Children at daycare

Best Church Daycare in Merritt Island, FL

Compare 4 church daycare in Merritt Island. Average rating: 4.19/5 stars. See top 10 ranked daycares, compare by type, and find the right childcare for your family.

Merritt Island, Florida at a glance

Programs
4
Avg rating
4.19/5
Parent reviews
111
Top rated (4.5+)
3

Merritt Island has 4 licensed church daycare with 111 parent reviews averaging 4.19/5.The highest-rated options cluster around the 32953 zip code, averaging 4.58 stars across 7 programs.Start with our top-10 ranked list below or filter by philosophy.

Top 10 Best Rated Daycares in Merritt Island

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.

  1. 1
    East Coast Christian Academy
    4.6 score
    4.9(10)

    670 N Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island, FL · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 80 children

    East Coast Christian Academy receives consistently high ratings from parents who praise the staff's care and dedication to children's development in a Christ-centered environment. Parents appreciate the welcoming, supportive community atmosphere and report their children are developing well.

    Caring and loving staffChrist-centered environmentchild developmentwelcoming community
  2. 2
    Grace United Methodist Preschool
    4.4 score
    4.5(20)

    65 Needle Blvd, Merritt Island, FL · Church Daycare · Capacity: 150 children

    Grace United Methodist Preschool is highly regarded as the best preschool on Merritt Island with a 50+ year history, praised for its caring and experienced staff, engaging activities, and newer facilities. Parents appreciate the welcoming church community, quality programming, and the facility's outreach efforts. The preschool fills quickly during March registration with families traveling from nearby areas to attend.

    Experienced and caring stafftop-notch preschool
  3. 3
    New Discoveries, LLC
    4.33 score
    4.5(10)

    332 Tangerine Ave, Merritt Island, FL · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 114 children

    New Discoveries Learning Center in Merritt Island receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, with most parents praising the caring and attentive staff, child development, and warm environment. The majority of reviews highlight successful socialization, learning progress, and strong staff-child relationships. However, two negative reviews cite declining quality post-COVID, reduced communication, inconsistent potty training approaches, and concerns about cleanliness and staff attitudes.

    caring and attentive staffwarm and supportive environmentsuccessful socialization and friendship-buildingacademic learning (alphabet
  4. 4
    Faith Lutheran School & Day Care
    4.23 score
    4.4(7)

    280 E Merritt Ave, Merritt Island, FL · Church Daycare · Capacity: 150 children

    Faith Lutheran School & Day Care receives mostly positive feedback, with parents praising the director, teachers, and learning environment. However, some serious safety concerns have been raised, including inadequate supervision, improper handling of toddlers, and insufficient staffing.

    Excellent director and stafffamily-like treatment of childrenstrong educational programsprofessional and caring environment
  5. 5
    First Steps Education INC.
    3.86 score
    3.8(12)

    675 S Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island, FL · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 91 children

    First Steps Education receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, with parents praising the caring staff, clean facilities, and their children's learning progress. One parent raised concerns about the director's behavior and treatment of their child, citing exclusion and mid-day dismissals.

    Caring and dedicated teachersclean facilitiesfrequent parent communicationaffordable pricing
  6. 6
    Loving Care Academy
    3.36 score
    3(9)

    370 N Banana River Dr, Merritt Island, FL · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 98 children

    Loving Care Academy received highly positive reviews when operating under that name, with parents praising caring staff, cleanliness, affordability, and children's happiness. However, after a change in ownership/rebranding to Bell Oak, multiple parents report serious concerns including DCF investigations, understaffing, inappropriate staff behavior toward children, and safety issues.

    Kind and friendly staffclean facilityaffordable priceschildren happy and enjoy attending

Rating Distribution

Based on 7 daycares with Google ratings in Merritt Island

4.5 - 5.0
3
4.0 - 4.4
2
3.0 - 3.9
2
Below 3
0

Daycare Types Compared

Average ratings by facility type in Merritt Island, based on parent reviews

Child Daycare & Preschools

4.05avg rating
7 daycares · 4 rated

Church Daycare

4.37avg rating
4 daycares · 3 rated

Best Rated Neighborhoods

Merritt Island zip codes ranked by average daycare rating

Zip CodeDaycaresAvg. RatingTop Rated
329537
4.58
3

Facility Sizes

Capacity distribution of daycares in Merritt Island (80–198 children)

Small

up to 30 children

0

Medium

31–75 children

0

Large

76–150 children

10

Very Large

150+ children

1

Top Rated

Highest rated daycares in Merritt Island based on parent reviews

Grace United Methodist Preschool

4.5(20)

65 Needle Blvd, Merritt Island, FL

Grace United Methodist Preschool is highly regarded as the best preschool on Merritt Island with a 50+ year history, praised for its caring and experienced staff, engaging activities, and newer facilities. Parents appreciate the welcoming church community, quality programming, and the facility's outreach efforts. The preschool fills quickly during March registration with families traveling from nearby areas to attend.

Experienced and caring stafftop-notch preschool

Faith Lutheran School & Day Care

4.4(7)

280 E Merritt Ave, Merritt Island, FL

Faith Lutheran School & Day Care receives mostly positive feedback, with parents praising the director, teachers, and learning environment. However, some serious safety concerns have been raised, including inadequate supervision, improper handling of toddlers, and insufficient staffing.

Excellent director and stafffamily-like treatment of childrenstrong educational programs

Merritt Island Presbyterian Center

4.2(3)

155 Cone Rd, Merritt Island, FL

One parent highlights the attentive staff and significant progress in their daughter's alphabet and counting skills within the VPK program, while another praises the school's patience and success with a child on the spectrum. Conversely, a third reviewer reports a negative experience with rude phone interactions, administrative delays in termination, and concerns about funding retention after withdrawal.

attentive staffsupportive VPK programprogress in early learning skills

Map

Daycare types in Merritt Island

Child Daycare & Preschools 7Church Daycare 4

Browse by type in Merritt Island

✝️ Christian Daycare 3

Church Daycare in Merritt Island, Florida

There are 4 church daycare in Merritt Island, Florida, making up 36% of the 11 total childcare facilities in the city. 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 Merritt Island have an average rating of 4.19 out of 5 across 7 rated facilities, with 43% scoring 4.5 stars or higher. Church Daycare facilities lead with an average of 4.37 stars. Our analysis covers 111 parent reviews.

When choosing a daycare in Merritt Island, consider visiting facilities in person, checking their licensing status, and asking about staff-to-child ratios, daily routines, and safety policies.

All Church Daycare in Merritt Island

Showing 4 results

Grace United Methodist Preschool
Church Daycare
4.5

Grace United Methodist Preschool is highly regarded as the best preschool on Merritt Island with a 50+ year history, praised for its caring and experienced staff, engaging activities, and newer facilities. Parents appreciate the welcoming church community, quality programming, and the facility's outreach efforts. The preschool fills quickly during March registration with families traveling from nearby areas to attend.

Experienced and caring stafftop-notch preschool
Address
65 Needle Blvd, Merritt Island, FL
Phone
(321) 452-4484
Faith Lutheran School & Day Care
Church Daycare
4.4

Faith Lutheran School & Day Care receives mostly positive feedback, with parents praising the director, teachers, and learning environment. However, some serious safety concerns have been raised, including inadequate supervision, improper handling of toddlers, and insufficient staffing.

Excellent director and stafffamily-like treatment of childrenstrong educational programs
Address
280 E Merritt Ave, Merritt Island, FL
Phone
(321) 452-4143
Merritt Island Presbyterian Center
Church Daycare
4.2

One parent highlights the attentive staff and significant progress in their daughter's alphabet and counting skills within the VPK program, while another praises the school's patience and success with a child on the spectrum. Conversely, a third reviewer reports a negative experience with rude phone interactions, administrative delays in termination, and concerns about funding retention after withdrawal.

attentive staffsupportive VPK programprogress in early learning skills
Address
155 Cone Rd, Merritt Island, FL
Phone
(321) 453-1640
Merritt Island Christian Academy
Church Daycare
Address
140 Magnolia Ave, Merritt Island, FL
Phone
(321) 453-2715

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Frequently asked questions

There are 4 church daycare daycares in Merritt Island, Florida, out of 11 total childcare facilities in the city. Browse our directory to compare options and find the right fit for your child.
Based on parent reviews, daycares in Merritt Island have an average Google rating of 4.19 out of 5 across 7 rated facilities. About 43% of rated daycares score 4.5 stars or higher.
When choosing a daycare in Merritt Island, consider visiting facilities in person and checking:
  • Licensing status with Florida's regulatory agency
  • Staff-to-child ratios (requirements vary by age group in Florida)
  • Safety measures and cleanliness
  • Daily routines and educational curriculum
  • Parent reviews and ratings
  • Location and hours that fit your schedule
Merritt Island offers several types of childcare facilities:
  • Child Daycare & Preschools — 7 facilities
  • Church Daycare — 4 facilities
Each type serves different needs — center-based facilities typically offer structured programs, while head start programs are federally funded for low-income families.
Daycare costs in Florida typically range from $200 to $400 per week for full-time care, depending on the child's age, facility type, and location within the state. Infant care tends to be more expensive due to lower staff-to-child ratio requirements. Contact individual facilities in Merritt Island for current pricing.
Yes, daycare centers in Merritt Island must be licensed by Florida's childcare licensing agency. Licensed facilities are required to meet standards for safety, health, staff qualifications, and staff-to-child ratios. You can verify a facility's license status through your state's licensing database.