What a daycare website needs

Licensing rules are set by each state, so this page uses Texas as one example: the Texas Health and Human Services child care regulation page and its FAQ on reports and inspections, and the Texas minimum standards for child-care centers, 26 Tex. Admin. Code § 746.521. The other sources are the Justice Department's questions and answers on child care centers and the ADA, the federal children's privacy rule 16 CFR § 312.2 and § 312.3 (COPPA), and Google's Guidelines for representing your business on Google. This page explains how those rules shape a website. It is not legal advice: check your own state's licensing rules before you publish.

The short answer

A daycare website needs your license details and a link to your state's public record of inspections, tuition and enrollment steps written as page text, an easy way to book a tour, a clear policy on children's photos, staff pages with real training and credentials, an accessible design, and hours and contact details that match your Google Business Profile.

License and inspection reports

Many states publish inspection results for licensed child care. Texas says that "Reports on every inspection are available online so parents can make informed child care decisions." Its FAQ explains that the state "conducts unannounced inspections at licensed operations at least once per year", and that "A deficiency is posted to the operation’s online record only after it has had the opportunity to dispute it."

Parents can look you up whether or not you link to the record, and Texas rules already give them the right to receive "HHSC's inspection reports for your center" and "Information regarding how to access your center's compliance history online". Our view: put your license type and number on the About page and link straight to your record on the state's search. It shows you have nothing to hide, and it saves parents a search. If a past report shows a deficiency you have fixed, a short factual note about what changed is better than silence.

Tuition, enrollment and policies as text

Tuition and the parent handbook often end up only in a PDF. Parents read on phones, and a PDF is harder to read there and harder for search engines and screen readers to use. Our view: put the key facts on the page as text and offer the PDF as a download beside them.

• Age groups or classrooms, with the hours and days you are open.
• Tuition by age group and schedule, what it includes (meals, diapers, field trips) and any registration or supply fees, with the date the rates took effect.
• The enrollment steps in order: tour, application, waitlist if you have one, enrollment agreement, required forms.
• The main policies parents ask about first: illness and exclusion, meals, naps, discipline, holidays and closings.

Texas lists parent rights in § 746.521, such as the right to "Enter and examine your center during its hours of operation without advance notice". Our view: if your state has a similar list, publish it on the website, and keep the website version of your policies the same as the version parents sign, changing both together.

Tour booking

The tour is where most enrollments start, so make it easy to book from every page. A short form or a booking tool with real time slots works better than "call us to arrange a visit" when parents are searching in the evening. Ask only what you need: the parent's name, contact details, the child's age range and the start date they hope for. Our guide to online booking for service businesses compares the options, and website forms UX covers making the form short and clear.

Parent communication and children's photos

Keep the public website and the parent channel apart. Daily reports, messages and photos of individual children belong in a parent app or portal with its own login, not on public pages or in a contact form. Our view: the public contact form should ask for no medical, custody or allergy details, and should say so.

Photos of children sell a daycare better than stock images, and they need the most care. Our view: get written permission from a parent for each child before any photo appears on the website or social media, record what they agreed to, and remove a photo when a parent asks. Avoid names with faces, and avoid photos that show your entrance, a child's full name on a cubby or anything else that identifies where a child is. Our guide to website photos and image licensing covers the rest.

On COPPA: the federal rule applies to "any operator of a Web site or online service directed to children, or any operator that has actual knowledge that it is collecting or maintaining personal information from a child", and it defines a child as "an individual under the age of 13". A daycare website written for parents, collecting information from parents, is usually not directed to children. If you add anything children use themselves, such as games or a child login, check COPPA before you launch. Our website privacy basics covers privacy notices.

Staff pages

A page with the director and lead caregivers helps parents picture the people their child will be with. Include a real photo with the staff member's consent, the role, the age group they work with, how long they have been with you, and training and credentials exactly as they hold them. Texas, for example, requires each caregiver and the director to "have a current certificate of training with an expiration or renewal date in pediatric first aid with rescue breathing and choking", and in pediatric CPR, under § 746.1315. Our view: say "all lead caregivers hold current pediatric first aid and CPR certificates" only if it is true today, and update the page when staff change.

Accessibility

The Justice Department says that "Privately-run child care centers – like other public accommodations such as private schools, recreation centers, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, and banks – must comply with title III of the ADA", and that "Almost all child care providers, regardless of size or number of employees, must comply with title III". It adds that centers on the premises of a religious organization are "generally not exempt from title III". Parents with disabilities use your website too. Make text readable, add alt text to photos, caption videos, and make the tour form work with a keyboard. Our website accessibility basics covers the details. Our view: say on the website that you welcome children with disabilities and how to talk to you about their needs.

Matching your Google Business Profile

Google asks that the profile name "reflect your business’s real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website, stationery, and as known to customers". Use the same name, address, phone number and hours on the website as on the profile. If you close for set weeks in summer or over holidays, list them in both places. Our Google Business Profile guide covers setup and the rest of the rules.

A short checklist (our view)

• License type and number on the site, with a link to your record on the state's search.
• Tuition, fees and enrollment steps as page text, dated, with the PDF as an extra.
• Parent rights and key policies matching the enrollment agreement.
• A tour booking form or tool on every page, asking for the minimum.
• Written parent permission on file for every child photo, and no names with faces.
• Staff pages with current training and credentials.
• Readable text, alt text, captions and a keyboard-friendly form.
• The same name, address, phone and hours as your Google Business Profile.

Churches and nonprofits have matching guides in what a church website needs and what a nonprofit website needs. If you would rather have it built for you, our website development service builds custom WordPress and static websites made to load fast, rank well and be easy for your team to edit.

Frequently asked questions

Should a daycare link to its state inspection reports?

Our view is yes. In Texas, for example, reports on every inspection are already online, and parents have the right to receive your inspection reports. A link from your About page saves parents a search and shows you are open about your record.

Does COPPA apply to a daycare website?

Usually not to a site written for parents. COPPA covers sites and online services directed to children under 13, or operators that know they collect personal information from a child. If you add anything children use themselves, check the rule before launch.

Can a daycare post photos of children on its website?

Only with a parent's permission. Our view: get it in writing for each child, keep a record, leave out names and anything that shows where a child can be found, and remove a photo whenever a parent asks.