Curated · August 2026

Best Daycares in Jersey City, NJ

Our top licensed picks in Jersey City — ranked on license status, capacity, and verification recency from NJ Department of Children and Families — Office of Licensing. 36 centers reviewed. No paid placement, ever.

How we picked: from 36 licensed centers in Jersey City, 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

Hamilton Discovery Preschool #160

Jersey City, NJ · 07307

Head Start Capacity 118 2 years - 12 years
2

Paterson Children's Place #95

Jersey City, NJ · 07310

Family Daycare Capacity 116 0 months - 5 years
3

Little Genius Edison #120

Jersey City, NJ · 07302

Child Care Center Capacity 116 0 months - 12 months
4

First Steps Hamilton #162

Jersey City, NJ · 07302

Infant Care Capacity 112 5 years - 12 years
5

Growing Minds Paterson #94

Jersey City, NJ · 07307

Child Care Center Capacity 111 0 months - 12 months
6

Hamilton Little Scholars #163

Jersey City, NJ · 07304

Montessori Capacity 108 6 weeks - 12 years
7

Newark Generations Daycare #363

Jersey City, NJ · 07302

Head Start Capacity 97 2 years - 12 years
8

Clifton Little Angels #184

Jersey City, NJ · 07307

Licensed Group Child Care Home Capacity 95 6 weeks - 5 years
9

Lakewood Childcare Academy #137

Jersey City, NJ · 07310

Montessori Capacity 90 6 weeks - 12 years
10

Clifton Cloud Nine Kids #181

Jersey City, NJ · 07304

Montessori Capacity 90 6 weeks - 12 years

How we ranked these Jersey City 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 36 Jersey City daycares

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