Daycares in Santa Cruz, California
Data Freshness & Provenance
Inspection coverage
58 of 78 tracked providers have inspection history
Active providers
61 providers appear active in this market
Last refreshed
April 3, 2026
Latest inspection
February 18, 2026
Provenance
California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring
City Snapshot
Santa Cruz currently has 78 tracked providers. 58 have inspection history, 61 appear active, and 62% of the market holds an A or B grade. The latest inspection in the dataset is February 18, 2026.
Updated April 3, 2026 from California licensing records, inspections, and DaycareCheck scoring.
BONNY DOON PRE-SCHOOL
1492 PINE FLAT ROAD
CHILDREN'S PRESCHOOL SANTA CRUZ
420 MELROSE AVENUE
WESTLAKE CKC INC.
1000 HIGH STREET
SPROUTS SC HAPPY VALLEY
3125 BRANCIFORTE DRIVE
BRIDGES TO KINDER PARENT AND E.C.E. PROGRAM
1000 HIGH STREET
KINDER COTTAGE CHILDREN'S CENTER
3834 GROSS ROAD
CASTILLO, ADRIANA
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060
SANTA CRUZ TODDLER CARE CENTER
1738 16TH AVENUE
CKC SANTA CRUZ GARDENS
8005 WINKLE AVENUE
BARE, LAURA
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060
UCSC CHILDREN'S CENTER
599 KOSHLAND WAY
NATURAL BRIDGES CHILDREN'S CENTER
255 SWIFT STREET
BAYSIDE BAPTIST CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
1335 SEABRIGHT AVENUE
GREEN ACRES STATE PRESCHOOL
984-5 BOSTWICK LANE
MESSIAH LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL AND DAY CARE
801 HIGH STREET
COMMUNITY BRIDGES EED NUEVO DIA CENTER
135 LEIBRANDT AVENUE
COMMUNITY BRIDGES EED SYCAMORE STREET CENTER
121 SYCAMORE STREET
MIDTOWN DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL
818 NORTH BRANCIFORTE AVENUE
BALLA, GUSTAVO AND SARA
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060
BONILLA, IRENE
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95065
Home Daycares in Santa Cruz
Browse 18 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 Cruz
Santa Cruz currently has 78 daycares in our directory. 62% 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.
62%
A or B safety grades
60
Center-based providers
0
Accredited or Head Start providers
$4/mo
Infant center cost in SANTA CRUZ
Market Notes
The current top-scoring provider in this city is CASTILLO, ADRIANA with a A grade and a 100.0 score.
Common provider types in Santa Cruz include DAY CARE CENTER, FAMILY DAY CARE HOME, SCHOOL AGE DAY CARE CENTER.
The average provider in this market has 4.9 recorded violations, while 40 providers currently show none in the data we track.
Local cost and care context
SANTA CRUZ accounts for the largest share of providers we track in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz
How does DaycareCheck rank daycares in Santa Cruz?
We rank providers in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz?
48 of the 78 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 Cruz?
Santa Cruz currently shows 18 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.