Preschools & Day Care in Alabama, by city

Alabama Preschools Guide covers every preschool, day care center and child care center in the state with Google reviews, from Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery to small towns in the Wiregrass and the Black Belt. Every city with three or more programs has its own page, with separate lists for day care, preschool, Montessori, infant care and pre-K where a city has enough of each, so a parent can go straight to the kind of care they need.

Each listing shows what the program tells parents about itself: the ages it takes, whether it runs a pre-K class, whether it accepts child care subsidies, meals, early drop-off and late pickup, summer camp and any accreditation it names. Where a program has said nothing, the page says so, and a quick call will answer it.

Three public programs shape how many Alabama families pay for early care. DHR's subsidized child care program helps low- and moderate-income families who work, study or train, through a Child Care Management Agency in each region. First Class Pre-K is a voluntary program for 4-year-olds with classrooms in every county and no registration fee. Head Start and Early Head Start add free federal options for eligible families with children up to age five.

Licensing in Alabama sits with the Department of Human Resources. Centers operate either licensed or license-exempt, and many church preschools use the exemption, which still requires a DHR inspection before opening and yearly fire and health reports. Before you enroll, look the program up in DHR's Statewide Day Care Directory to see its license or exemption, its last inspection and any violations, then use the city pages below to build a short list and call.