Daycares in National City, California

55 facilitiesAvg score: 97.3

Data Freshness & Provenance

Inspection coverage

52 of 55 tracked providers have inspection history

Active providers

52 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

National City currently has 55 tracked providers. 52 have inspection history, 52 appear active, and 93% 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 LAMBS PRESCHOOL - NATIONAL CITY

1200 EAST EIGHTH STREET

No violationsCapacity: 80DAY CARE CENTER
A

LAS PALMAS STATE PRESCHOOL

1900 EAST 18TH STREET

No violationsCapacity: 24DAY CARE CENTER
A

JOHN OTIS PRESCHOOL

621 EAST 18TH STREET

No violationsCapacity: 24DAY CARE CENTER
A

KIMBALL STATE PRESCHOOL

302 WEST 18TH STREET

No violationsCapacity: 48DAY CARE CENTER
A

MUJICA, LORENA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

PEREZ, ALEJANDRA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

BASANTES, CATALINA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

EL TOYON STATE PRESCHOOL

2000 EAST DIVISION STREET

No violationsCapacity: 48DAY CARE CENTER
A

MACHADO, TANIA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

ECS - HIGHLAND HEAD START

2605 HIGHLAND AVENUE

Head Start
No violationsCapacity: 45DAY CARE CENTER
A

DABADY, CHANTALE FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

ECS HARBISON HEAD START

1540 SOUTH HARBISON AVENUE

Head Start
No violationsCapacity: 78DAY CARE CENTER
A

ZAZUETA, ALBERTO FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

SALCEDO, BERTHA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

SALCEDO, JESSICA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

GOMEZ, CYNTHIA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

HERNANDEZ, MARIA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

ALVAREZ, YOLANDA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

CAMPOS, CLAUDIA FAMILY CHILD CARE

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950

No violationsCapacity: 14FAMILY DAY CARE HOME
A

PALMER WAY STATE PRESCHOOL

2900 PALMER STREET

No violationsCapacity: 72DAY CARE CENTER

What the daycare market looks like in National City

National City currently has 55 daycares in our directory. 93% 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.

93%

A or B safety grades

21

Center-based providers

2

Accredited or Head Start providers

$1,642/mo

Infant center cost in SAN DIEGO

Market Notes

The current top-scoring provider in this city is ECS HARBISON HEAD START with a A grade and a 100.0 score.

Common provider types in National City include FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, DAY CARE CENTER, INFANT CENTER.

The average provider in this market has 1.3 recorded violations, while 41 providers currently show none in the data we track.

Local cost and care context

SAN DIEGO accounts for the largest share of providers we track in National City, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.

Infant Center

$1,642/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 National City

How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in National City?

We rank providers in National City 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 National City?

51 of the 55 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 National City?

National City currently shows 34 home-based providers and 2 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.