Age at starting group care
How old your child is when they start spending time in group care, from under six months to not until preschool.
At what age should a child start daycare?
In short: Parents choose between 5 main approaches: Under 6 months; 6-12 months; 12-18 months; 2-3 years; Not until preschool. Evidence: experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh. Best settled: during pregnancy.
- Evidence
- Experts disagree
- Best settled
- During pregnancy
- Part of
- Learning & the wider world
Age at starting group care: what are the options?
Parents usually land on one of these 5 approaches.
1. Under 6 months
The baby starts before six months.
2. 6-12 months
The baby starts between six and twelve months.
3. 12-18 months
The child starts between twelve and eighteen months.
4. 2-3 years
The child starts at two or three.
5. Not until preschool
The child has no group care before preschool.
Age at starting group care: what does the evidence say?
Experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh. (Contested at the margins)
Tiny negative behavior signals for very early, long-hours care and small cognitive gains after about 18 months, per Oster's summary
Sources
What else is worth knowing?
Often this is decided by when leave ends. Research on starting age gives mixed results, and the quality of the care matters most. Babies in group care do catch more colds in the first year.
Questions to ask each other
- When do we each think is the right age?
- What does our leave and budget allow?
- What would make us start sooner or later?
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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.