Daycare directory · Santa Ana, CA

Daycare in Santa Ana.

Published ·Updated

320+ licensed providers across Santa Ana's compact grid from Floral Park to South Coast Metro, with verified 2026 tuition ranges, real waitlist intel, and the densest Head Start network in Orange County. Always free for families.

320+
Verified providers
$1,200
Starting monthly tuition
6 mo
Median infant waitlist
Browse Santa Ana daycares → Estimate your cost
Santa Ana California historic downtown architecture
2026 cost overview

What daycare actually costs in Santa Ana.

Tuition ranges are full-time, center-based monthly rates pulled from 320+ Santa Ana providers and cross-checked against California Community Care Licensing.

Infant (6 wk – 18 mo)
Infant care
$1,600 to $2,300
per month, full-time

Floral Park and South Coast Metro centers cluster near the top. Heninger and the older central grid run $300 to $500 below.

Toddler (18 mo – 3 yr)
Toddler care
$1,400 to $2,000
per month, full-time

California licensing tightens ratios at 24 months. NAEYC-accredited Santa Ana centers charge $150 to $300 above the median.

Preschool (3 – 5 yr)
Preschool
$1,200 to $1,800
per month, full-time

Santa Ana Unified Transitional Kindergarten is universal for four-year-olds in 2025-26 and is free at neighborhood elementaries citywide.

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 Santa Ana operator survey (Q1 2026). Updated May 2026.

Featured providers

A sample of Santa Ana 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.

Floral Park Children's Academy
NAEYC accredited
Floral Park Children's Academy
Floral Park · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $2,200/mo
Downtown Santa Ana Early Learning
Premium listing
Downtown Santa Ana Early Learning
Downtown · 12 wk – 5 yr
From $1,950/mo
South Coast Metro Montessori
Montessori
South Coast Metro Montessori
South Coast Metro · 18 mo – 6 yr
From $1,800/mo
Santa Ana Head Start
Head Start
Santa Ana Head Start
Multiple sites · 3 – 5 yr
Free for eligible
French Park Christian Daycare
Faith-based
French Park Christian Daycare
French Park · 18 mo – 5 yr
From $1,450/mo
Park Santiago Bilingual Preschool
Spanish immersion
Park Santiago Bilingual Preschool
Park Santiago · 2 – 5 yr
From $1,650/mo
Heninger Family Care
Home-based
Heninger Family Care
Heninger · 6 mo – 5 yr
From $1,300/mo
Santa Ana Unified TK
Free TK
Santa Ana Unified TK
Multiple sites · 4 yr
From $0/mo (free)
See all 320+ Santa Ana daycares →
By neighborhood

Daycare in your neighborhood.

Santa Ana is one of the densest cities in California. These are the neighborhoods with the most active providers in our directory.

Floral Park
22 daycares · From $1,700
Downtown
32 daycares · From $1,500
French Park
16 daycares · From $1,400
Park Santiago
18 daycares · From $1,550
South Coast Metro
24 daycares · From $1,800
Heninger
20 daycares · From $1,300
West Floral Park
14 daycares · From $1,600
Willard
22 daycares · From $1,350

A short, honest guide to Santa Ana daycare.

Santa Ana is the second largest city in Orange County and the densest in California. It has roughly 320 licensed providers serving about 310,000 people, with a younger child population than most US metros. Floral Park, Park Santiago, and South Coast Metro hold most of the high-tuition NAEYC-accredited centers and Montessori programs. The older central grid (Heninger, Willard, Downtown) holds the majority of family child cares and the densest Head Start network in Orange County, operated by Orange Children & Parents Together (OCAPICA) and Friendly Center. Many Santa Ana families combine paid infant care with Head Start, Santa Ana Unified Transitional Kindergarten, or both.

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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana parents tend to overpay

  • South Coast Metro premium centers when a comparable NAEYC-accredited program in Floral Park or French Park costs 15 to 20 percent less.
  • 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 Santa Ana 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 for CalWORKs-linked subsidies. Head Start and Early Head Start operate at more than two dozen Santa Ana sites through OCAPICA and Friendly Center. Universal Transitional Kindergarten is free for all four-year-olds at Santa Ana Unified. 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana families

Frequently asked

Daycare in Santa Ana.

How much does daycare cost in Santa Ana?
Full-time center-based daycare in Santa Ana runs $1,200 to $2,300 per month in 2026, depending on age and neighborhood. Floral Park and South Coast Metro cluster at the top; the central grid sits at the lower end.
How long is the waitlist for Santa Ana daycare?
Our 2026 Santa Ana operator survey found a median infant waitlist of six months. Toddler and preschool seats commonly turn over within two to three 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.
Can I get help paying for daycare in Santa Ana?
Working families earning under 85 percent of California state median income may qualify for the California Alternative Payment Program. Head Start operates at more than two dozen Santa Ana sites, and Universal TK is free for all four-year-olds. Read our TK explainer and tax credit guide.
How do I tour a Santa Ana 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

Santa Ana cost calculator

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

Try the calculator → Free download

Comparison checklist

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

Get the checklist →
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Get matched with licensed daycares near you.

Tell us your child’s age and when you need care. We’ll send a shortlist of nearby licensed options — checked against state licensing data. Most centers keep waitlists, so the earlier you reach out, the better your odds. No spam, no obligation.