Preschools & Day Care in Charlottesville, VA

Preschools and day care centers in Charlottesville range from a parent-run cooperative to church preschools, Montessori schools, national chains and small home programs. The page covers 48 of them. Nearly all have an Albemarle County address, and 2 are in Greene County, in Ruckersville and Stanardsville. Two more are based in Earlysville, a smaller town whose programs share this page.

Several programs here have long histories. Barrett Early Learning Center, in downtown Charlottesville, opened in 1935 as the Janie Porter Barrett Nursery School and is described as the oldest childcare center in the Commonwealth. It serves children ages 2 to 5 and is rated 4.6 from 17 reviews. C-Street Cooperative Preschool opened in 1972 as a non-profit school run by its parents, for children ages three to five, and is rated 4.8 from 21 reviews. Westminster Child Care Center has served families since 1972 as a non-profit, with sliding scale tuition based on family income and a scholarship program funded by donations. It is rated 4.7 from 13 reviews.

Some names run more than one campus nearby. Bright Beginnings Preschool is locally owned, has operated since 1984 and has locations around Charlottesville, Albemarle County and Crozet. The Forest Lakes campus is rated 4.1 from 34 reviews, and the other Bright Beginnings Preschool is rated 4.1 from 29. Both care for infants through pre-K from 7:30am to 5:30pm all year, with continuous open enrollment. KinderCare is here too. Riverbend KinderCare, at 201 Riverbend Dr, is NAEYC accredited, open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM and rated 3.6 from 21 reviews. Hillsdale KinderCare is rated 3.3 from 7 reviews. Foundations Child Development Center, at 3375 Berkmar Drive, is a full day preschool with infant care, rated 3.5 from 26 reviews.

Montessori and nature-based programs add variety. Frost Montessori School is rated 5.0 from 4 reviews, Generations Montessori School 5.0 from 2 and University Montessori School 5.0 from 2, so those ratings rest on small review counts. Ms. Alison's Kangaroo Preschool is a state licensed, home-based nature preschool in Earlysville, with a separate entrance for the preschool and four wooded acres that hold chickens, ducks and a vegetable garden. It serves families from Charlottesville, Ruckersville and Earlysville and is rated 5.0 from 11 reviews. Mighty Minds Little Hands Int. Preschool teaches with Spanish immersion and is rated 5.0 from 1 review.

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Best preschools and day care centers in Charlottesville

Piper Ivy Preschool

5.0(9 reviews on Google)

72 Lambs Ln, Charlottesville (based in Stanardsville)

  • Preschool program
  • Early drop-off or late pickup
(434) 985-1185

Church-connected preschools are a steady part of the local picture. St Mark Preschool is rated 4.8 from 21 reviews and builds learning around project work that comes out of the children's own curiosities. Chestnut Grove Preschool in Earlysville is the preschool program of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, a congregation founded in 1773, and is rated 4.9 from 11 reviews. First Baptist Preschool, First Presbyterian Church Preschool, Lighthouse Christian Preschool and Faith Christian Academy round out the church-linked group, and Faith Christian Academy is rated 4.2 from 11 reviews. Allkidz Christian Childcare is a state licensed family child care home taking children from 16 months to 12 years, rated 5.0 from 10 reviews.

Families outside the city limits have options too. Greene County Child Care Center has been a non-profit in Ruckersville since 1971, taking ages 16 months through 5 years, with before and after school care and a summer program for older children. It is rated 4.0 from 11 reviews. Piper Ivy Preschool in Stanardsville runs full-time or part-time preschool plus a school age program, and is rated 5.0 from 9 reviews. Little Learners Preschool, in northern Albemarle County, prepares four year olds for kindergarten in a class limited to eight children that meets Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings. It is rated 5.0 from 8 reviews. Bright Eyes Community Child Care Center serves the surrounding counties, enrolls children from 6 weeks and is rated 4.7 from 12 reviews.

Larger institutions run programs here as well. acac Fitness & Wellness Adventure Central runs a year round licensed preschool and summer camp, plus an afterschool program for grades K through 5 until 6:00pm, and is rated 4.4 from 33 reviews. The University of Virginia Child Development Center is rated 4.7 from 10 reviews. YMCA Early Learning Center @ Jefferson City School is rated 3.5 from 14 reviews. Families nearer Crozet, Palmyra, Waynesboro, Orange or Louisa can also check the pages for those towns.

Common questions about preschools and day care centers in Charlottesville

Which Montessori preschools serve the Charlottesville area?

Frost Montessori School, Generations Montessori School and University Montessori School all run Montessori programs, and each is rated 5.0 from a small number of reviews. Frost Montessori School and Generations Montessori School also take infants and toddlers. Ms. Alison's Kangaroo Preschool, a home-based nature preschool in Earlysville, also works with Montessori methods and is rated 5.0 from 11 reviews.

Is there a Spanish immersion preschool in Charlottesville?

Mighty Minds Little Hands Int. Preschool teaches with Spanish immersion and also cares for infants and toddlers and runs enrichment programs. It is rated 5.0 from 1 review, so a call or a visit will tell you more than the rating does.

Who in Charlottesville accepts child care subsidies?

Bright Eyes Community Child Care Center accepts subsidy and enrolls children from 6 weeks to pre-kindergarten; it is rated 4.7 from 12 reviews. Riverbend KinderCare and Hillsdale KinderCare take subsidies as well, and A Mother's Touch Childcare, LLC does too, with infant and toddler care and meals provided.

Are there preschools near Charlottesville in Greene County or Earlysville?

Yes. Greene County Child Care Center in Ruckersville has been open since 1971 and Piper Ivy Preschool is in Stanardsville. In Earlysville, Chestnut Grove Preschool is run by Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, and Ms. Alison's Kangaroo Preschool is a home-based nature preschool on four wooded acres.

Where can I find infant care in Charlottesville?

Bright Beginnings Preschool serves infants through pre-K from 7:30am to 5:30pm all year. First Steps Infant Development, a block from the Downtown Mall, cares for children from 6 weeks and is a state licensed facility rated 4.6 from 10 reviews. Old Dominion Day School takes infants from 6 weeks to 16 months and is rated 4.0 from 10 reviews.

Which nearby towns have their own preschool pages?

Crozet, Palmyra, Waynesboro, Orange and Louisa each have their own page. Bright Beginnings Preschool has a location serving Crozet, so it is worth checking both pages if you live on that side of Albemarle County.

Preschools & Day Care near Charlottesville