Daycare near Microsoft Redmond.

Microsoft's Redmond campus is the largest single-employer site in Washington State, with more than 80 buildings spread across roughly 500 acres on either side of Highway 520 in Redmond. The official address is One Microsoft Way, near the corner of NE 36th Street and 156th Avenue NE. Most Microsoft employees commute from a 30-minute radius covering Redmond itself, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Issaquah, Bothell, Woodinville, parts of Seattle via the 520 bridge, and Snohomish County via I-405. The choice of daycare almost always comes down to whether you cross 520 in the morning.

This guide is an editorial overview, not a booking platform. The centers and family child care homes mentioned are included as references; verify licensing, openings, and current rates directly with each provider. Cost ranges below are drawn from Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) licensing records, the Child Care Aware of Washington 2024 King County cost study, and Eastside provider rate cards.

The Microsoft campus and the commute reality

Microsoft's main campus straddles 520 between Redmond Town Center to the south and the older West Campus and Studios to the north. Microsoft also operates large satellite sites in Bellevue (Lincoln Square, City Center, Schnitzer West) and in Redmond's Overlake/SE Redmond area. Many Microsoft employees work hybrid across these sites, but daycare logistics typically center on the main campus address.

Most childcare within a ten-minute drive of the Redmond campus is in Redmond itself, Kirkland along the Totem Lake corridor, north Bellevue near Highway 520, or Sammamish along East Lake Sammamish Parkway. For Microsoft parents commuting from Seattle, a near-campus daycare adds the 520 bridge crossing to both drop and pickup, which is unpredictable at rush hour. Most Seattle-side Microsoft parents end up choosing a daycare near home and combining it with the Microsoft backup-care benefit on days when on-campus coverage matters.

Cost context

King County is one of the most expensive child care markets in the country, and the Eastside is at the top end of King County. The 2024 Child Care Aware of Washington King County data put the median full-time infant center rate at roughly $2,100 to $2,700 per month, full-time toddler at $1,800 to $2,400, and preschool at $1,600 to $2,200. Family child care homes ran 15 to 30 percent below center rates. Premier Eastside centers in Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond can list infant tuition at $2,800 to $3,400 per month for full-time enrollment.

Most Microsoft full-time engineering and corporate staff are over Washington's subsidy income ceiling, but Microsoft vendor/contractor employees, on-campus food service workers, and certain support roles may qualify for Washington's Working Connections Child Care subsidy. See the related Washington subsidy guide for eligibility ranges.

How Microsoft's benefits change the math

Microsoft's standard U.S. corporate employee benefits package as documented in public benefits summaries includes a Dependent Care FSA election up to the federal $5,000 annual maximum, Bright Horizons back-up child care (multiple days per year per family with a discounted copay), and access to Bright Horizons-operated child development centers near the Redmond campus with priority enrollment for Microsoft employee families. The Microsoft Bright Horizons centers operate as full-day, full-year care; openings are limited and the waitlist for infant rooms is long, but for families who secure a slot, the on-campus or near-campus convenience is a major operational lever.

Microsoft also offers strong parental leave (typically 12 to 20 weeks paid for primary caregivers depending on family situation), adoption and fertility assistance, and a College Coach benefit through Bright Horizons. Check the current Workday or HR benefits portal for the latest plan year details.

For most Microsoft parents, the post-benefit math on a near-campus center looks like this: $2,400 monthly tuition, minus roughly $420 per month in federal tax savings on a maxed Dependent Care FSA, minus the $2,100 federal Child and Dependent Care Credit annualized. The net out-of-pocket can land $1,600 to $2,000 per month even at higher-end Eastside centers. Families who secure a Bright Horizons at Microsoft slot typically pay closer to market tuition but gain the on-campus convenience.

Six to eight nearby centers

The following are well-known, licensed providers within roughly a ten-minute drive of the Microsoft Redmond campus. Each is included as an editorial reference; rates and openings change, and Microsoft parents should call directly or check Washington DCYF licensing (dcyf.wa.gov) for current license status.

• Bright Horizons at Microsoft — Bright Horizons-operated centers near the Redmond campus with priority Microsoft employee enrollment; long waitlists for infant rooms.
• KinderCare Redmond — chain center, infant through pre-K, mixed private pay.
• Eastside Preparatory Early Years — independent school early learning in Kirkland, preschool through pre-K.
• Redmond Co-op Preschool — parent-participation cooperative, ages 2 through 5, well established locally.
• Children's Choice Academy Redmond — regional operator with full-day infant through pre-K classrooms.
• Kindering Bellevue — nonprofit early intervention and inclusive child care.
• Sammamish Montessori — Montessori program serving toddlers through kindergarten in eastern King County.
• Eastside licensed family child care home roster — Redmond, Kirkland, Bellevue, and Sammamish each have a stock of licensed family child care homes, typically 20 to 35 percent cheaper than centers and often within a short drive of an employee's neighborhood.

Frequently asked questions

Does Microsoft have on-site daycare in Redmond?

Microsoft contracts with Bright Horizons to operate child development centers near the Redmond campus with priority enrollment for Microsoft employee families. These are full-day, full-year programs. Capacity is limited and waitlists for infant rooms are long, but for families who secure a slot, the proximity to the campus is a significant operational lever. The Bright Horizons backup-care benefit covers gaps for everyone else.

Are there daycares that accept Washington subsidies near Microsoft?

Yes. Kindering, several Bellevue and Redmond nonprofit centers, and many Eastside family child care homes accept Washington's Working Connections Child Care. Eligibility for Working Connections is generally at or below 60 percent of State Median Income for the family size (raised under the Fair Start for Kids Act funding).

What is the typical infant tuition near Microsoft Redmond?

Full-time infant center care in Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Sammamish ranges roughly $2,100 to $3,400 per month for 2026 enrollment. Family child care homes typically run $1,600 to $2,400 for full-time infants.

How long are the waitlists?

Bright Horizons at Microsoft infant rooms commonly have 12- to 24-month waitlists. Premier Eastside community centers run 12- to 18-month waitlists for infants. Toddler and preschool rooms typically have shorter lists. Microsoft parents commonly tour and apply during pregnancy.

Should I pick a daycare near work or near home?

For Microsoft parents living on the Eastside (Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Issaquah, Bothell), near-work and near-home are often the same. For Seattle-side commuters using the 520 bridge, a near-home daycare avoids two extra bridge crossings per day and is usually the better choice; use the Bright Horizons backup-care benefit for on-campus days when needed.

Bottom line

Daycare near Microsoft Redmond is expensive but available, and the Eastside has dense supply of both center-based and family child care home options. The Bright Horizons at Microsoft centers are a real differentiator for the families who secure a slot, and the backup-care benefit cushions the rest. The highest-leverage moves for any Microsoft parent are applying early (in pregnancy), maxing the federal Dependent Care FSA at $5,000 per year, claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit at tax time, and verifying Washington Working Connections eligibility if you are on the vendor, contractor, or support side of Microsoft's payroll.