The following dataset includes programs of different types that are licensed and/or funded. The dataset encompasses data pulled quarterly from EEC’s Licensing Education Analytic Database (LEAD).

Licensed programs are programs that are subject to licensing regulations by EEC, which include meeting health and safety standards, training and professional development requirements, criminal and background checks, and maintaining appropriate ratios of educators to children. Licensed programs can include any of the following: family child care and group and school age programs. For more information on licensed programs click here.

Funded programs are programs that are not subject to licensure by EEC but have the approval from EEC to provide subsidized child care for low-income or at-risk families. Funded programs can include any of the following: public schools; private schools; religious schools; and government, tribal, and military child care programs. For more information on funded providers click here.

The types of programs in this dataset include:

• Family Child Care is child care provided in someone's home where the caretaker is not related to the children.
• Group and School Age programs provide early education and care for young children in a non-residential setting such as a school or community center. These programs include several types of early education and care such as: - Center-based care for infants, toddlers, preschool, or kindergarten age children; Early Head Start and Head Start programs; and Out-of-school time programs that operate before/after school or during the summer.
• Public school programs take place in public school settings and are overseen by the local school district. Public school programs are included here if they enrolled at least one child receiving an EEC subsidy.
• Private school programs take place in private schools. Private school programs are included here if they enrolled at least one child receiving an EEC subsidy.

A geographically-searchable online directory of licensed child care programs across the Massachusetts, published by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). The directory can be searched and filtered by program/provider name, program type, age group, specific address, radius from an address, or on a route between two points.