Daycares in El Centro, California

80 facilitiesAvg score: 96.0

Data Freshness & Provenance

Inspection coverage

66 of 80 tracked providers have inspection history

Active providers

71 providers appear active in this market

Last refreshed

April 3, 2026

Latest inspection

February 17, 2026

Provenance

California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring

City Snapshot

El Centro currently has 80 tracked providers. 66 have inspection history, 71 appear active, and 76% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is February 17, 2026.

Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.

A

LITTLE EINSTEIN'S MONTESSORI

1022 BROADWAY STREET

No violationsCapacity: 40DAY CARE CENTER
A

ICOE-CDS KIDS R US!

1528 SOUTH WATERMAN AVENUE

No violationsCapacity: 60DAY CARE CENTER
A

ICOE-ECEP PANTHERS EARLY HEAD START AND HEAD START

1177 1/2 NORTH EIGHTH STREET

No violationsCapacity: 76DAY CARE CENTER
A

ICOE-ECEP EL CENTRO EARLY HEAD START

280 SOUTH FAIRFIELD DRIVE

No violationsCapacity: 30DAY CARE CENTER
A

ICOE-ECEP LITTLE SPARTANS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

1001 W.BRIGHTON AVENUE

No violationsCapacity: 36DAY CARE CENTER
A

ALVAREZ, JOSEFINA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

JARA, HILDA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

CANO, ROSE FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

KINDER CASTLE LEARNING ACADEMY

2211 WEST MAIN STREET

No violationsCapacity: 26INFANT CENTER
A

HARMONY MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL

730 S 8TH ST

No violationsCapacity: 41DAY CARE CENTER
A

DEL REAL, SANTOS FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

GALLEGOS, MARTHA & JOSE FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

GRIJALVA, MARICELA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

GUERRERO, GABRIELA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

HALEEM, ROSA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

VASQUEZ, MARICELA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

PALACIOS TORRES, ANA MARIA FAMILY CHILD CARE

EL CENTRO, CA 92243

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

ICOE-ECEP BEARS HEAD START CENTER

230 SOUTH FAIRFIELD DRIVE

No violationsCapacity: 77DAY CARE CENTER
A

ICOE - CDS LITTLE SNEAKER'S STATE PRESCHOOL

1900 SOUTH SIXTH STREET

No violationsCapacity: 30DAY CARE CENTER
A

LITTLE LAMBS PRIVATE PRESCHOOL CENTER

690 W MAIN ST, STE E

No violationsCapacity: 15DAY CARE CENTER

What the daycare market looks like in El Centro

El Centro currently has 80 daycares in our directory. 76% 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.

76%

A or B safety grades

35

Center-based providers

1

Accredited or Head Start providers

$4/mo

Infant center cost in IMPERIAL

Market Notes

The current top-scoring provider in this city is ALVAREZ, JOSEFINA FAMILY CHILD CARE with a A grade and a 100.0 score.

Common provider types in El Centro include FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, DAY CARE CENTER, SINGLE LICENSED CHILD CARE CENTER.

The average provider in this market has 1.3 recorded violations, while 60 providers currently show none in the data we track.

Local cost and care context

IMPERIAL accounts for the largest share of providers we track in El Centro, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.

Infant Center

$4/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.

Read the full scoring methodology

Frequently asked questions about daycare in El Centro

How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in El Centro?

We rank providers in El Centro 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 El Centro?

61 of the 80 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 El Centro?

El Centro currently shows 45 home-based providers and 1 Head Start site 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.