Curated · August 2026

Best Daycares in Lafayette, IN

Our top licensed picks in Lafayette — ranked on license status, capacity, and verification recency from Indiana FSSA — Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. 12 centers reviewed. No paid placement, ever.

How we picked: from 12 licensed centers in Lafayette, we surface those with a current license, larger licensed capacity, and the most recent verification. Ranking is objective and editorial — providers cannot pay for placement. Always confirm current license status before enrolling.

1

South Bend Kindersmile #142

Lafayette, IN · 47904

Preschool Capacity 95 2 years - 5 years
2

Hammond Little Scholars #22

Lafayette, IN · 47904

Montessori Capacity 80 6 weeks - 12 years
3

La Petite Academy Indianapolis #264

Lafayette, IN · 47901

Family Daycare Capacity 69 0 months - 5 years
4

Abc Academy Hammond #24

Lafayette, IN · 47901

Family Daycare Capacity 69 0 months - 5 years
5

Hammond Creative Kids #23

Lafayette, IN · 47905

Child Care Center Capacity 65 0 months - 12 months
6

Active Kids South Bend #143

Lafayette, IN · 47905

Head Start Capacity 57 2 years - 12 years
7

Indianapolis Primrose School #263

Lafayette, IN · 47905

Child Care Center Capacity 55 0 months - 12 months
8

Little Hearts Lafayette #129

Lafayette, IN · 47901

Before & After School Care Capacity 35 3 years - 5 years
9

South Bend Playhouse Academy #144

Lafayette, IN · 47901

Before & After School Care Capacity 28 3 years - 5 years
10

Lafayette Bright Futures Daycare #128

Lafayette, IN · 47905

Head Start Capacity 26 2 years - 12 years

How we ranked these Lafayette daycares

This ranking is built from public licensing records, not from opinions or paid placements. Every center on this page is pulled from the state licensing database, and the order is decided by three objective signals applied in this exact sequence:

  1. Current license status first. Centers whose permit is on record as licensed appear above those with any other status. A license is the single strongest signal a state gives you.
  2. Licensed capacity, largest first. Bigger licensed capacity usually means more classrooms, more age groups served and a better chance of an open spot — but it is not a measure of quality, and a small center may suit your child better.
  3. Most recent inspection date. A center inspected recently has fresher public data behind it, so what you read here is closer to today's reality.

What does not affect this ranking

No center can pay to be listed, to rank higher, or to change its description. We do not accept payment from providers, and affiliate links elsewhere on this site never influence the order of any listing.

What this list cannot tell you. Licensing data says nothing about staff turnover, how a room feels at 4pm, or whether a director answers the phone. Those you can only learn by visiting.

Before you enrol anywhere, verify the license yourself in your state database, tour during operating hours, and ask for the ratio in your child's specific room — our 30-point tour checklist walks through exactly what to ask.

Contains affiliate links

Starting daycare soon? Here is what to pack

Bottles, name labels, nap bedding and spare clothes — our checklist by age covers what centers ask you to bring, and what they ask you not to send.

See the checklist →

See all 12 Lafayette daycares

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