What insurance does a daycare need?

A daycare needs general liability, professional liability, and — critically — abuse & molestation coverage, which many standard policies exclude or sublimit. Centers with employees need workers compensation, buildings need commercial property, and programs that transport children need commercial auto. Most states require proof of liability insurance for licensing.

Is abuse and molestation coverage really necessary?

Yes — it is the most important coverage a child care business carries. Allegations can arise even against well-run programs, defense costs alone can exceed six figures, and many licensing bodies and landlords require it. Many cheap policies exclude it, which is where quotes hide their savings.

How fast can I get proof of insurance for daycare licensing?

Cubby Insurance provides same-day quotes, and once bound we issue certificates of insurance the same day — often within hours — so licensing and lease deadlines don't slip.

Daycare & Child Care Insurance

You watch the kids.
We watch the what-ifs.

Q: How much does daycare insurance cost?

Home daycares typically pay $450–$1,500 per year for liability coverage. Child care centers typically pay $2,000–$8,000+ per year depending on enrollment, staff, and location. Cubby Insurance clients save an average of 30% versus their prior premium.

Cubby insures one thing: child care. Centers, preschools, home daycares, after-school programs. Quotes back the same day. Every program placed. Providers save 30% on average — with abuse & molestation limits shown in writing, every time.

Get My Same-Day Quote See Real 2026 Costs →

100%Placement rate

30%Avg. savings

Same-dayQuotes & COIs

A&MReal limits, in writing

Same-day response

Get Your Free Quote

60 seconds. A licensed child-care specialist replies today — before pickup time.

Request received ✓

A child care insurance specialist will contact you today with your quote.

Child care centersHome daycaresMontessori & preschoolsAfter-school programsFaith-based programsDrop-in & hourly careGym childcareChurch nurseriesOpening-soon programsTransport & field tripsInfant roomsMulti-site centers Child care centersHome daycaresMontessori & preschoolsAfter-school programsFaith-based programsDrop-in & hourly careGym childcareChurch nurseriesOpening-soon programsTransport & field tripsInfant roomsMulti-site centers

The gap nobody shows you

The claim that can end a daycare is the one cheap policies quietly exclude.

Abuse & molestation coverage is the most important protection a child care business carries — defense costs alone can pass six figures, even for unfounded allegations. And yet many budget policies exclude A&M entirely or bury a tiny sublimit in the fine print.

Every Cubby quote shows the A&M limit in writing. If another quote is cheaper, check that line first — it's where the "savings" usually live.

Read the A&M breakdown →

// Typical budget policy

Abuse & molestation ......... EXCLUDED

A&M sublimit ................ $25,000

// Cubby-placed policy

Abuse & molestation ......... INCLUDED

Limits shown in writing ..... FULL LIMITS

Licensing-ready COI ......... SAME DAY

Coverage

Everything licensing requires. Everything parents assume you have.

One package, built around how child care programs actually face claims — and what your state actually requires.

Licensing requirement

General Liability

Playground injuries, slip-and-falls, visiting parents — the policy state licensing and landlords ask to see.

The one that matters

Abuse & Molestation

Real A&M limits with defense costs — the coverage cheap policies exclude and we put in writing.

Your judgment calls

Professional Liability

Supervision decisions, medication, allergy protocols — claims about the care itself, not just accidents.

Required with staff

Workers Comp

Lifting injuries and playground incidents happen to teachers too. Required once you have employees.

Your building & stuff

Commercial Property

Building or leasehold, playgrounds, cribs, kitchens — at replacement cost, with tuition interruption.

Field trips & pickup

Commercial Auto

Vans and buses for transport programs — plus accident medical for the children in your care.

60-second estimate

What should you be paying?

Rough your annual liability package right now. Then let us beat it.

Program type

Number of children 12 Extras that change the math

Estimated liability package

$720–$1,200

per year, before Cubby shops it

Beat This Number →

Market estimate from our 2026 placement ranges — not a quote. Your real number comes from carriers competing for your program, which is how providers average 30% savings.

Why specialists win

The Cubby standard vs. the agency that "also does" daycares

Child care is a specialty class with its own carriers and its own licensing rules in every state. A generalist sells it occasionally. We place it every day.

	Cubby	Typical generalist agency
Quote turnaround	✓Same day	✗A week of phone tag
A&M limits disclosed up front	✓In writing, on every quote	✗Discovered at claim time
Knows your state's licensing rules	✓Confirmed at quoting	✗"You should check with the state"
Markets shopped	✓Every specialty child-care carrier	✗One or two general markets
COI for licensing or landlord	✓Same day, often within hours	✗"We'll get to it this week"
Renewal strategy	✓Re-shopped every year, automatically	✗Auto-renewed with the increase

The process

From form to certificate, in one business day

Takes 60 seconds

Tell us about your program

Program type, enrollment, state. Opening soon? Perfect — we insure first-year programs and know your licensing deadline matters.

Same day

We make carriers compete

Your program goes to every specialty child-care market at once. They price to win it. You get quotes with A&M limits in writing.

Often within hours

Bind & get your certificate

Licensing-ready COIs for the state, your landlord, or food-program enrollment — issued the same day you bind.

Preschool children shaping colorful clay together at a classroom table — **Learning** · Classrooms & preschools

Happy young children playing with toys at daycare — **Play** · Centers & home daycares

Daycare teachers and children sharing a group hug indoors — **Care** · The people behind it

What placement looks like

Real shapes of programs we place every week

Illustrative examples from our 2026 placement ranges — every program's number is its own.

Home daycare · 8 kids · Utah

~$55/month, full package

First-year family child care provider needed a COI for her license application. Quoted the same morning, bound with full A&M limits.

Center · 45 kids · Arizona

31% below prior premium

Center owner discovered her renewal excluded abuse & molestation. Re-shopped across specialty carriers — better coverage, lower number.

Preschool · 30 kids · Texas

Same day quote to bound

Faith-based preschool needed proof of insurance before a lease signing on Friday. Quoted Wednesday, COI in the landlord's inbox Thursday.

Questions

Straight answers

The full list lives on our FAQ page.

How much does daycare insurance cost?

Home daycares typically pay $450–$1,500/year; centers $2,000–$8,000+ depending on enrollment, staff, and state. Our providers save 30% on average — see the full cost guide.

What does state licensing require?

Most states require general liability (commonly $300K–$1M) before issuing or renewing a child care license, plus workers comp once you have staff. We confirm your state's rules at quoting and issue licensing-ready certificates same day.

Is abuse & molestation coverage included?

With us, always — with real limits shown in writing. Many budget policies exclude it or bury a tiny sublimit, which is the single most dangerous gap a child care business can have. Why A&M matters.

Does homeowners insurance cover my home daycare?

No. Homeowners policies exclude business activity — a daycare claim in your home would likely be denied entirely, and an undisclosed daycare can jeopardize the whole policy. Home daycare needs its own coverage, from about $40/month. Full explanation.

You watch the kids.We watch the what-ifs.