Daycares in Santa Barbara, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
76 of 98 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
84 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
March 4, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Santa Barbara currently has 98 tracked providers. 76 have inspection history, 84 appear active, and 73% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is March 4, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
ORFALEA FAMILY CHILDREN'S CENTER CLUB HOUSE
UCSB, WEST CAMPUS
NOTRE DAME PRESCHOOL
33 E. MICHELTORENA ST.
BRIGHT START THE EARLY YEARS
1617 ANACAPA STREET
MORE MESA CHILDREN'S CENTER
4575 AUHAY DRIVE
CHILD'S PLAY
1415 SAN ANDRES
BRIGHT START EARLY YEARS
1621 ANACAPA STREET
CAC - CORONEL CENTER
629 CORONEL PLACE
LITTLE ANGELS PRESCHOOL
909 N. LA CUMBRE
CLIFF DRIVE CARE CENTER
1435 CLIFF DR.
RIOS FAMILY CHILD CARE
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101
ALL SAINTS BY THE SEA PARISH SCHOOL
84 EUCALYPTUS LN.
SANTA BARBARA BRANCH - MONTE VISTA SCHOOL
730 N. HOPE AVE.
VEGA FCC AKA SANTA BARBARA GARDEN MONTESSORI
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101
ARAUJO FAMILY CHILD CARE AKA TINY FEET DAYCARE
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105
CORRAL FAMILY CHILD CARE
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105
HIGGINS FAMILY CHILD CARE
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93109
TENESACA FCC AKA UP IN THE TREE PRESCHOOL
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101
BREWER FCCH
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105
CALZADA FCC AKA HANDPRINTS DAY CARE
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93111
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL
530 HOT SPRINGS RD.
Home Daycares in Santa Barbara
Browse 25 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 Barbara
Santa Barbara currently has 98 daycares in our directory. 73% 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.
73%
A or B safety grades
73
Center-based providers
3
Accredited or Head Start providers
$4/mo
Infant center cost in SANTA BARBARA
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is CAC - CORONEL CENTER with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Santa Barbara include DAY CARE CENTER, FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, INFANT CENTER.
The average provider in this market has 1.4 recorded violations, while 72 providers currently show none in the data we track.
Local cost and care context
SANTA BARBARA accounts for the largest share of providers we track in Santa Barbara, so its pricing is the best local benchmark on this page.
Infant Center
$4/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 Barbara
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Santa Barbara?
We rank providers in Santa Barbara 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 Barbara?
72 of the 98 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 Barbara?
Santa Barbara currently shows 25 home-based providers and 1 Head Start site 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.