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How the guarantee works →Starting or running a childcare program in Santa Cruz County.
Santa Cruz County has 99 licensed center programs with 5,161 licensed spots, and 171 licensed home daycares.Source: Child Care Licensing facility search, California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. Read November 3, 2026.Get started
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99
licensed center programs
5,161
licensed spots in centers
171
licensed home daycares
Center licenses in Santa Cruz County
13 programs hold only a school-age license: before and after school care.
| License type | Active licenses |
|---|---|
| Day care center | 59 |
| Infant center | 16 |
| School-age day care center | 15 |
| Single licensed child care center | 23 |
Center programs opened, November 2025 to October 2026
8 opened at a new address. 18 addresses closed their last center license.
Cities with the most center programs
By the city written on each license.
| City | Center programs |
|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | 42 |
| Watsonville | 18 |
| Scotts Valley | 10 |
| Soquel | 9 |
| Aptos | 8 |
| Ben Lomond | 2 |
| Boulder Creek | 2 |
| Freedom | 2 |
Getting licensed in California
California licenses child care centers and family child care homes separately. See the ratios, trainings and checklist the state asks for in our California licensing guide.
Plan your program
- Daycare business plan
How to write a plan for funding and licensing.
- Tuition calculator
Typical rates by state and age group.
- Ratio calculator
Staff needed for each age group, by state.
Questions, answered
How many licensed childcare centers are in Santa Cruz County?
99 center programs, holding 113 center licenses and 5,161 licensed spots, as of November 3, 2026.
How many licensed home daycares are in Santa Cruz County?
171 licensed family child care homes, with 2,388 licensed spots, as of November 3, 2026.
How many childcare centers opened in Santa Cruz County in the last year?
8 center programs opened at a new address from November 2025 to October 2026. In the same months, 18 addresses closed their last center license.
Where can I check a childcare program's license in California?
On California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division's public facility search. Search by the program's name, address or license number.
About these numbers
Every number on this page is a count from California's license file, read on November 3, 2026.
A center program is the active center licenses one licensee holds at one address. A day care center and its infant center count as one program.
Openings and closures cover November 2025 to October 2026. An opening is a program first licensed then, at an address with no earlier center license. A closing is an address whose last center license closed in that time.
This page is a summary of public records. It is not legal advice, and licenses change every week.
To check one program, search the state's own lookup.
Check us before you commit.
Three things directors ask before they start, answered where you can read them.
Help whenever you need it.
AI help is built in, plus full support from our team. Ask a question, and it answers from your own records.
How AI help works →Children’s data deserves grown-up care.
Encrypted on the way and at rest. Each program’s records are walled off. We never hold card numbers.
Trust and security →See it with your name on the door.
Get startedor book a demo
One flat price per location, never per child. $199 a month billed yearly ($2,388), or $249 month to month. Free for home daycares up to 18 children. Every fee is on the pricing page.
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