The main objective of the dissertation is to discuss the insufficiency of public daycare centers in Brazil, based on the case of the city of Rio de Janeiro, considering that it is a social right for children aged 0 to 3 years old, as well as their families, since the problem interferes with the entire family structure, especially the insertion of mothers into the job market Within the universe of early childhood education, daycare centers represent the beginning of school learning, constituting, in many cases, the first public space for social interaction outside the family environment. The 1988 Federal Constitution guarantees the right to daycare for all children without exception, assigning responsibility for providing public daycare centers to municipal government management. This federative level was strengthened in the new constitutional text, as a reflection of a process of political and financial decentralization that began with the end of the military regime. However, most Brazilian municipalities depend on constitutional transfers from the Union, and on social programs financed by the federal government to meet social demands. In contrast, the city of Rio de Janeiro has greater financial autonomy. Despite this, the investigation found a significant lack of public daycare centers at the end of the last decade, especially in areas inhabited by low-income families, such as the west zone of the municipality. Which places this public policy as one of the main priorities in the coming years.