Daycares in Ottawa

473 licensed child care programs in Ottawa

Daycares in Ottawa at a glance

Ottawa has 473 licensed child care programs in our directory, including 451 child care centres and 22 home child care agencies. 303 offer full day care, the usual choice for working parents. 133 only run programs before and after school, for school age children.

For parents with unusual schedules, 27 offer extended hours, 16 open on weekends and 17 offer overnight care.

117 offer services in French, 27 have Montessori in their name, and 41 received their first licence in 2024 or later.

How to get a spot in Ottawa

Ottawa uses a single online application. Families sign up on the Ottawa Child Care Registry and Waitlist, then choose the licensed programs they want, in order of preference. The same application covers full fee spots and spots with a fee subsidy.

Most licensed programs in Ontario take part in CWELCC, the Canada wide early learning and child care program. In 2026, the base fee for a child under 6 in a participating program is capped at $22 a day, and the provincial average is about $19. Programs outside CWELCC set their own fees, so ask each centre.

Looking for a French language daycare?

117 licensed programs in Ottawa offer services in French. Our guide in French explains where to find them, how the City registry works and what changes for families from Gatineau. Garderie francophone à Ottawa.

Need care outside daycare hours?

A babysitter can cover evenings, weekends, PD days or the wait for a daycare spot. Find a babysitter in Ontario for free on SOS-Nounou.

Source, Ontario Ministry of Education, Licensed child care facilities in Ontario, data as of August 31, 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence (Ontario).