Daycares in Costa Mesa, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
48 of 60 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
46 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
March 3, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Costa Mesa currently has 60 tracked providers. 48 have inspection history, 46 appear active, and 62% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is March 3, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
NMUSD COLLEGE PARK PRESCHOOL
2380 NORTE DAME ROAD
MATT KLINE EARLY HEAD START
2043 MEYER PLACE
NMUSD SONORA PRESCHOOL
966 SONORA ROAD
HOLLAND, JACQUELINE
COSTA MESA, CA 92627
NMUSD DAVIS PRESCHOOL
1050 ARLINGTON DRIVE
MATT KLINE HEADSTART
2043 MEYER PLACE
CATALYST KIDS-WOODLAND PRIMARY
2025 GARDEN LANE
KADRIE, DEBORAH ANN
COSTA MESA, CA 92626
NMUSD WHITTIER PRESCHOOL
1800 WHITTIER AVE.
NMUSD KILLYBROOKE PRESCHOOL
3155 KILLYBROOKE LANE
BACK BAY MONTESSORI
398 UNIVERSITY DRIVE
PRICE, PATRICIA & GAHM, GARY
COSTA MESA, CA 92627
HERITAGE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
2032 ORANGE AVENUE
COASTAL CHILDREN'S LEARNING CENTER
2245 ORANGE AVENUE
KIDDIE ACADEMY OF COSTA MESA
1815 ANAHEIM AVENUE
NMUSD PAULARINO PRESCHOOL
1060 PAULARINO AVENUE
OROZCO, HEIDI
COSTA MESA, CA 92627
RAMIREZ DE HERNANDEZ,YADHIRA
COSTA MESA, CA 92626
NMUSD POMONA PRESCHOOL
2051 POMONA AVENUE
INT'L CHRISTIAN MONTESSORI ACADEMY OF NEWPORT
2591 IRVINE AVENUE
Home Daycares in Costa Mesa
Browse 8 home-based providers.
Childcare Cost Calculator
Compare costs in your area by age group and care type.
How to Choose a Safe Daycare
A parent's guide to evaluating childcare.
What the daycare market looks like in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa currently has 60 daycares in our directory. 62% of the market earns an A or B safety grade. Use this page to compare inspection history, provider mix, and local cost context before you start touring.
62%
A or B safety grades
52
Center-based providers
0
Accredited or Head Start providers
$1,705/mo
Infant center cost in ORANGE
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is PRICE, PATRICIA & GAHM, GARY with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Costa Mesa include DAY CARE CENTER, INFANT CENTER, FAMILY DAY CARE HOME.
The average provider in this market has 5.3 recorded violations, while 28 providers currently show none in the data we track.
Local cost and care context
ORANGE accounts for the largest share of providers we track in Costa Mesa, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.
Infant Center
$1,705/mo
Preschool Center
$4/mo
Toddler Home Daycare
$4/mo
California regulation snapshot
Inspection frequency
At least once every five years for centers with a clean compliance record. Random and unannounced visits occur throughout the licensing period. Complaint-driven inspections happen at any time.
Background checks
All staff, volunteers, and household members age 18 and older must clear a criminal background check through the California Department of Justice and the FBI. This includes fingerprint-based Live Scan checks. Subsequent arrest notifications are monitored continuously.
Parent rights
Parents have the right to visit their child's facility unannounced during operating hours. Licensing inspection reports and substantiated complaint records are public and available through the CCLD website.
How to use this page
Safety grades are derived from official state inspection records, not reviews or sponsored placement.
Repeated and severe violations weigh more heavily than isolated paperwork issues.
Filters are best used after you understand the full city baseline on the default ranking view.
Frequently asked questions about daycare in Costa Mesa
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Costa Mesa?
We rank providers in Costa Mesa using official state inspection records. Health, safety, staffing, and compliance findings are converted into a composite score, and severe or repeated violations hurt more than isolated minor issues.
What should parents compare first when choosing daycare in Costa Mesa?
37 of the 60 providers in this market currently hold an A or B safety grade, but grade alone is not enough. Start with higher-scoring providers, then compare the full inspection timeline, repeated violations, staffing patterns, and whether the program type actually fits your child and schedule.
Are there home daycare or Head Start options in Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa currently shows 8 home-based providers and 0 Head Start sites in the directory. California rules still apply: At least once every five years for centers with a clean compliance record. Random and unannounced visits occur throughout the licensing period. Complaint-driven inspections happen at any time.