Daycares in El Portal
Fill your child's earliest years with fun routines, gentle guidance, and small but meaningful milestones they'll treasure for life at the trusted daycares and preschools around El Portal, a tiny village known for its leafy streets, historic roots, and a pace straight from the suburbs.
Start the morning settled — squeezing in coffee or a walk under the shade trees — knowing your child is spending the day in the capable, caring hands of the childcare centers surrounding El Portal, an intimate community that celebrates nature, history, and opportunity.
Compact and unmistakably residential, El Portal spans just over half a square mile, bordered by Biscayne Park, Miami Shores, and Little River, as winding neighborhood roads, historic homes, and pockets of greenery shape its peaceful, almost hidden character.
But don't be fooled — its location keeps families closely connected to everyday essentials beyond its borders — from neighborhood parks and local cafés to early childhood centers and schools, allowing access to well-established programs that focus on children's early beginnings.
From structured academic environments to faith-based care, Montessori programs, and boutique-style settings, quality daycare options are just minutes from El Portal, making your daily routines smoother and early learning easier to fit into everyday life.
Here's a list of daycares in El Portal.
1) Ms. Claudia's Village Academy (MCVA) (Top-Pick!)
8661 NE 2nd Ave, El Portal, FL 33138
Ms. Claudia's Village Academy (MCVA) is a licensed and insured early learning center that serves children from infants through kindergarten, and it describes itself as a boutique-style school (not a one-size-fits-all setup).
On the learning side, MCVA enhances its scholastic/academic environment with play-based activities, small classroom sizes, and an early reading foundation centered on Orton-Gillingham fundamentals.
Beyond the day school program, Ms. Claudia's Village Academy also offers an after-school program (VPK–5th grade) with pickup from local schools, homework help, and enrichment activities (they mention things like music and chess), plus organized outdoor games on Fridays.
A healthy snack is provided for aftercare students, and a daily lunch menu is published on the social media accounts and website, ensuring meals throughout your child's stay.
For families who need it, MCVA also offers transportation services (morning drop-off/aftercare / getting home).
2) Studio Kids
8323 NE 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33138
8282 NE 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33138
A private daycare and preschool that guides young children on their journey of growth and exploration, Studio Kids is a safe learning environment that teaches honesty, respect, reliability, and creativity to the kids in its care, with two locations just a 2-minute drive from El Portal.
Using a customized educational program inspired by the Creative Curriculum, Studio Kids Buena Vista balances teacher-directed and child-initiated learning while adapting to children's learning styles and building on their strengths and interests.
Studio Kids Buena Vista banks on its hands-on daily lessons, programs, and activities, ensuring individual and group interactions to help develop self-confidence and camaraderie among the students.
With this approach to childcare and early childhood education, Studio Kids Buena Vista unlocks children's hidden potential and fuels an insatiable desire to learn!
Studio Kids Buena Vista accepts full-day child care.
Healthy meals are part of the tuition fees.
3) Lord's Day Care Center Inc.
17 NW 84th St, Miami, FL 33150
Located just off NW 84th Street, Lord's Day Care Center Inc. serves families in and around West Little River who seek a licensed childcare option just 2 minutes from El Portal.
Lord’s Day Care Center focuses on early childhood care for young children, supporting families during the years when dependable, consistent childcare matters most.
Its placement within a residential stretch of the community makes it a familiar option for parents who prefer care that's close to home rather than part of a large campus or commercial complex.
For those seeking a licensed daycare with an established local footprint, Lord's Day Care Center Inc. remains a recognizable choice.
4) Miami Shores Early Learning Center
9823 NE 4th Ave #2, Miami Shores, FL 33138
A private Christian daycare and preschool, the Miami Shores Early Learning Center, guided by the Miami Shores Community Church, is a licensed nursery and preschool serving children from 12 months through five years old, just 3 minutes from El Portal.
Miami Shores Early Learning Center provides a nurturing and safe environment to help children reach their academic goals while growing spiritually in the Way of Christ and the principles of faith.
Miami Shores Early Learning Center also features qualified teachers, extracurricular options, and a low student-teacher ratio, allowing kids to receive plenty of one-on-one attention and care.
Miami Shores Early Learning Center is a VPK provider offering drop-ins, full-day, and half-day child and infant care.
545 NW 95th St, Miami, FL 33150
Watch Me Grow Academy II is an accredited National Early Childhood Program childcare facility providing nurturing and early learning from infancy until Pre-K, just 3 minutes from El Portal.
Watch Me Grow Academy II is a safe, healthy, and stimulating environment designed for children's growth and development in academics and beyond.
Watch Me Grow Academy II kids also enjoy fun educational activities that promote learning through play while fostering physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.
Watch Me Grow Academy II is a VPK provider and offers before and after-school care, infant care, and full-day and half-day childcare.
Healthy meals are part of the tuition fees.
6) Sunshine Stars Academy (Top-Pick!)
10390 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Shores, FL 33138
Sunshine Stars Academy is a licensed childcare center that offers care and learning for children from toddlers through school-age, including VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) and after-school care, just 3 minutes from El Portal.
The Sunshine Stars Academy program features a HighScope curriculum, which combines creative activities with developmentally appropriate learning to help children grow socially, emotionally, and academically.
Their classrooms include Toddler 1 & 2, Preschool 3 & 4, and a school-age program that provides care and support before and after school.
As part of the daily routine, Sunshine Stars Academy provides breakfast, lunch, and snacks, along with a safe and nurturing environment led by CPR- and First Aid-trained staff and an outdoor play space.
They also include aftercare options, and the center is bilingual-friendly (English/Spanish).
The academy operates weekdays with extended hours to support busy family schedules and aims to create a positive atmosphere where children can learn, explore, and grow in a fun, supportive setting.
7777 NE 3rd Ct, Miami, FL 33138
A private daycare and preschool serving as parents' "partners" in childcare and early childhood education, Stars Learning Center II is a community of University and Community College graduates and students committed to the children's overall development, just a 4-minute drive from El Portal.
With a curriculum focusing on the young minds' creative, emotional, intellectual, physical, and social growth, Stars Learning Center II fosters competency and encourages family involvement by having clear communication with parents and community members.
The center offers full-day and after-school care for children and infants, with healthy meals as part of the tuition fees.
8) Ket & Ray Friendly Christian Preschool (Top-Pick!)
111 NW 77th St, Miami, FL 33150
A private Christian daycare and preschool, Ket & Ray Friendly Christian Preschool is a place of love and learning for kids from infancy to Pre-K, just 4 minutes from El Portal.
At Ket & Ray Friendly Christian Preschool, children develop compassion and concern for others while building their academic capabilities through a play-based curriculum.
Apart from this, Ket & Ray Friendly Christian Preschool incorporates Christian values and beliefs into its curriculum and overall approach to teaching and caring for children, creating a nurturing, Christ-centered environment that supports spiritual, social, emotional, and intellectual development.
Ket & Ray Friendly Christian Preschool is a VPK provider and offers before and after-school care, drop-ins, full-day and half-day childcare, and infant care.
Healthy meals are part of the tuition fees.
9) Miami Shores Montessori School (Top-Pick!)
577 NE 107th St, Miami Shores, FL 33161
A private daycare and preschool, the Miami Shores Montessori School serves toddlers to 3rd Grade, providing a fun space to learn, explore, and practice independence just 4 minutes from El Portal.
The Miami Shores Montessori School staff of qualified teachers and caregivers create a learning environment with exciting activities and materials, adopting the Maria Montessori educational method to hone students socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively.
After the experience, Miami Shores Montessori School children reach their fullest potential while learning courage, respect, and self-discipline, and enjoying the art of learning.
The Miami Shores Montessori School accepts after-school care and full-day and half-day childcare.
10) Skipping Stones Miami (Top-Pick!)
7120 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33138
A private daycare and preschool in the MiMo district, Skipping Stones Miami boasts optimal learning experiences in a smaller group setting, a 5-minute drive from El Portal.
Providing nature-based, hands-on learning, Skipping Stones Miami is a progressive childcare facility that mixes academics with social-emotional learning, mindfulness, creativity, and imagination.
The Skipping Stones Miami also offers language classes, American Sign Language, and arts-based programs, led by dramatics and yoga/meditation.
The Skipping Stones Miami accepts full-day and half-day childcare.
11) Notre Dame Day Care Center
130 NE 62nd St, Miami, FL 33138
A daycare center with a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment for young children to help them become school-ready while offering comprehensive social services to their families, the Notre Dame Day Care Center is part of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a 5-minute drive from El Portal.
Notre Dame Day Care Center provides Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten, Infant Care, and After-School activities.
It has been serving Little Haiti and nearby communities since November 1988 and is known as a pioneer in childcare and child development services.
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