Daycares in Merced, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
91 of 99 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
92 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
February 27, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Merced currently has 99 tracked providers. 91 have inspection history, 92 appear active, and 83% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is February 27, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
GALEN CLARK PRESCHOOL
211 E 11TH ST
LUTHER BURBANK SCHOOL
609 EAST ALEXANDER AVENUE
BUENROSTRO,ILDA & MENDEZ, LUIS FAMILY CHILD CARE
MERCED, CA 95348
CHARLES WRIGHT SCHOOL
900 E. TWENTIETH STREET
RODRIGUEZ, SHOREY FAMILY CHILD CARE
MERCED, CA 95341
JOHN MUIR PRESCHOOL
300 W. TWENTY-SIXTH STREET
TORREZ, HELENA & CARL FCC
MERCED, CA 95348
FARMDALE PRESCHOOL
100 WINDER AVENUE
GALEN CLARK HEAD START
213 E 11TH ST
SANCHEZ, MARIA
MERCED, CA 95341
HARO LOPEZ, ALICIA FAMILY CHILD CARE
MERCED, CA 95341
DINA'S DAYCARE AND PRESCHOOL
220 S. CANAL ST.
JOHN O'BANNION CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
401 LESCHER DRIVE
STONE RIDGE CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
2142 E. YOSEMITE AVENUE
BRIGHT BEGINNINGS FAMILY DAY CARE
MERCED, CA 95348
PRADO, ERIKA & LLAMAS MORENO, MARILIN ITZEL FCC
MERCED, CA 95341
VELASQUEZ FAMILY DAY CARE
MERCED, CA 95341
DINA'S DAYCARE BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
97 W GERARD AVE SUITE B
INIGUEZ, LILI FAMILY CHILD CARE
MERCED, CA 95348
MARGARET SHEEHY PRESCHOOL
1240 W 6TH ST
Home Daycares in Merced
Browse 52 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 Merced
Merced currently has 99 daycares in our directory. 83% 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.
83%
A or B safety grades
47
Center-based providers
3
Accredited or Head Start providers
$1,059/mo
Infant center cost in MERCED
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is GALEN CLARK HEAD START with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Merced include FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, DAY CARE CENTER, SINGLE LICENSED CHILD CARE CENTER.
The average provider in this market has 2.4 recorded violations, while 55 providers currently show none in the data we track.
Local cost and care context
MERCED accounts for the largest share of providers we track in Merced, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.
Infant Center
$1,059/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 Merced
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Merced?
We rank providers in Merced 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 Merced?
82 of the 99 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 Merced?
Merced currently shows 52 home-based providers and 3 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.