Childcare in Harris County, by the numbers.
Harris County has 1,475 licensed center programs with 193,821 licensed spots, and 638 home daycares.
Source: Search Texas Child Care, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation. Read November 3, 2026.
1,475
Licensed center programs
1,475 center licenses
193,821
Licensed spots in centers
About 131 per program
638
Home daycares
7,420 spots
105
New centers
Still on a first permit
Spots for young children in Harris County
53
licensed spots for every 100 children under 5
Texas as a whole has 51.
Harris County has about 335,005 children under 5, by the Census Bureau's estimate.
New centers in Harris County
105 centers are still on their first permit.
A new center is one still on its initial permit, the first permit Texas gives a center.
Kinds of center license in Harris County
233 programs hold only a school-age license: before and after school care.
Cities with the most center programs
By the city written on each license.
Run a program in Harris County? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
More counties in Texas
- Dallas County 721 licensed center programs 44 spots per 100 children under 5
- Tarrant County 623 licensed center programs 50 spots per 100 children under 5
- Bexar County 543 licensed center programs 47 spots per 100 children under 5
- Travis County 507 licensed center programs 54 spots per 100 children under 5
- Collin County 442 licensed center programs 87 spots per 100 children under 5
- Hidalgo County 421 licensed center programs 48 spots per 100 children under 5
Getting licensed in Texas
Texas licenses child care centers and family child care homes separately. See the ratios, trainings and checklist the state asks for in our Texas licensing guide.
Plan your program
- Daycare business plan
How to write a plan for funding and licensing.
- Tuition calculator
Typical rates by state and age group.
- Ratio calculator
Staff needed for each age group, by state.
Questions, answered
How many licensed childcare centers are in Harris County?
1,475 center programs, holding 1,475 center licenses and 193,821 licensed spots, as of November 3, 2026.
How many home daycares are in Harris County?
638 home daycares, with 7,420 spots, as of November 3, 2026.
How many new childcare centers are in Harris County?
105 centers are still on their first permit, as of November 3, 2026.
How many licensed childcare spots are there per child in Harris County?
53 licensed spots for every 100 children under 5. The child count is the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025.
Where can I check a childcare program's license in Texas?
On Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Child Care Regulation's public facility search. Search by the program's name, address or license number.
About these numbers
Every license count here comes from the state's license file, read November 3, 2026.
A center program is the licensed centers one operator runs at one address. School-age programs count as centers.
A new center is one still on its initial permit, the first permit Texas gives a center.
Home daycares are licensed and registered child care homes. Listed family homes are not counted.
Children under 5 are the Census Bureau's estimates for July 1, 2025.
Spots for young children leave out school-age licenses and add home daycare spots. Some serve older children.
The state's file lists only open operations, so this page shows no closings.
This page is a summary of public records. It is not legal advice, and licenses change every week.
To check one program, search the state's own lookup.
Questions about childcare in Harris County?
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