Daycare directory · Anaheim, CA

Daycare in Anaheim.

Published ·Updated

340+ licensed providers across Anaheim's flat sprawl from Anaheim Hills to the Platinum Triangle, with verified 2026 tuition ranges, real waitlist intel, and a clear path to California Transitional Kindergarten and Orange County subsidies. Always free for families.

340+
Verified providers
$1,300
Starting monthly tuition
7 mo
Median infant waitlist
Browse Anaheim daycares → Estimate your cost
Anaheim California suburban neighborhood with palm trees
2026 cost overview

What daycare actually costs in Anaheim.

Tuition ranges are full-time, center-based monthly rates pulled from 340+ Anaheim providers and cross-checked against California Community Care Licensing.

Infant (6 wk – 18 mo)
Infant care
$1,800 to $2,600
per month, full-time

Anaheim Hills and Platinum Triangle centers cluster near the top. West Anaheim and family child cares run $300 to $500 below.

Toddler (18 mo – 3 yr)
Toddler care
$1,500 to $2,200
per month, full-time

California licensing tightens ratios at 24 months. NAEYC-accredited centers across the city charge $150 to $350 above the median.

Preschool (3 – 5 yr)
Preschool
$1,300 to $2,000
per month, full-time

California Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is universal for four-year-olds in 2025-26 and is free through Anaheim Elementary, Magnolia, and Centralia districts.

Sources: California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division, US Department of Labor 2023 National Database of Childcare Prices, Child Care Aware of America 2025 California state report, DaycareSquare Anaheim operator survey (Q1 2026). Updated May 2026.

Featured providers

A sample of Anaheim daycares.

Eight illustrative examples of local daycares. A searchable directory of verified, state-licensed providers is rolling out — these examples show the local landscape for now.

Anaheim Hills Children's Academy
NAEYC accredited
Anaheim Hills Children's Academy
Anaheim Hills · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $2,450/mo
Platinum Triangle Early Learning
Premium listing
Platinum Triangle Early Learning
Platinum Triangle · 12 wk – 5 yr
From $2,300/mo
West Anaheim Montessori
Montessori
West Anaheim Montessori
West Anaheim · 18 mo – 6 yr
From $1,950/mo
Downtown Anaheim KinderCare
National chain
Downtown Anaheim KinderCare
Downtown · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,850/mo
Sunkist Christian Daycare
Faith-based
Sunkist Christian Daycare
Sunkist · 18 mo – 5 yr
From $1,650/mo
Anaheim Resort Bilingual Preschool
Spanish immersion
Anaheim Resort Bilingual Preschool
Anaheim Resort · 2 – 5 yr
From $1,800/mo
Canyon Hills Family Care
Home-based
Canyon Hills Family Care
Anaheim Hills · 6 mo – 5 yr
From $1,500/mo
Anaheim Elementary TK
Free TK
Anaheim Elementary TK
Multiple sites · 4 yr
From $0/mo (free)
See all 340+ Anaheim daycares →
By neighborhood

Daycare in your neighborhood.

Anaheim's eastern hills and western flats run on different price curves. These are the neighborhoods with the most active providers in our directory.

Anaheim Hills
72 daycares · From $1,900
Platinum Triangle
28 daycares · From $1,800
Downtown
42 daycares · From $1,500
West Anaheim
58 daycares · From $1,300
Anaheim Resort
24 daycares · From $1,650
Sunkist
32 daycares · From $1,400
The Canyon
18 daycares · From $1,750
East Anaheim
34 daycares · From $1,500

A short, honest guide to Anaheim daycare.

Anaheim runs Orange County's largest daycare market, with roughly 340 licensed providers serving a city of 350,000 people. Anaheim Hills, the Platinum Triangle, and The Canyon anchor the top of the market with NAEYC-accredited and high-tuition Montessori programs; West Anaheim, Sunkist, and the older flats hold most of the city's family child care supply and the most affordable centers. Many Anaheim families combine paid infant and toddler daycare with free California Transitional Kindergarten once their child turns four.

California licensing and ratios

California requires a 1:4 infant ratio, 1:6 for toddlers, and 1:12 for preschoolers in licensed centers, set under Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. Family child care homes are licensed separately at 8 children small / 14 children large. Every legal daycare in Anaheim is licensed by the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division and listed on the state's public Child Care Licensing Search. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that source monthly.

Source: California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division, Title 22 ratio rules, 2025-2026 licensing data.

Where Anaheim parents tend to overpay

  • Premium Anaheim Hills centers when a comparable program a few miles west costs 20 to 30 percent less for similar quality.
  • Add-on enrichment fees (music, language, sports) that quietly raise the monthly bill after enrollment.
  • Annual registration and supply fees that are not disclosed on the website. Ask for the all-in monthly figure before you tour.

Financial help

Working Anaheim families earning under 85 percent of state median income may qualify for the California Alternative Payment Program through the Orange County Department of Education or contracted CalWORKs-linked subsidies. Head Start and Early Head Start operate in west Anaheim through Orange Children & Parents Together. Universal Transitional Kindergarten is free for all four-year-olds in California beginning 2025-26. All families can use the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and a Dependent Care FSA. Our tax credit explainer walks through the math at common Anaheim income levels.

Before your first tour, download the free DaycareSquare comparison checklist and the tour questions list for a side-by-side scoring sheet.

Related reading for Anaheim families

Frequently asked

Daycare in Anaheim.

How much does daycare cost in Anaheim?
Full-time center-based daycare in Anaheim runs $1,300 to $2,600 per month in 2026, depending on age and neighborhood. Anaheim Hills and Platinum Triangle centers cluster at the top of the range; West Anaheim and Sunkist sit at the lower end.
How long is the waitlist for Anaheim daycare?
Our 2026 Anaheim operator survey found a median infant waitlist of seven months. Flagship Anaheim Hills centers can stretch longer. Toddler and preschool seats commonly turn over within two to four months across the city.
Who licenses daycares in California?
Every legal daycare in California is licensed by the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that database monthly.
What is the staff-to-child ratio in California daycares?
California requires a 1:4 infant ratio, 1:6 for toddlers, and 1:12 for preschoolers in licensed centers under Title 22. NAEYC-accredited Anaheim programs commonly operate below those minimums.
Can I get help paying for daycare in Anaheim?
Working families earning under 85 percent of California state median income may qualify for the California Alternative Payment Program through the Orange County Department of Education. Head Start operates in west Anaheim, and Universal Transitional Kindergarten is free for all four-year-olds. Read our TK explainer and tax credit guide.
How do I tour an Anaheim daycare?
Use our free tour questions list and the DaycareSquare comparison checklist to score every tour on the same 27 questions.
Keep going

Useful next steps.

Statewide

Daycare in California

Costs, licensing, TK rollout, and subsidy programs across all of California.

View state page → Free tool

Anaheim cost calculator

Plug in your ZIP, child age, and care type. Get your personal monthly range in about sixty seconds.

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Comparison checklist

Twenty-seven questions to ask at every tour, plus a side-by-side scoring sheet. PDF.

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