If you are searching for Connecticut's daycare star ratings, here is the honest answer: Connecticut does not currently run a statewide quality rating and improvement system. There is no public star or level to look up — so quality checking in Connecticut works a little differently.
This guide explains what a QRIS is, why Connecticut still does not have one despite years of planning, and exactly how to judge a Connecticut daycare's quality without a state rating. The licensing and oversight framework comes from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), with the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care setting the broader structure states follow.
No. Connecticut does not currently operate a statewide QRIS that assigns daycares a published star or level rating. The state first set out to build one around 2008 and revisited the plan through the Connecticut Early Childhood Cabinet, which issued recommendations in 2014, but funding and provider concerns kept a statewide system from launching, per the Cabinet's planning record and reporting on the effort.
A QRIS, or quality rating and improvement system, does two jobs where it exists: it rates programs so families can compare them, and it improves programs through coaching and funding. Most states adopted one with support from the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by the ACF Office of Child Care. Connecticut has the licensing and improvement pieces but never stood up the public rating layer.
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is the agency that licenses and inspects child care in Connecticut. It sets the mandatory floor every legal program must meet — health and safety rules, staff-to-child ratios, and background checks — and publishes a license lookup so families can confirm a program's status, per the OEC and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
Licensing is not the same as a quality rating. A license tells you a program clears the legal minimum and is being monitored; it does not rank one licensed program against another. In a state without a QRIS, that ranking job falls to national accreditation and to you, on a tour.
Use a three-layer check. Confirm the license with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, look for national accreditation such as NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), and then tour in person to see ratios, warmth, and turnover for yourself. The table below maps the signals a state rating would normally bundle together.
| Quality signal | How to check it in Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Licensing & health and safety | Confirm an active license in good standing on the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) license lookup, and ask to see recent inspection history. |
| Accreditation | Look for NAEYC accreditation or another recognized national accreditor, which independently reviews curriculum, ratios, and staff qualifications. |
| Ratios & group size | Ask the program's actual infant, toddler, and preschool ratios, and compare them to the Connecticut licensing minimums. |
| Staff qualifications & turnover | Ask about lead-teacher credentials and how long current teachers have stayed; high turnover is a quality risk no rating captures. |
| Your own tour | Watch a drop-off, see how teachers speak to children, and trust what you observe over any label. |
Honest tradeoff. The absence of a Connecticut QRIS cuts both ways. There is no quick public rating to lean on, which makes comparison harder, but it also means you are not misled by a stale or voluntary score. The work shifts to you — and a careful tour beats a one-year-old star rating anyway.
Quality and price are separate questions, and Connecticut has no rating tied to either. For families who need help paying, Connecticut's Care 4 Kids program helps eligible working households cover licensed child care, administered through the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood. For national context, ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report put center-based care at roughly $8,000 to $24,000 per year depending on age and state.
For Connecticut-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help, Connecticut's Care 4 Kids program is the place to start.
No. Connecticut does not currently operate a statewide QRIS that assigns daycares a public star or level rating. The state has studied and planned one for over a decade through the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and the Early Childhood Cabinet, but no operational statewide rating exists as of 2026.
Start with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) license lookup to confirm the program is licensed and in good standing. Then check for national accreditation, such as NAEYC, and tour in person. Licensing is the mandatory floor; accreditation and your own visit do the work a state rating would.
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) licenses and inspects child care centers, group homes, and family child care homes statewide. Licensing sets minimum health, safety, ratio, and background-check requirements, per the OEC and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
Yes. Connecticut's Care 4 Kids program helps eligible working families pay for licensed child care, administered through the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood. Center care nationally runs roughly $8,000–$24,000 per year, per ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report.
For the full picture in your state, see the Connecticut daycare guide, which covers licensing, subsidy, and pre-K. Our daycare quality and safety pillar explains accreditation, ratios, and what to look for on a tour.
Comparing how other states rate quality? Read our explainers on Alabama Quality STARS, Colorado Shines, and Quality Counts California.
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