Licensed Full-Day Daycare in Waterford, MI

Full-Day Daycare in Waterford

As of August 2026

Waterford's 42 licensed child care providers split into 23 centers and 19 family child care homes, a 55%-to-45% lean toward centers that mirrors several nearby cities. What sets Waterford apart is scale: the 42 providers report combined licensed capacity for 3,097 children, an average of about 74 slots per provider, one of the higher averages in this dataset. That combination of a modest center-lean and a high average capacity suggests Waterford's centers in particular run large. Michigan's Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB) licenses every provider on the roster. CloverMap gives Waterford parents a single place to compare listings.

What to know about childcare in Waterford

Waterford's 42 licensed providers split 23 centers to 19 family child care homes, a 55%-to-45% lean toward center-based care. That ratio alone puts Waterford in the same range as several nearby cities, but its providers report unusually high capacity: 3,097 children across the roster, averaging roughly 74 slots per provider, well above what the center-to-home split alone would predict for a city this size, and it is one of the more notable capacity figures among nearby Michigan cities in this dataset.

That high average capacity signals Waterford's centers tend to be sizable operations, likely running multiple classrooms and larger staff teams, even though centers hold only a modest majority of the roster. Families looking for a program with room for larger enrollment, or simply more classroom options within one facility, may find Waterford's centers worth prioritizing, while the city's 19 family child care homes remain available for those who want a smaller setting regardless of the city's overall scale, since a smaller home-based setting can still be the right fit for a family that values a single consistent caregiver.

Licensing data for Waterford does not report which providers serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or school-age children specifically, so that detail should be confirmed directly with each provider. Centers commonly divide enrollment into age-based classrooms, while family child care homes typically care for a mixed-age group in one setting, a distinction worth asking about given how large some of Waterford's programs appear to run, particularly for parents weighing whether a larger facility or a smaller home environment best suits their child's temperament.

Every provider on the Waterford roster is licensed through Michigan's Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB), the state agency that sets and enforces the requirements a center or home must meet to legally operate. A CCLB license reflects that a provider has met the state's baseline standards for staffing, facility, and operations; it is a starting point for a parent's research, not a substitute for an in-person visit, direct questions about staffing, and a look at how a given provider actually structures its day.

Given Waterford's high average capacity, families comparing listings by size should expect meaningful variation, from smaller family child care homes among the city's 19 to large centers among its 23, including Little Sprouts Early Childhood Center. CloverMap's Waterford page lets parents sort the full roster by format and capacity before reaching out to providers directly.