How to find licensed child care in Las Vegas

Licensed child care in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and the rest of Clark County is licensed by the State of Nevada. That makes the search simpler than in many places: one state database covers every licensed center and home in the county, and it shows the inspection and complaint record behind each license.

Short answer: search the state’s licensee database first, use the free referral service if you want help narrowing it down, and confirm the license before you visit.

Step 1: Search the state’s licensee database

The Nevada Division of Social Services runs Child Care Licensing and points parents to its licensee search tool.

1. Open the Find a Child Care Facility page and click the licensee search tool.
2. Choose Child Care Program as the business unit.
3. Choose Agency as the entity type to search facilities.
4. Open Address Information and enter a city, ZIP code or county to see licensed facilities near you.

Each facility record shows inspection information plus the complaints and investigations tied to it. Our license-check guide walks through what those records mean.

Step 2: Ask for a referral list

Nevada Child Care Resource & Referral is a partnership between the state’s Child Care & Development Program (in the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services) and The Children’s Cabinet. It gives families referrals to licensed child care and information on quality, at no charge.

• Las Vegas office: 5905 S. Decatur Blvd. #13, Las Vegas, NV 89118, (702) 825-8978
• Child Care Services Center: 2651 N. Green Valley Pkwy. #101, (702) 915-6906

If you plan to use child care assistance, say so when you call, because the provider needs to take part in the state program.

Step 3: Check the quality rating, if there is one

Nevada’s Silver State Stars Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), run by the Nevada Department of Education, rates participating programs from 1 to 5 stars. The department is clear that it is not a Yelp-style rating and that it doesn’t replace a license. A license shows basic health and safety requirements are met. A star rating measures quality beyond that. Not every licensed program takes part, so a missing rating doesn’t mean a program is unlicensed.

Step 4: Know what a license does and doesn’t cover

Nevada’s law defines a child care facility as a place that cares for five or more children under 18 when anyone is paid for the care of any of them. A license is required to care for more than four children who aren’t related to the caregiver or for whom the caregiver is paid. Some care is outside the license system altogether, including:

• care in the child’s own home, such as a nanny or babysitter
• care only for relatives within the third degree
• a friend or neighbor watching children for up to four weeks, if they don’t do it regularly
• some seasonal and out-of-school recreation programs

None of these show up in the state’s licensee search. That’s not a red flag on its own, but it means no state inspector has visited.

Other places to look

• Childcare.gov’s Nevada page collects the state’s licensing, subsidy and referral links in one place.
• Pre-K and Head Start for 3- and 4-year-olds are covered in our pre-K guide.
• Nevada 211 (dial 2-1-1) can point you to community programs.

Before you enroll

Childcare.gov’s checklist is a good order of operations: learn the options, search, investigate licensing and inspection records, contact a few programs, visit more than one, then decide. Our tour questions guide lists what to ask on the visit.

We don’t list, rank or recommend providers. Use the state’s record and your own visit.