Daycare marketing ideas you can start this week.
Ways to reach local families, the rules on reviews, and the numbers that show where care is short.
Facts checked on official pages, November 4, 2026.
Twelve ideas you can act on this week
- Find your listing on your state’s child care search. Check your hours, ages and phone number.
- Set up a business profile on the map apps parents use to search.
- Put your hours, ages and openings at the top of your website.
- Hold open house tours on a weekday evening and a Saturday morning.
- Answer every call and message within one business day.
- Ask happy families to tell their friends. Thank them with a handwritten note.
- Ask current families for honest reviews. Never offer a reward for a good one.
- Leave flyers at pediatric offices, libraries and community centers, with their permission.
- Reach out to nearby employers whose staff have young children.
- Tell your local child care resource and referral agency when you have openings.
- Share photos of your rooms and activities. Get a parent’s written permission before you post a child.
- Keep a waitlist, and call families back the day a spot opens.
Start where parents already look
Federal child care rules tell each state what its parent website must show.
- Each state’s child care agency must post a local list of licensed providers on its website.Source: 45 CFR 98.33, Consumer and provider education
- Parents can read inspection results for licensed providers there too.Source: 45 CFR 98.33, Consumer and provider education
- The state must have a way to fix mistakes in those reports.Source: 45 CFR 98.33, Consumer and provider education
- The site also points parents to local child care resource and referral agencies.Source: 45 CFR 98.33, Consumer and provider education
Where care is short
Licensed spots per 100 children under 5. A lower number means fewer licensed spots for each young child.
| State | Licensed spots per 100 children under 5 | Licensed center programs | License file read |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 42 | 11,332 | November 3, 2026 |
| New York | 48 | 7,265 | November 3, 2026 |
| Texas | 51 | 9,600 | November 3, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 3,013 | November 3, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 63 | 5,010 | November 3, 2026 |
Each state page shows every county, with its sources and the day they were read.
Reviews: what the federal rule says
- A federal rule bans businesses from writing or selling fake reviews.Source: Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials
- You may not reward families for reviews that must say something good or bad.Source: Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials
- Reviews by insiders that hide their tie to the business are banned too.Source: Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials
- Groundless threats to get a bad review taken down are not allowed.Source: Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials
Run a program in your area? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Keep reading
- Tuition calculator
Typical rates by state and age group.
- Daycare name ideas
Names by style, and how to check one.
- Free printable forms
Sign-in sheets, daily reports and more.
- Business plan
How to write a plan for funding and licensing.
- Licensing by state
Ratios, trainings and the rules for every state.
Questions, answered
How do I market a new daycare?
Start with your state listing, tours and referrals. This page lists twelve ideas you can act on this week.
Where do parents look for licensed daycares?
Each state must post a local list of licensed providers online. Parents can read inspection results there too.
Can I offer a gift for a good review?
No. A federal rule bans rewards for reviews that must say something good or bad.
Where is child care hardest to find?
The table on this page shows licensed spots per 100 children under 5 in each state we track.
Official sources
- 45 CFR 98.33, Consumer and provider education, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked November 4, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials, Federal Trade Commission. Checked November 4, 2026.
About this page
Facts checked on official pages, November 4, 2026.
Each fact links to the official page it came from.
This page sums up official pages. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice, and rules change.
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