Daycares in Rancho Sta Margarita, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
20 of 24 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
18 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
February 5, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Rancho Sta Margarita currently has 24 tracked providers. 20 have inspection history, 18 appear active, and 67% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is February 5, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
SADDLEBACK YMCA-ARROYO VISTA PROGRAM CENTER
23371 ARROYO VISTA
LOPEZ, MARIA LENY
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
CAMACHO, ALEYDA
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
30382 VIA CON DIOS
BERNABE, KARINA
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
VALLEJO, JEIMY
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
APPLIEDKIDS INFANT AND TODDLER CENTER
30281 ESPERANZA
MEYER, LYNETTE
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
RSM CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
29582 AVENTURA
LEELARATNE, SUMUDU
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
LIMAI MONTESSORI ACADEMY
30075 COMERCIO
RAGSDALE-VAZQUEZ, RACHEL
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
MONTES, TANIA
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
SRINIVASAN, PADMINI & VALDIVIA, NATALIE
RANCHO STA MARGARITA, CA 92688
SADDLEBACK VALLEY YMCA-LAS FLORES
25862 ANTONIO PARKWAY
ST. JUNIPERO SERRA CATHOLIC PRESCHOOL
23652 ANTONIO PARKWAY
CAL ELITE KIDS-PRESCHOOL ACADEMY
22982 AVENIDA EMPRESA
RANCHO VIEJO SCHOOL, THE
29782 AVENIDA DE LAS BANDERAS
GUIDEPOST MONTESSORI AT LAS FLORES
28672 DEERPATH
KINDERCARE LEARNING CENTER
30062 SANTA MARGARITA PARKWAY
Home Daycares in Rancho Sta Margarita
Browse 9 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 Rancho Sta Margarita
Rancho Sta Margarita currently has 24 daycares in our directory. 67% 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.
67%
A or B safety grades
15
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 LOPEZ, MARIA LENY with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Rancho Sta Margarita include FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, DAY CARE CENTER, INFANT CENTER.
The average provider in this market has 4.6 recorded violations, while 13 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 Rancho Sta Margarita, 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 Rancho Sta Margarita
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Rancho Sta Margarita?
We rank providers in Rancho Sta Margarita 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 Rancho Sta Margarita?
16 of the 24 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 Rancho Sta Margarita?
Rancho Sta Margarita currently shows 9 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.