A Trusted Daycare
Just Minutes From
Columbia
, MD
Licensed home daycare in Laurel, Maryland — about twenty minutes up US-1, roughly 12 miles from Columbia. Serving Howard County families since 1994.
Nurturing Young Minds With Care And Creativity
Safe & Nurturing
A fully licensed Maryland childcare program, about twenty minutes up US-1, roughly 12 miles from Columbia. Every child is watched, known, and safe from the moment they arrive.
Play-Based Learning
Our days blend structured learning with real play, building the social, cognitive, and emotional skills a worksheet alone can't teach.
One Consistent Caregiver
Thirty-two years in, I'm still the one who shows up. No rotating staff, no substitute your child has never met.
Where We Actually Are
Lisa's Rascals is in Laurel, Maryland — 14310 Greenview Drive, ZIP 20708. Not Columbia. I'm not going to pretend otherwise; that's the fastest way to lose a parent's trust before they've even called.
From most of Columbia, it's about twenty minutes up US-1, roughly 12 miles. Columbia itself sits in Howard County — a different jurisdiction than the daycare's Prince George's County side, though Maryland's licensing rules apply the same way on both sides of that line. The nearest thing to a landmark most people would recognize is Merriweather Post Pavilion and The Mall in Columbia. Columbia was one of the first planned communities in the country, laid out by developer James Rouse in 1967 — it's organized into distinct \"villages\" rather than one continuous town, which trips up a lot of first-time visitors giving directions.
Here's the part I'll actually argue about: home-based daycare isn't the cheap option, it's the small option. Maryland caps a licensed home daycare like mine at 8 children total, no more than 2 infants under 18 months, at a 1:3 caregiver ratio, standards set by the Maryland State Department of Education's early childhood office. A large center down the road can run 1:6 for infants under a different license category — and the American Academy of Pediatrics is clear that ratio, not curriculum, is what predicts how much individual attention a child actually gets. That's not a minor difference at four months old.
Most parents worry their child will take weeks to settle in. Most children at Lisa's Rascals stop crying at drop-off within a few days — not because they forget you're coming back, but because the room is small enough and stable enough to feel safe almost immediately. That's not a promise a center with sixty kids in the building can make the same way.
When Columbia isn't a fit: if you need overnight or extended weekend hours, drop-off at multiple sibling locations, or a center with a dedicated enrichment staff and gym, I'm not that program. I'm one person and eight kids, full stop. If that's what you need, a larger Columbia or Laurel-area center will serve you better, and I'd rather tell you now than after a tour.
What Columbia Families Ask About Most
Columbia families most often ask about Pre-Kindergarten and After School Care. All five programs are open to Columbia enrollees: Infant Care, Toddler Program, and Preschool.
What Families Are Saying
"Lisa's Rascals has been a blessing for our family. My daughter absolutely loves going every morning. The teacher is warm, patient, and truly cares about each child's growth."
"We've had two children go through Lisa's Rascals and both had amazing experiences. The center is clean, Lisa is outstanding, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with my children."
"I was nervous about dropping my son off for the first time, but Lisa made both of us feel so welcome. He came home every day excited to tell me what he learned."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisa's Rascals located in Columbia, MD?
No. Lisa's Rascals is a licensed home daycare in Laurel, Maryland, about twenty minutes up US-1, roughly 12 miles from Columbia. I serve Columbia families, but the daycare itself is in Laurel.
How far is Lisa's Rascals from Columbia, MD?
Roughly twenty minutes by car, 12 miles via US-1, depending on traffic.
Do you have current openings for Columbia families?
Maryland caps my license at 8 children total, so openings depend on enrollment at any given time. Call and ask — I'd rather tell you the truth on the phone than have you drive out for nothing.
What ages does Lisa's Rascals accept?
Six weeks through twelve years, across five programs: Infant Care, Toddler Program, Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and After School Care.
Is Lisa's Rascals licensed by the State of Maryland?
Yes. I'm licensed under COMAR 13A.15 as a Maryland Family Childcare provider, and I renew health and safety certification every year.
Is Lisa's Rascals an at-home daycare?
Yes. It's a licensed home daycare, not a center — one house, one caregiver, eight kids maximum. If you've been searching for an at-home daycare near Columbia, that's exactly what this is, about twenty minutes up US-1, roughly 12 miles away in Laurel.
Ready to Visit? We'd Love to Meet You.
Schedule a tour and see why Laurel and Columbia families have trusted Lisa's Rascals with their most precious people for over three decades.