🪖 Built for military families

The preschool search that actually understands your life.

PCS orders. Two kids. 60 days. 400 programs you've never heard of in a city you've never been to. NearBase was built for exactly this moment — by someone who lived it.

Start your free search →
40–60
hours average families spend searching
20 min
what NearBase cuts that to
150+
NCR programs mapped
Free
to search, always
How it works

From orders to enrolled — in minutes, not months.

1
Tell us where you're headed

Enter your duty station or zip code. NearBase maps every program within reach — including programs that don't appear on Google.

2
Set your family's priorities

Ages, curriculum, hours, military discounts, special needs support, sibling availability. Your Match Score updates in real time.

3
Get ranked matches

Verified waitlist times from real military families. Match Scores. AI-powered explanations for every recommendation.

4
Connect and enroll

Contact schools directly. Track waitlists. Get alerts when spots open. NearBase walks you through every step.

What makes NearBase different

Other directories show a list.
NearBase shows a plan.

Apply to the CDC the day orders arrive

On-base Child Development Centers have 12-18 month waitlists. NearBase surfaces this urgency signal immediately so you don't waste three weeks on the wrong search first.

👶
The sibling filter — two kids, one search

A 3-year-old and an 18-month-old need completely different programs. NearBase is the only platform that surfaces schools accepting both children simultaneously — one drop-off, one community.

📞
Know the waitlist before you call

NearBase families report waitlist times and tour experiences after every phone call. You see real, current data — not a profile last updated two years ago.

🆓
DC's best preschools are free

Free Montessori public charters, DCPS PK3 programs, Head Start — NearBase surfaces every free and subsidized option. Apply to the My School DC lottery before your orders come through.

🗺️
Preschool drives the housing decision

The NearBase map overlays schools with coffee shops, rec centers, and military housing areas. Families choose neighborhoods based on where the best schools are — not the other way around.

🪖
Military-specific filters

MCCYN acceptance, deployment flexibility, EFMP awareness, extended hours for early duty days, mid-year enrollment. Filters no other directory has built for you.

The two-child insight

Two kids. Two completely different searches. NearBase runs both simultaneously.

Most directories treat a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old as the same search. They're not. NearBase splits your family into two age-specific searches, surfaces the urgency difference, and tells you what to do first.

Start searching →
Child 1 — Age 3
~250
programs in Zone 1 DC that serve a 3-year-old
DCPS PK3 (free)Charter lotteryMontessori primaryHead Start
Child 2 — Age 18 months
~180
programs that serve an 18-month-old — a harder, more urgent search
Nido programsLicensed CDCsEarly Head StartFamily homes
The sibling filter unlocks
~120 programs can take both children. Only ~30 are military-family optimized. NearBase finds the right 8 for your specific family.
The Paid-Forward Intelligence Loop

Every family's search makes the next one easier.

"AI won't know what is behind closed doors at these preschools. But military families who inquire will."

When you contact a school on NearBase, we ask one simple question: "How did it go?" Your answer — waitlist time, director warmth, whether they knew about EFMP — flows back into the platform and helps the next military family who calls that same school. The 40–60 hours you spend searching pays forward to the family arriving six months after you.

Start your free search →
The PCS preschool timeline

What to do, in what order, from the moment orders arrive.

Day 1
Apply to the on-base CDC immediately
12-18 month waitlists. Apply as insurance even if you prefer a civilian program. This cannot wait.
Day 1–3
Check DC childcare subsidy eligibility
Many E1-E6 families qualify. NearBase's subsidy estimator shows your eligibility before you start touring.
Week 1
Contact the top sibling-friendly programs
Call ToTH, Nido, Gardner School, and top MCCYN-approved CDCs. Ask about sibling availability simultaneously.
Week 2
Register for the My School DC lottery (if timing allows)
Free DCPS PK3 and public charter Montessori. Lottery opens December annually. NearBase flags if your window has passed.
Week 2–3
Tour 3-5 programs for the 18-month-old first
The toddler spot is scarcer. NearBase inverts the typical search — start with the harder placement, then fit the preschooler around it.
Week 3–4
Lock in housing near the chosen programs
Use the NearBase map to find apartments within 1 mile of your top school matches. The preschool decision drives housing — not the other way around.
Open the NearBase map →

PCS orders coming? Hear it first.

New schools, waitlist changes, and military discounts near your next base — one short email when it matters, never spam.