Child Care Centers, Family Child Care & Preschools in California

California is home to 24,563 state-licensed care providers spanning 157 counties and 1,751 cities. Among rated providers, the average overall quality rating is not available.

1,751Cities

157Counties

24,563Certified providers

—Avg quality rating

Care type	Providers
Child Care Centers	6,286	View in California
Family Child Care Homes	14,623	View in California
Group Child Care Homes	0	—
Preschools	3,654	View in California
Head Start Programs	2,456	View in California
School-Age Programs	1,257	View in California
Child Care Providers	6,533	View in California

Cities in California

Chicago, CA 1,693 providers Los Angeles, CA 1,447 providers San Diego, CA 1,035 providers Sacramento, CA 725 providers San Francisco, CA 717 providers San Jose, CA 663 providers Bakersfield, CA 367 providers Oakland, CA 335 providers El Cajon, CA 328 providers Stockton, CA 323 providers Santa Maria, CA 321 providers Fresno, CA 317 providers

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Counties in California

Showing 60 of 157 counties.

Choosing care in California

Treat any single record as a starting point, not a verdict. Child care quality lives in the details: staff-to-child ratios, caregiver training and turnover, how the space is kept, and whether the program's schedule and approach fit your family's needs.

Where you can, visit each option in California, watch how caregivers interact with children, ask how daily updates and pickups are handled, and get costs and schedules confirmed in writing. Steady, engaged caregivers count for as much as any published record.

Frequently asked questions

How many state-licensed providers does California have?

According to current licensing data, California has 24,563 licensed providers: 6,286 child care centers, 14,623 family child care homes, and 3,654 preschools.

How does California score on average quality ratings?

Not every provider in California has a published average rating; open individual facility pages to view quality ratings where available.

Which cities in California have the highest number of care providers?

In the current data, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego lead California for certified provider counts. The city list above shows counts.

Data sources

Data source: ChildCare.gov state licensing resources, the state licensing agency data, and Head Start Service Locations (HHS/ACF). Data as of 2026-10-07. This page is informational and is not professional advice.

Required disclosures

For general information only. This website shares public data and general information about child care providers. It does not offer professional advice, and it cannot replace a visit to a provider, a review of public licensing records, or a conversation with the people you trust.

Independent and unaffiliated. DaycareFacilities.org is a private, independently run directory. It is not affiliated with, nor endorsed or operated by, any government agency, child care licensing authority, or child care provider. Government agencies have not reviewed or endorsed this site.

Confirm details before acting. Provider records come from public datasets and may lag or contain errors. Always verify current licensing status, hours, availability, capacity, and costs directly with the provider and with your state or territory licensing agency.

Certain outbound links on this site are partner or affiliate links. If you use them we may receive a commission, and your price does not change. This never influences the data we publish.