Maine's Best Preschools

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the importance of early childhood education. A number of studies have demonstrated that access to high quality early childhood learning programs can have a profound effect on later academic success.

How do parents go about finding high quality early childhood programs?

One place to look is Maine’s Quality for ME program, administered by the Office of Child Care and Head Start at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Early childhood education programs that meet the state’s highest quality standards are awarded a Quality Certificate, which entitles families of the children enrolled in those programs to double the child care tax credit they can claim on their state income taxes. A list of Quality Certified child care programs from across Maine can be found on the website of the Office of Child Care and Head Start.

An additional source of information on high quality early childhood programs is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC is a national organization, based in Washington D.C., which has adopted international standards for excellence in early childhood education. They offer a rigorous and nationally recognized accreditation system which helps parents identify the highest quality early childhood programs.

Of the hundreds of early childhood education programs across Maine, NAEYC has accredited fewer than 70. The list of these programs can be found below, and on the NAEYC website.

County	Program name	City	Phone	Email Address
Androscoggin	Moose Alley Day Care Campus, Inc	Poland Spring	207 998-4898	moosealley@fairpont.net
Androscoggin	Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care	Lewiston	207 795-6071	ddriscoll@androkids.com
Androscoggin	Auburn/Lewiston YMCA	Auburn	207 795-4095	lanctil@alymca.org
Androscoggin	Auburn/Lewiston YMCA	Lewiston	207 753-4832	khiss@stmarysmaine.com
Androscoggin	Child Health Center - Auburn	Auburn	207 782-5437	rhonda.rackliffe@childhealthcenter.org
Androscoggin	Clover Preschool	Auburn	207 784-3573	kstp@mainecare.com
Androscoggin	Sandcastle Preschool Program Foundation	Lewiston	207 782-2150	info@sandcastlepreschool.org
Androscoggin	St. Joseph Child Development Center	Auburn	207 782-2711	dthibault@ccmaine.org
Aroostook	ACAP Child and Family Center at Park Street	Presque Isle	207 764-0733	gouldville@acap-me.org
Cumberland	A Child's World Preschool and Care Center	Windham	207 892-2223	acw190@verizon.net
Cumberland	Birchwood Day Nursery School, Inc.	Windham	207 892-7949	birchwood1003@myfairpoint.net
Cumberland	Bowdoin College Children's Center	Brunswick	207 725-3700	kgould@bowdoin.edu
Cumberland	Bright Horizons Portland	Portland	207 575-7500	portland@brighthorizons.com
Cumberland	Catherine Morrill Day Nursery	Portland	207 874-1115	catherinemorrill@maine.rr.com
Cumberland	Circle Time Preschool	Portland	207 878-8697	donnapennoyer@yahoo.com
Cumberland	Family Focus - Brunswick Early Learning Center	Brunswick	207 725-9702	sheilay@familyfocusme.org
Cumberland	Funny Farm School	Cape Elizabeth	207 799-7085	funnyfarmschool@aol.com
Cumberland	Gorham House Preschool	Gorham	207 839-5757	kpiattoni@mainecare.com
Cumberland	Heidi's House Child Care Center	Scarborough	207 883-9667	heidishouse@maine.rr.com
Cumberland	Jewish Community Alliance Preschool	Portland	207 772-1959	jgoodman@mainejewish.org
Cumberland	KidsQuarters Inc. Child Care Center	New Gloucester	207 926-5431	dmccspinkham@fairpoint.net
Cumberland	NAS Brunswick CDC	Brunswick	207 921-2615	rebecca.gerry@navy.mil
Cumberland	Peaks Island Children's Workshop	Peaks Island	207 766-2854	picw@gwi.net
Cumberland	People's Regional Opportunity Program-Gorham	Gorham	207 553-5814	kcole@propeople.org
Cumberland	St. Elizabeth's Child Development Center	Portland	207 871-7444	lpierce@ccmaine.org
Cumberland	The Block House Preschool	New Gloucester	207 926-3639	branallirich@aol.com
Cumberland	The Children's Center	Portland	207 797-9366	jglasser@tccmaine.org
Cumberland	Youth and Family Outreach - East	Portland	207 874-1073	camelia@yfoutreach.org
Cumberland	Pine Grove Child Development Center	Falmouth	207 781-3441	pinegcenter@maine.rr.com
Franklin	East Wilton Child Care Center	East Wilton	207 645-3284
Franklin	Sweatt-Winter Child Care & Education Center	Farmington	207 778-7480	gwen.augusten@maine.edu
Hancock	Bucksport Area Child Care Center	Bucksport	207 469-7623	baccc@myfairpoint.net
Kennebec	Maine General Health Early Learning Center	Augusta	207 626-2626	jbattersby@mainegeneral.org
Kennebec	Mid- Maine Tech Preschool Lab	Waterville	207 873-0101	brown@mmtc.me
Kennebec	Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation - Lake Region Head Start	South China	207 445-4004	lakeregion@skcdc.org
Kennebec	Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation - Plummer Head Start	Gardiner	207 582-7858	gardiner@skcdc.org
Kennebec	Waterville Child Development Center	Waterville	207 859-1605	nicoler@kvcap.org
Knox	Laugh & Learn Preschool (Waterman's Childcare)	North Haven	207 867-2100	office@watermans.org
Knox	Mid-Coast Childrens Services	Rockland	207 594-8474	mbailey@brmaine.org
Knox	Mid-Coast Childrens Services	Rockland	207 975-0771	mbailey@brmaine.org
Knox	Peopleplace Cooperative Preschool	Camden	207 236-4225	director@peopleplacecoop.org
Oxford	Child Health Center	Oxford	207 743-7035	rhonda.rackliffe@childhealthcenter.org
Penobscot	Penquis Child Development - EMCC Center	Bangor	207 990-8405	sjsmith@penquis.org
Penobscot	Penquis Child Development Exeter Center	Exeter	207 379-4100	kwatson@penquiscap.org
Sagadahoc	Family Focus - Bath Early Learning Center	Bath	207 386-1662	sheilay@familyfocusme.org
Somerset	Fairfield Preschool	Fairfield	207 453-2652	theresaw@kvcap.org
Somerset	Fairfield Primary Child Care	Fairfield	207 453-4223	nsimpson@msad49.org
Somerset	Hartland Preschool	Hartland	207 938-2043	brendam@kvcap.org
Somerset	Kennebec Valley Community College Child Care Center	Fairfield	207 453-5183	sarahl@kvcap.org
Somerset	Madison Preschool	Madison	207 859-2556	brendam@kvcap.org
Somerset	Manson Park Preschool	Pittsfield	207 487-2281	fanderson@msad53.org
Somerset	Palmyra Preschool	Palmyra	207 938-3950	brendam@kvcap.org
Somerset	Skowhegan Child Development Center	Skowhegan	207 474-8487	sarahl@kvcap.org
Somerset	St. Albans Preschool	St. Albans	207 938-3159	brendam@kvcap.org
Somerset	Waterville Pre-Kindergarten	Waterville	207 873-0695	rhondak@kvcap.org
Waldo	Bank of America Child Developement Center - Belfast	Belfast	207 338-7404	boame@brighthorizons.com
Waldo	Belfast Area Children's Center	Waldo	207 342-5535	baccdir@fairpoint.net
Waldo	Broadreach Family & Community Services - Mill Lane	Belfast	207 338-0029	mbailey@bmaine.org
Waldo	Broadreach Family & Community Services- Unity	Unity	207 948-5665	mbailey@brmaine.org
Washington	Flaherty Early Care and Education Center (ECEC)	Machias	207 255-1441	christiner@childandfamilyopp.com
York	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Child Development Center	Kittery	207 438-2083	laura.dubois@navy.mil
York	St. Louis Child Development Center	Biddeford	207 282-3790	stlouis@ccmaine.org
York	The Children's Center - Kittery/CCSYC	Kittery	207 439-6414	susang@ccsyc.org
York	The Children's Center Sanford/CCSYC	Sanford	207 324-6025	susang@ccsyc.com
York	The Children's Center Sanford/CCSYC	Sanford	207 324-6025	susang@ccsyc.org