The 8 Best Day Care Centers in Boston, Massachusetts

When it comes to finding the perfect day care center for your child, nothing short of perfect will do. As a mom of two, I know the effort that goes into making that decision. It's never easy, and there are myriad factors that come into play: the facility or care provider, your working hours, your budget, your child's temperament and more. If you're a native Bostonian who has or will be placing your child in daycare, you undoubtedly want to start your search with the best day care facilities Boston has to offer.

Fortunately, Boston offers great resources for parents looking to find the best day care for their child. Child Care Choices of Boston (CCCB) is an invaluable resource for parents, and it's absolutely free! CCCB offers child care referrals based on individual factors. They also log and investigate complaints regarding day care facilities. If you're considering a certain care provider, you can check the CCCB site to make sure other parents haven't had problems there. It's important to go with your gut when choosing the best day care - ask questions, tour the facility thoroughly and make sure it's a fit you're comfortable with. Below are eight of the best day care facilities in Boston to help jumpstart your search.

Beacon Hill Nursery School, Inc.
74 Joy Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 227-0822

Beacon Hill seems to be a nursery school with a heart; parents of Beacon Hill students have expressed happiness at the staff's dedication to their children. The school was founded in 1955, and getting your child a place at the school seems to be much like jockeying for college admission. This is a good sign, if you can get in - parents don't generally fight to get their children into a sub-par facility. Beacon Hill was initially a parent cooperative (a cool idea in itself), but has since grown into a professionally-staffed nursery school of choice.

Happy Child Day Care Center
1191 Chestnut Street
Newton, MA 02464
Phone: (617) 964-8231

The Happy Child Day Care Center has earned a place in Citysearch's Best Boston Day Care Center list for both 2006 and 2007. According to Happy Child, their curriculum focuses on "creative play, cooperation and problem-solving". Their morning hours can be a bit of a squeeze, opening at 7:30 a.m., but there's a little more wiggle room in the evening, with a closing time of 6:00 p.m. A plus for parents of multiple children - Happy Child offers a 5% discount for siblings!

Kids' Corner Day Care
489 Winthrop Avenue
Medford, MA 02155
Phone: (781) 391-9695

This daycare facility won the #3 spot in CitySearch's Best Boston Day Care Center 2007 listing. Located in the Medford area, this daycare is a fun and educational place for children to spend their days while parents are away. Call the number above for more information.

Kid's Palace Learning Center
160 East Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02118
Phone: (617) 357-1919

The Kid's Palace Learning Center prides themselves on personalized attention to each student and a low student-to-teacher ratio. Their classroom staff is based on a three-tiered hierarchy to make sure each teacher provides your child with a high-quality environment and education. For parents who are concerned about placing their child in the right environment (and who isn't?), Kid's Palace offers a monthly parent orientation and maintains an "open door" policy for parents at all times.

Leo Headstart Day Care
156 Broad Street
Lynn, MA 01904
Phone: (781) 581-7220

Leo Headstart Day Care was rated #4 in CitySearch's Best Boston Day Care Center 2007. If you're having trouble affording day care, then Leo offers a low-cost option with potential financial assistance available. Most importantly, they're considered a caring and child-focused facility. For more information on what Leo, Inc. has to offer, check out their website.

Waltham Day Care Center
50 Church Street
Waltham, MA 02452
Phone: (781) 899-0531

Waltham Day Care Center won the #1 spot in CitySearch's Best Boston Day Care Center 2007. Located in church facilities, Waltham offers a warm, consistent environment for kids ages 1 through Kindergarten. The rates are lower than many other Boston day care centers, but their hours can be a problem for parents who work full-time: Waltham is open from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Millenium Day Care Center
342 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 728-9993

This bilingual education day care center has two locations, one at 342 Tremont Street and one at 285 Tremont Street. Millenium children are taught both Chinese and English; though the center caters to the prolific Chinese community in Boston, the kids who go here aren't strictly Chinese. Millenium is very open about it's facility, staff and activities - all of which are pictured on their website. It's a great place to expose your children to a new culture, and for them to begin learning a second language (assuming they don't speak Chinese)!

Bright Horizons
131 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 227-6482

Bright Horizons is an established family of day care providers, with more than 600 facilities across the U.S. and Canada. There are five locations in the Boston area - see the website for specific locations and details. Many of Bright Horizons centers are employer-sponsored, so check with your employer or potential employers to see if that benefit is available.