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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Santa Cruz, CA

Preschool and pre-K programs in Santa Cruz take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $256 a week in Santa Cruz County (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs in Santa Cruz
16
daycare centers
16
take infants
2
State license records

All preschools and pre-K programs in Santa Cruz

Showing 1 to 16 of 16

Providers on paid plans are listed first, then those in a state pre-K program, then those that offer pre-K on their own website, then A to Z by name. We do not rank daycares.

  3. Child care centerPreschool & pre-K

    Calvary Preschool

    532 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA

    Offers pre-KAccepts subsidy
    Citations on record: Type A 0 · Type B 1
    CallDirections
How this list is made: Santa Cruz daycares whose California record serves preschool-age children, plus those that say they offer pre-K or whose name says preschool. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Preschool and pre-K

What preschool costs in Santa Cruz

Preschool-age care at a center in Santa Cruz County, per week (2022)
$256
The Santa Cruz County median for full-time care. At a home daycare it is $314 a week.

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Santa Cruz

  1. 1

    Ask about the day

    Ask how the day runs: free play, circle time, outdoor time and naps. Ask what children do to get ready for kindergarten.

  2. 2

    Half day or full day

    Many preschools run half days or school-year hours. If you work full time, ask about before- and after-care.

  3. 3

    Ask about cost

    Ask for the tuition, the registration fee and whether the state's pre-K or child care assistance can pay part of it.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license, the ages it serves and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

Nearby

Preschools & pre-K in nearby towns

Scotts Valley4 · 6 miWatsonville8 · 14 miLos Gatos8 · 17 miSaratoga5 · 20 miCampbell10 · 21 miMorgan Hill8 · 22 miCupertino7 · 23 miSan Jose86 · 24 miGilroy8 · 25 mi

More in this area

More daycare in Santa Cruz

All daycares in Santa Cruz61Preschools & Pre-K in CaliforniaMontessori Schools in Santa Cruz3Christian Preschools & Church Daycares in Santa Cruz5Infant Daycare in Santa Cruz7In-Home Daycares in Santa Cruz17Part-Time Daycare in Santa Cruz7Drop-In Daycare in Santa Cruz3After-School Care in Santa Cruz10Bilingual Daycare in Santa Cruz4

Questions

Questions

How many preschools and pre-K programs are in Santa Cruz?

16 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in Santa Cruz. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

What is the difference between preschool and pre-K?

Pre-K is the year before kindergarten, usually for 4-year-olds, and many states fund free or low-cost pre-K. Preschool is the wider term for programs for children of about 3 to 5. Many daycares run both, and this list has both.

Is there free preschool near me?

Head Start is free for children 3 to 5 from families who qualify, and many school districts run free pre-K classes. School-district pre-K is often not on child care license lists, so check with your school district too.

What age is pre-K?

Pre-K is usually for children who turn 4 by a cutoff date in late summer or early fall, the year before kindergarten. Each state sets its own cutoff.

What is the difference between preschool and daycare?

A preschool teaches children of about 3 to 5 before kindergarten, often for part of the day. A daycare looks after children while parents work, often all day, and many daycares run a preschool room. This list has both: places whose state record serves preschool-age children, that offer pre-K on their own website, or that are named a preschool.

Are these daycares licensed in California?

Every listing here comes from the California child care license records.