Child care and preschools in Bellaire

Every center below comes from the Texas Health and Human Services child-care licensing records. The state publishes them as open data, listing each center's address, hours, licensed capacity, the ages it may serve, the services it offers and the date it was first licensed. The state's Search Texas Child Care site shows the same centers along with their inspection and compliance history.

Full-day centers that take infants

Five centers run a full working day and are licensed to care for babies.

ChristChurch Learning Center, at 5001 Bellaire Blvd, is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is licensed for 221 children, from infants to school age, and has held its license since 1985. It lists after-school care, part-time care, transportation to and from school and field trips, and it accepts state child-care subsidies.

Faith Lutheran Day Care and Preschool, at 4602 Bellaire Blvd, keeps the same 7-to-6 day. It is the largest center in town, licensed for 255 children, and has been licensed since 1986. It lists accreditation, meals, snacks and field trips.

Goldberg Montessori School, listed by the state as UOS Goldberg Montessori School, is at 4610 Bellaire Blvd. It runs weekdays from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., is licensed for 187 children from infants to school age, and was licensed in 2016.

Treehouse Learning Center, at 5204 Spruce St, keeps the longest day in town: 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It is licensed for 102 children, from infants to school age, and was licensed in 2017. It lists before- and after-school care, meals, skill classes, part-time care, transportation to and from school and field trips, and it accepts state child-care subsidies.

The Post Oak School, at 4600 Bissonnet St, runs weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is licensed for 240 children, from infants to school age, has been licensed since 1986 and lists accreditation.

A half-day program

School For Little Children, at 4417 Bellaire Blvd, runs weekdays from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is licensed for 157 children, from infants to school age, has been licensed since 1997 and lists accreditation. Its hours suit a parent who works part of the day, or who wants a preschool morning rather than full-day care.

Starting at toddlers

Holloway Day Nursery, also listed as Holloway Preschool & Day Care, is at 6501 S Rice Ave. It opens earliest, at 6 a.m., and closes at 6 p.m. It is licensed for 146 children, from toddlers to school age, and has been licensed since 1986. It lists before- and after-school care, meals, transportation to and from school and field trips, and it accepts state child-care subsidies.

After school only

Three centers open in the afternoon for pre-K and school-age children.

Idea Lab Kids (Bellaire), listed by the state as Idea Lab Kids, Central Houston, is at 5410 Bellaire Blvd, Suite A. It runs weekdays from 2 to 6:30 p.m., is licensed for 40 children, lists transportation from school, and accepts state child-care subsidies.

Licensed capacity is the most children the state allows at one time, and it is not a count of open spots.

iKids U at Condit Elementary School, at 7000 S. 3rd St, runs weekdays from 3:15 to 6 p.m. It is licensed for 200, with after-school care and skill classes.

Kidzcave, listed by the state as Kidzcavellc, is at 4530 Holly St. It runs weekdays from 2:30 to 6 p.m., is licensed for 150, and lists after-school care and snacks. It is the newest center in town, licensed in 2024.

Just over the line

Two more licensed centers carry a Houston address on Bellaire Boulevard, a short drive from the city.

The Learning Experience Bellaire, at 3701 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, runs weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It is licensed for 227 children, from infants to school age, and lists accreditation and meals.

St. Mark's Episcopal School, at 3816 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, has a licensed program for toddlers, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with room for 34.

How to read the numbers

Licensed capacity is the most children the state allows at one time, and it is not a count of open spots. Waiting lists for infant rooms are common across the Houston area, so start calling well before you need care.

"Accepts subsidies" means the center takes state-funded child-care assistance. Four Bellaire centers list it: ChristChurch, Holloway, Treehouse and Idea Lab Kids. If you receive assistance, ask the center how it works with yours before you enroll.

"Accredited" means the center reports accreditation from an outside organization, beyond the state license. Faith Lutheran, Post Oak and School For Little Children list it.

The license date tells you how long a center has operated under its current permit. Four of the ten have held theirs since the 1980s. The state lists all ten with a full permit, and none as temporarily closed.

Before you go

- Look up the center on Search Texas Child Care and read its inspection history first. - Ask whether the infant or toddler room has an opening, not just whether the center has room. - Match the opening time to your commute, since it ranges from 6 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. - Ask whether meals are included, because only some centers list them. - For after-school care, ask which schools the center picks children up from.

Sources

- Texas Health and Human Services, Child Care Licensing operations data (https://data.texas.gov/See-Category-Tile/HHSC-CCL-Daycare-and-Residential-Operations-Data/bc5r-88dy/about_data) - Texas Health and Human Services, Search Texas Child Care (https://childcare.hhs.texas.gov/Public/ChildCareSearch)

En español

Según los registros de licencias del estado de Texas, Bellaire tiene 10 guarderías con licencia. Cinco ofrecen día completo desde bebés: ChristChurch Learning Center, Faith Lutheran, Goldberg Montessori, Treehouse Learning Center y The Post Oak School. School For Little Children ofrece medio día, de 8:45 a.m. a 1 p.m. Holloway Day Nursery abre a las 6 a.m. y recibe desde niños pequeños. Tres programas funcionan solo después de la escuela: Idea Lab Kids, iKids U en Condit y Kidzcave. Cuatro aceptan subsidios de cuidado infantil del estado. Antes de inscribir a su hijo, busque el centro en el sitio estatal Search Texas Child Care y revise su historial de inspecciones.