Curated · August 2026

Best Daycares in Cary, NC

Our top licensed picks in Cary — ranked on license status, capacity, and verification recency from NC Division of Child Development and Early Education. 10 centers reviewed. No paid placement, ever.

How we picked: from 10 licensed centers in Cary, 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

Durham Creative Kids #119

Cary, NC · 27511

Child Care Center Capacity 117 0 months - 12 months
2

Concord Children's Place #18

Cary, NC · 27513

Preschool Capacity 116 2 years - 5 years
3

High Point Little Stars Daycare #157

Cary, NC · 27511

Licensed Group Child Care Home Capacity 68 6 weeks - 5 years
4

Nurturing Hearts Fayetteville #297

Cary, NC · 27511

Licensed Group Child Care Home Capacity 59 6 weeks - 5 years
5

Growing Minds Charlotte #575

Cary, NC · 27511

Child Care Center Capacity 54 0 months - 12 months
6

Abc Academy Durham #120

Cary, NC · 27513

Family Daycare Capacity 46 0 months - 5 years
7

Charlotte Bright Beginnings #574

Cary, NC · 27513

Montessori Capacity 43 6 weeks - 12 years
8

Happy Days Concord Daycare #19

Cary, NC · 27511

Head Start Capacity 34 2 years - 12 years
9

High Point Rainbow Learning Center #158

Cary, NC · 27513

Preschool Capacity 31 2 years - 5 years
10

Fayetteville Cloud Nine Kids #296

Cary, NC · 27513

Family Daycare Capacity 21 0 months - 5 years

How we ranked these Cary 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.

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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 10 Cary daycares

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