Best Daycare Centers in Smyrna, DE
Compare 15 daycare centers in Smyrna. Average rating: 3.54/5 stars. See top 10 ranked daycares, compare by type, and find the right childcare for your family.
Smyrna, Delaware at a glance
- Daycares
- 15
- Avg rating
- 3.54/5
- Parent reviews
- 65
- Top rated (4.5+)
- 2
Smyrna has 15 licensed daycares with 65 parent reviews averaging 3.54/5.The largest concentration is in 19977 with 15 programs.Browse all options below to find the right fit for your family.
Top 10 Best Rated Daycares in Smyrna
Ranked using a weighted score that combines Google rating with the number of parent reviews — daycares with more reviews rank higher than those with a high rating but few reviews. Last updated: March 2026.
- 1Tender Loving Kare Childcare & Learning Center III4.48 score4.6(20)
649 South Carter Road, Smyrna, DE · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 191 children
Parents consistently praise Tender Loving Kare Childcare & Learning Center III (Cadence Academy) in Smyrna for providing exceptional, nurturing care with strong staff-family communication. Children show measurable developmental progress and emotional growth across all age groups, from infants through pre-K. Parents report feeling confident and satisfied with the quality of care and education provided.
Caring and nurturing staffclean and well-organized facilitiesstrong communication through app and direct contactindividual teacher attention and connections - 2Academy Of Early Learning4.06 score4.1(9)
310 North Main Street, Smyrna, DE · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 60 children
Academy of Early Learning in Smyrna receives mostly very positive reviews praising the dedicated staff, qualified teachers, and caring director. However, two negative reviews cite concerns about harsh discipline methods, poor communication, inadequate supervision, and facility maintenance issues.
Qualified and trained staffcaring and welcoming directorchild development and learning focusnutritious meals provided - 3Destined For Greatness Learning Center3.62 score3.3(6)
24 East North Street, Smyrna, DE · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 92 children
Destined for Greatness Learning Center receives mixed reviews with strong praise from satisfied parents about staff friendliness, educational focus, and long-term attendance, but serious concerns from other parents about staff bias toward neurodivergent children, medication administration failures, safety issues, and lack of communication.
Friendly and attentive staffdetailed daily reports and educational assessmentshomework providedcaring environment - 4Expanding Our Kids World INC.3.4 score3.1(10)
3460 South Dupont Boulevard, Smyrna, DE · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 138 children
EXPANDING OUR KIDS WORLD INC. receives highly polarized reviews ranging from 1-5 stars. Positive reviews praise the staff's caring approach, family-like atmosphere, and quality childcare. Negative reviews cite management issues, unprofessional director behavior, lack of incident reporting, unrealistic pickup policies, and concerns about food quality and child safety.
Loving and attentive stafffamily-like environmentcontinuous learning opportunitiesreasonable pr
Rating Distribution
Based on 9 daycares with Google ratings in Smyrna
Daycare Types Compared
Average ratings by facility type in Smyrna, based on parent reviews
Best Rated Neighborhoods
Smyrna zip codes ranked by average daycare rating
| Zip Code | Daycares | Avg. Rating | Top Rated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19977 | 15 | 3.54 | 2 |
Facility Sizes
Capacity distribution of daycares in Smyrna (20–191 children)
Small
up to 30 children
1
Medium
31–75 children
7
Large
76–150 children
5
Very Large
150+ children
2
Top Rated
Highest rated daycares in Smyrna based on parent reviews
Tender Loving Kare Childcare & Learning Center III
649 South Carter Road, Smyrna, DE
Parents consistently praise Tender Loving Kare Childcare & Learning Center III (Cadence Academy) in Smyrna for providing exceptional, nurturing care with strong staff-family communication. Children show measurable developmental progress and emotional growth across all age groups, from infants through pre-K. Parents report feeling confident and satisfied with the quality of care and education provided.
Loving Care Nursery School
22 Dwight Avenue, Smyrna, DE
Parents highlight a caring environment and effective preparation for kindergarten, with multiple families noting multi-generational attendance and satisfaction with staff helpfulness. Reviewers appreciate the learning center aspect and the perfect fit for their families, particularly for before and after-school care.
Academy Of Early Learning
310 North Main Street, Smyrna, DE
Academy of Early Learning in Smyrna receives mostly very positive reviews praising the dedicated staff, qualified teachers, and caring director. However, two negative reviews cite concerns about harsh discipline methods, poor communication, inadequate supervision, and facility maintenance issues.
Kidz Ink V Academy Of Early Academics
616 West Glenwood Avenue, Smyrna, DE
Little Kid Swagg Learning Center
433 South Dupont Boulevard, Smyrna, DE
A single parent reports significant operational failures, including unexpected closures, unclean facilities, and staff negligence such as feeding the wrong children. Additional feedback highlights concerns about charging fees for closure days and general cleanliness issues.
Destined For Greatness Learning Center
24 East North Street, Smyrna, DE
Destined for Greatness Learning Center receives mixed reviews with strong praise from satisfied parents about staff friendliness, educational focus, and long-term attendance, but serious concerns from other parents about staff bias toward neurodivergent children, medication administration failures, safety issues, and lack of communication.
Map
Daycare types in Smyrna
Daycare Centers in Smyrna, Delaware
There are 15 daycare centers in Smyrna, Delaware. Below you'll find a complete directory to help you compare and choose the right daycare for your child.
Based on Google reviews, daycares in Smyrna have an average rating of 3.54 out of 5 across 9 rated facilities, with 22% scoring 4.5 stars or higher. Before or After School Daycare facilities lead with an average of 5 stars. Our analysis covers 65 parent reviews.
When choosing a daycare in Smyrna, consider visiting facilities in person, checking their licensing status, and asking about staff-to-child ratios, daily routines, and safety policies.
All Daycare Centers in Smyrna
Showing 15 results
Parents highlight a caring environment and effective preparation for kindergarten, with multiple families noting multi-generational attendance and satisfaction with staff helpfulness. Reviewers appreciate the learning center aspect and the perfect fit for their families, particularly for before and after-school care.
- Address
- 22 Dwight Avenue, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 653-6990
Parents consistently praise Tender Loving Kare Childcare & Learning Center III (Cadence Academy) in Smyrna for providing exceptional, nurturing care with strong staff-family communication. Children show measurable developmental progress and emotional growth across all age groups, from infants through pre-K. Parents report feeling confident and satisfied with the quality of care and education provided.
- Address
- 649 South Carter Road, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 653-5677
Academy of Early Learning in Smyrna receives mostly very positive reviews praising the dedicated staff, qualified teachers, and caring director. However, two negative reviews cite concerns about harsh discipline methods, poor communication, inadequate supervision, and facility maintenance issues.
- Address
- 310 North Main Street, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 659-0750
- Address
- 616 West Glenwood Avenue, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 653-4034
A single parent reports significant operational failures, including unexpected closures, unclean facilities, and staff negligence such as feeding the wrong children. Additional feedback highlights concerns about charging fees for closure days and general cleanliness issues.
- Address
- 433 South Dupont Boulevard, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 480-4404
Destined for Greatness Learning Center receives mixed reviews with strong praise from satisfied parents about staff friendliness, educational focus, and long-term attendance, but serious concerns from other parents about staff bias toward neurodivergent children, medication administration failures, safety issues, and lack of communication.
- Address
- 24 East North Street, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 514-9296
EXPANDING OUR KIDS WORLD INC. receives highly polarized reviews ranging from 1-5 stars. Positive reviews praise the staff's caring approach, family-like atmosphere, and quality childcare. Negative reviews cite management issues, unprofessional director behavior, lack of incident reporting, unrealistic pickup policies, and concerns about food quality and child safety.
- Address
- 3460 South Dupont Boulevard, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 659-0293
While the facility is noted for being clean and conveniently located, several parents report significant concerns regarding staff rudeness, high turnover, and unsafe supervision ratios. One review highlights severe safety risks, including a single staff member managing many children without adequate oversight and the owner's unresponsive remote monitoring. Another parent cites serious operational failures, specifically failing to pay employees and neglecting administrative duties.
- Address
- 204 Georges Alley, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 715-2040
- Address
- 115 East North Street, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 659-1984
- Address
- 4272 Brenford Road, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 223-9895
One parent notes their daughter enjoys the program, while another highlights the inclusion of sports, childcare, and community unity. A third review appreciates the safe environment and straightforward approach, though no specific complaints are detailed.
- Address
- 240 East Commerce Street, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 659-5610
- Address
- 365 North Main Street, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 893-9320
- Address
- 123 Rabbit Chase Road, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 757-5408
One parent notes their daughter enjoys the program, while another highlights the combination of sports, childcare, and community unity. A third review praises the safe environment and straightforward approach.
- Address
- 20 West Frazier Street, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 893-9317
- Address
- 320 Mclane Gardens Annex, Smyrna, DE
- Phone
- (302) 730-4000
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Frequently asked questions
- Licensing status with Delaware's regulatory agency
- Staff-to-child ratios (requirements vary by age group in Delaware)
- Safety measures and cleanliness
- Daily routines and educational curriculum
- Parent reviews and ratings
- Location and hours that fit your schedule
- Child Daycare & Preschools — 10 facilities
- Headstart Programs — 1 facilities
- Before or After School Daycare — 4 facilities