Daycares in Santa Ana, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
134 of 154 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
136 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
March 5, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Santa Ana currently has 154 tracked providers. 134 have inspection history, 136 appear active, and 79% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is March 5, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT/RUSSELL
600 SOUTH JACKSON
SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MADISON
1124 HOBART
ARI GUIRAGOS MINASSIAN ARMENIAN SCHOOL
5315 W. MC FADDEN AVE
GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT/ROSITA
4726 WEST HAZARD ST. ROOM 71
SAUSD/PIO PICO ELEM. SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM
931 WEST HIGHLAND
CATALYST KIDS-GUIN FOSS
18492 VANDERLIP AVENUE D1
TUSD KINDERGARTEN READINESS ACADEMY-GUIN FOSS
18492 VANDERLIP AVENUE
FERNANDEZ, ELVIRA
SANTA ANA, CA 92704
CAMPANA, NATALIA
SANTA ANA, CA 92701
CATALYST KIDS-FIGUEROA
521 N. FIGUEROA
SOTO, FRANCIS & SOTO, YOSELIN
SANTA ANA, CA 92704
CALVARY CHURCH CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
1010 N TUSTIN AVE
PEREZ, ENEDINA
SANTA ANA, CA 92707
SAUSD/LORIN GRISET ACADEMY-CAL-SAFE CHILDCARE
1915 WEST MC FADDEN AVENUE
KIDSPIA PRESCHOOL
917 SOUTH NEWHOPE STREET
DISON, ARTHUR RICHARD AND DISON CHERYL CAROLINE
SANTA ANA, CA 92707
SAUSD/MONROE ELEMENTARY
417 E. CENTRAL AVENUE
SANTA ANA COLLEGE CDC RANCHO SANTIAGO COMMUNITY
1530 WEST 17TH ST. BLDG V
SAUSD/JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY-STATE PRESCHOOL PROGRA
1522 WEST ADAMS STREET
SANTA ANA USD/HENINGER PRE-KINDERGARTEN
417 WEST WALNUT
Home Daycares in Santa Ana
Browse 43 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 Santa Ana
Santa Ana currently has 154 daycares in our directory. 79% 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.
79%
A or B safety grades
111
Center-based providers
1
Accredited or Head Start providers
$1,705/mo
Infant center cost in ORANGE
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is SAUSD/MONROE ELEMENTARY with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Santa Ana include DAY CARE CENTER, FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, INFANT CENTER.
The average provider in this market has 3.0 recorded violations, while 94 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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Santa Ana?
We rank providers in Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana?
121 of the 154 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 Santa Ana?
Santa Ana currently shows 43 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.