Choosing child care starts with two checks: the state record and the room itself. Read the inspection history first, then visit while children are there and watch how adults speak to them.
A practical way to choose
- Read the state record first.
- Tour while children are present.
- Ask the ratio in your child’s room.
- Ask who can pick up your child.
- Ask what happens when a child is sick.
- Ask how storms and evacuations are handled.
- Check the outdoor shade.
- Ask how the center communicates each day.
- Compare the hours with your real commute.
- Ask about the waitlist before paying fees.
- Write down every fee before deciding.
- Apply for assistance early if you may qualify.
The fuller answer
Handing your child to someone else for the day is one of the hardest trusts a parent extends. Texas gives you a way to check before you do (most parents never use it) and help paying for it that many families don't know they qualify for.
Check the state record first
Every licensed child care center in Texas has a public record with Texas Health and Human Services: its licence, how many children it's allowed to care for, the ages it serves, and its inspection history, including any deficiencies the state cited. The record also shows a Texas Rising Star rating where a center has one. Look any center up on Search Texas Child Care before you visit.
Texas Rising Star is a voluntary quality certification for providers, with three levels from two to four stars, and it looks at things like staff qualifications, the learning environment and how teachers interact with children. A center without stars isn't a bad center, but a rating is one more thing to read alongside the inspection history.
On our child care listings, we show what the state record says: licence type and status, licensed capacity, ages served and the date of the last state inspection, with a link to the record itself. A citation isn't automatically a reason to walk away. Read what it was for and ask the director what changed.
Child care in Baytown, Mont Belvieu and Crosby
Child care(27)
3540 N Alexander Dr
(281) 838-8022
Hours
| Mon | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
3540 N Alexander Dr, Baytown
(281) 838-8022
Hours
| Mon | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 5:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
317 Massey Tompkins Rd, Baytown
(713) 696-3120
Hours
| Mon | 7 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 7 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 7 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 7 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 7 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
300 N Highway 146, Baytown
(281) 422-8977
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
111 N Main St, Highlands
(281) 426-2221
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
1334 Runneburg Rd, PO Box 1385, Crosby
(281) 328-5460
Hours
| Mon | 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
|---|
| Fri | Closed |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
1700 Danubina St, Baytown
(281) 839-7261
Hours
| Mon | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Sat | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Sun | 4 PM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
7625 Garth Rd
(281) 422-1017
Hours
| Mon | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
508 Runneburg Rd, Crosby
(210) 514-2881
Hours
| Mon | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6:30 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
7613a Wade Rd, Baytown
(713) 696-3122
12406 Crosby Lynchburg Rd, Crosby
(281) 328-6440
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
1410 Lacy Dr
(281) 838-8680
816 N Pruett St, Baytown
(956) 283-9102
Hours
| Mon | 7 AM – 7 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 7 AM – 7 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 7 AM – 7 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 7 AM – 7 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 7 AM – 7 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
101 Lakewood Dr
(346) 660-0968
Hours
| Mon | 7 AM – 5 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 7 AM – 5 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 7 AM – 5 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 7 AM – 5 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 7 AM – 5 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
4803 Mill Creek Dr, Baytown
(281) 421-0146
600 W Sterling St
(281) 427-1725
9627 Eagle Dr, Mont Belvieu
(281) 576-6845
9807 Eagle Dr, Mont Belvieu
(281) 576-4664
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
106 W Baker Rd, Baytown
(940) 613-2555
Hours
| Mon | 5:30 AM – 11:30 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 5:30 AM – 11:30 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 5:30 AM – 11:30 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 5:30 AM – 11:30 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 5:30 AM – 11:30 PM |
|---|
| Sat | 8 AM – 8 PM |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
9807 Eagle Dr, Mont Belvieu
(281) 576-4664
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
8225 N Highway 146, Baytown
(832) 514-6040
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
7707 Fm 3180 Rd, Baytown
(281) 573-2366
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
3100 W Baker Rd
(281) 424-5811
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
11002 Eagle Dr, Mont Belvieu
(281) 385-6673
Hours
| Mon | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 6 AM – 6:30 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
505 Rollingbrook St, Baytown
(281) 422-7201
Hours
| Mon | Closed |
|---|
| Tue | Closed |
|---|
| Wed | 7 PM – 8 PM |
|---|
| Thu | Closed |
|---|
| Fri | Closed |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | 10:30 AM – 12 PM |
|---|
8200 N Main St
(832) 926-4924
Mon-Fri 6:00 AM-6:30 PM
14705 Fm 2100 Rd, Crosby
(281) 328-9360
Hours
| Mon | 7:30 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Tue | 7:30 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Wed | 7:30 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Thu | 7:30 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Fri | 7:30 AM – 4 PM |
|---|
| Sat | Closed |
|---|
| Sun | Closed |
|---|
Centers to start with
The state record data we hold lists each of these as a licensed center with a full permit. Licensed capacity is the most children the state allows, not the number in the room on any given morning. - Footprints Learning Academy, 7625 Garth Road, is open weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is licensed for 293 children from infants through school age. - Wiz Kids Daycare and Academy, 8200 N. Main Street, is open weekdays 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is licensed for 281 children from infants through school age. - Walden Oaks, 3100 W. Baker Road, keeps weekday hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is licensed for 134 children. - Prosperity Learning Academy, 106 W. Baker Road, lists the longest hours in town, 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, which matters to a family working refinery or hospital shifts. It is licensed for 70 children. - Solid Rock Pre-School, 1407 Lacy Drive, is open weekdays 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is licensed for 92 children. - Mont Belvieu Methodist Day School, 10629 Eagle Drive, is a church-based center licensed for 124 children from infants through school age.
Call any of them and ask the questions in the next section. A long list of hours and a big capacity don't tell you how the room feels.
When you visit
Go during the day. Texas minimum standards say parents can visit a licensed center at any time during its hours of operation, without getting approval first, to see their child, the program, the building and the grounds, so an unannounced visit is your right. Watch how the teachers talk to the children. Ask how many children each adult looks after in your child's room, how they handle a sick child, how pickup works and who's allowed, what happens in a storm, and how they'll tell you about your child's day. Ask to see the outdoor area. In a Baytown August, shade matters.
Say goodbye every time, keep it short, and don't sneak out, because a child who knows you'll always say goodbye learns you'll always come back.
Then trust what you felt walking out. You'll notice things that aren't on any checklist: whether the room sounded happy, whether a teacher knelt down to talk to a child, whether anyone looked you in the eye. That feeling counts.
The first mornings
The first drop-off is often harder on the parent than on the child. Many children cry at the door for the first few days and settle soon after you leave. The teachers have seen it a thousand times, and many will text you a picture of a calm child if you ask. Say goodbye every time, keep it short, and don't sneak out, because a child who knows you'll always say goodbye learns you'll always come back. Some mornings you'll sit in the car for a minute before you can drive. That's part of it too.
Help paying for child care
Workforce Solutions child care scholarships (the Gulf Coast workforce board, which covers Harris County) help families with income up to 85% of the state median: for a family of four, up to $7,950 a month for October 2026 through September 2027 (the state's published Board Contract Year 2027 table; Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast's own page may take a little longer to update from last year's $7,670 figure). The limits are reset each October, so check the current figure on the Workforce Solutions page. Parents must live in Texas and be working, in school or training, or looking for work. Children up to 19 with documented disabilities can qualify too, and approved families can receive up to 12 months of help before recertifying.
Apply through Workforce Solutions, which uses the state's KinderConnect online system. Have proof of Texas residency, records for the last 13 weeks of income if you're working, your training enrollment details if you're in school, your child care provider's information, and the child's proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status. The page lists a support line with weekday hours. There can be a waitlist, so apply early.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start serves children from 3 to 5 and Early Head Start serves children from birth to 3 and pregnant women, both free for eligible families. A family qualifies when household income is at or below the poverty level, or regardless of income when it receives TANF, SSI or SNAP, or has a child in foster care or a child who is homeless. Baytown Early Headstart and Headstart Center, at 317 Massey Tompkins Road, is licensed for 246 children from infants through pre-kindergarten, and the state record for it is on Search Texas Child Care like any other center.
Free public pre-K
Texas offers free pre-K to 4-year-olds (4 by September 1) who meet at least one of these: learning English; eligible for free or reduced school lunch; homeless; a military family; in or formerly in foster care; the child of a first responder eligible for the Star of Texas Award; or the child of a teacher at a public school that offers pre-K. Some districts also offer pre-K for 3-year-olds. - Goose Creek CISD: online registration, then an in-person registration event; bring proof of income such as four consecutive pay stubs or a SNAP/TANF notice. GCCISD registration. - Barbers Hill ISD: free pre-K on the same state rules, registration online; the district also runs a tuition pre-K for families who don't qualify. BHISD pre-K. The district's offices are at 9600 Eagle Drive in Mont Belvieu.
Before you go
- Look the center up on Search Texas Child Care first, and read the inspection history, not just the licence status.
- Visit on a weekday morning while the children are there, and remember that you can visit without an appointment.
- Ask about the waitlist on the first call, since good rooms for babies fill months ahead.
- Apply for the Workforce Solutions scholarship as soon as you know you'll need care, because there can be a waitlist.
- Get pre-K registration documents ready in spring, including proof of income if you're applying on the income rule.
Sources
Texas HHS, Search Texas Child Care; state licence records as shown on each listing; Texas HHS, Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers (Chapter 746), parent visitation; Texas Workforce Commission and Workforce Solutions, Texas Rising Star and "Child Care Financial Assistance"; Texas HHS, Early Head Start and Head Start; Texas Education Agency, prekindergarten registration and enrollment; Goose Creek CISD and Barbers Hill ISD registration pages.
En español
Busque la guardería en Search Texas Child Care antes de visitarla: muestra su licencia, capacidad, edades, inspecciones y, si la tiene, su calificación Texas Rising Star. En Texas los padres pueden visitar una guardería con licencia en cualquier momento de su horario, sin cita. Pregunte cuántos niños cuida cada adulto y qué pasa en una tormenta. Despídase siempre, rápido, y no se escape. Ayuda para pagar: becas de Workforce Solutions para familias con ingresos de hasta el 85% del ingreso medio del estado (familia de cuatro: hasta $7,950 al mes de octubre de 2026 a septiembre de 2027); hay lista de espera. Head Start y Early Head Start son gratis para familias que califican. Pre-K gratis para niños de 4 años que califican en Goose Creek CISD y Barbers Hill ISD.
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration