Daycares in San Marcos, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
47 of 58 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
49 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
January 12, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
San Marcos currently has 58 tracked providers. 47 have inspection history, 49 appear active, and 59% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is January 12, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
PACIFIC PRESCHOOL - SAN ELIJO HILLS, INC
1301 ELFIN FOREST ROAD WEST
MOHAMMADKHANI, ATEFEH FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92078
MEDDINGS, MONICA FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92069
BIG FUTURE CHARTER PRESCHOOL
933 WEST SAN MARCOS BOULEVARD
SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S ACADEMY
801 GRAND AVENUE, #5-#7
SAN MARCOS LUTHERAN CHURCH CHILD CARE CENTER
3419 GRAND AVENUE
MAAC PROJECT SAN MARCOS EARLY HEAD START
1587 LINDA VISTA DRIVE
RODRIGUEZ, LINDA FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92069
PALOMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE ECE LAB SCHOOL
1140 WEST MISSION ROAD
LITTLE LANGUAGE AMBASSADORS
1635 LAKE SAN MARCOS DR. #101
MADRIGAL, VERONICA FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92078
GOMEZ, MARIA FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92069
MARTIN, ISABEL FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92069
KELLEY, SUSAN FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92078
DISCOVERY ISLE - LA COSTA - SCHOOL-AGE
1655 S RANCHO SANTA FE RD #101
BAUDLER, CINDY FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92078
VARGAS, PATRICIA FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92069
MAAC LINDA VISTA HEAD START
1587 LINDA VISTA DRIVE
MOLINA, MICHELLE FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92078
NAFEZ, NADIA FAMILY CHILD CARE
SAN MARCOS, CA 92069
Home Daycares in San Marcos
Browse 22 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 San Marcos
San Marcos currently has 58 daycares in our directory. 59% 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.
59%
A or B safety grades
36
Center-based providers
0
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 MEDDINGS, MONICA FAMILY CHILD CARE with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in San Marcos include FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, DAY CARE CENTER, INFANT CENTER.
The average provider in this market has 9.2 recorded violations, while 23 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 San Marcos, 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.
Frequently asked questions about daycare in San Marcos
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in San Marcos?
We rank providers in San Marcos 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 San Marcos?
34 of the 58 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 San Marcos?
San Marcos currently shows 22 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.