: Loraine Carbone, Loraine Carbone’s Day Care -two openings for now to the end of August over 18 months.
• UPDATE 5/22/23: Susan Cyr, Hugs N Cuddles Home Day Care – As of 9/18/23, will have one opening for a child who is 12 months old or older which includes a full PreK Program and all food. Parents can call now to schedule an appointment – 860-620-7500.
• UPDATE 1/5/2023: Gloria Dorau, Gloria’s Day Care – Before and after school availability for Derynoski (bus stop at end of the driveway). 1 opening for 2 years and above.  End of August 2023, additional openings for 2 years and above and an Infant.
• UPDATE 6/10/2022: Angela Griffis, Little Miracles Family Childcare & Preschool – One full-time opening for 18 months and older and one part-time opening for 18 months and older. She has a full-time assistant. They provide before school care only with transportation to Flanders, Hatton, Thalberg, and Derynowski.  Hours of operation are 6 AM to 3:30 PM.
• UPDATE 7/18/2022: Beth Mearkle, Precious Cargo Child Care – Currently Full.
• UPDATE 5/22/23: Tracy Munson, Tracy’s Tender Tots – Currently Full.
• UPDATE 1/2/23: Jennifer Natal, Tiny Feet Home Daycare – 3 spots open. Ages 2 month to 5 years old.
• UPDATE 1/2/2023: Maria Nelson, Country Kids Home Daycare – Two opening age 18 months or older.
• UPDATE 1/2/23: Marzena Radziwon, Polish Home Day Care – Currently Full until August 2023.
• UPDATE 8/23/22: Marilyn Sargent, Marilyn’s Farmhouse Daycare – Two before-school opening for Flanders school district in the fall.
• UPDATE 4/4/23: Justyna Szymczyk – Currently Full

Contact information for these licensed family childcare providers is in the ECCS Resource Directory; look under the Family Childcare Provider category. There are additional licensed family childcare providers who either did not respond to requests for information about open spots or who preferred not to be listed.

Note that anyone caring for other people’s children in their own home for at least 3 hours a day on a regular basis they must be licensed by the CT Office of Early Childhood. Interested in becoming a licensed family childcare provider? The ECCS can connect you with the right people at the OEC and local mentors.

Childcare Costs

The cost for childcare depends on the age of the child and their schedule. The cost per day is lower if attending all five days instead of part-time. Extended day options usually cost extra. The cost for infants and toddlers is usually higher since there is a lower teacher-child ratio and can run $230 to $320 per week. Care for preschool age children can be $36 to $60 per day depending on the hours. Some centers offer financial assistance or sibling discounts.

Lower and moderate income working families can apply for the Care4Kids childcare subsidy program. Phone: 1-888-214-KIDS (5437) or web site: http://www.ctcare4kids.com