Best Daycare Centers in Santee, CA
Compare 17 daycare centers in Santee. Average rating: 4.59/5 stars. See top 10 ranked daycares, compare by type, and find the right childcare for your family.
Santee, California at a glance
- Daycares
- 17
- Avg rating
- 4.59/5
- Parent reviews
- 110
- Top rated (4.5+)
- 6
Santee has 17 licensed daycares with 110 parent reviews averaging 4.59/5.6 are top-rated with 4.5+ stars — 75% of rated programs, well above average.The highest-rated options cluster around the 92071 zip code, averaging 4.59 stars across 17 programs.Start with our top-10 ranked list below or filter by philosophy.
Top 10 Best Rated Daycares in Santee
Ranked using a weighted score that combines Google rating with the number of parent reviews — daycares with more reviews rank higher than those with a high rating but few reviews. Last updated: March 2026.
- 1Children'S Choice4.72 score4.9(20)
8824 Cottonwood Ave, Santee, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 43 children
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for its warm, safe, and nurturing environment where children thrive academically and emotionally. The staff, led by director Ms. Vanessa, is highlighted as exceptional, compassionate, and dedicated to each child's individual growth and happiness. Multiple parents report their children look forward to attending daily and have developed genuine love of learning.
Warm and safe environmentengaging activitiesexceptional an - 2Guardian Angels Catholic Church Preschool4.56 score4.7(20)
9310 Dalehurst Road, Santee, CA · Church Daycare · Capacity: 48 children
Guardian Angels Catholic Church Preschool is consistently praised for its welcoming and compassionate community atmosphere. Parents appreciate the friendly parish members, family-oriented programming, and engagement activities. The facility is noted as a safe, caring environment that makes families feel like part of a larger faith community.
welcoming atmospherekind and compassionate stafffamily-friendly programs (family massfestivals) - 3Giggles & Smiles Child Care Center LLC4.43 score4.6(13)
11316 Woodside Avenue N., Santee, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 60 children
Parents consistently praise Giggles & Smiles for exceptional care, attentive staff, and strong communication. The facility is noted for cleanliness, a comprehensive curriculum, and going above-and-beyond with amenities like provided meals and diapers. Multiple families have enrolled multiple children over many years, indicating high satisfaction and retention.
Caring and professional staffowner involvement and communicationclean facilityprovided meals and diapers - 4Giggles & Smiles Child Care Center LLC-Infant4.43 score4.6(13)
11316 Woodside Avenue N., Santee, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 20 children
Giggles & Smiles receives consistently excellent feedback from parents who praise the caring owners (Piper and Brooke) and dedicated teaching staff. Parents highlight strong communication, comprehensive curriculum including academics and Spanish, and practical benefits like provided meals and diapers. Multiple families have enrolled multiple children over many years, indicating high satisfaction and trust.
Caring and communicative owners and staffclean facilityst - 5Door To The Future Preschool4.1 score4.2(5)
8964 North Magnolia Avenue, Santee, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 34 children
Door to the Future Preschool receives mostly positive feedback from parents, with high praise for staff attentiveness, communication, and child engagement. However, one parent raised concerns about excessive outdoor noise levels disturbing the residential neighborhood.
Caring and generous staffstrong parent communication with photo updatesinclusive eventsoutdoor activities and projects
Rating Distribution
Based on 8 daycares with Google ratings in Santee
What Parents Value Most
Top qualities mentioned across 110 reviews, analyzed by AI
Daycare Types Compared
Average ratings by facility type in Santee, based on parent reviews
Best Rated Neighborhoods
Santee zip codes ranked by average daycare rating
| Zip Code | Daycares | Avg. Rating | Top Rated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92071 | 17 | 4.59 | 6 |
Facility Sizes
Capacity distribution of daycares in Santee (20–72 children)
Small
up to 30 children
3
Medium
31–75 children
14
Large
76–150 children
0
Very Large
150+ children
0
Top Rated
Highest rated daycares in Santee based on parent reviews
Children'S Choice
8824 Cottonwood Ave, Santee, CA
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for its warm, safe, and nurturing environment where children thrive academically and emotionally. The staff, led by director Ms. Vanessa, is highlighted as exceptional, compassionate, and dedicated to each child's individual growth and happiness. Multiple parents report their children look forward to attending daily and have developed genuine love of learning.
Guardian Angels Catholic Church Preschool
9310 Dalehurst Road, Santee, CA
Guardian Angels Catholic Church Preschool is consistently praised for its welcoming and compassionate community atmosphere. Parents appreciate the friendly parish members, family-oriented programming, and engagement activities. The facility is noted as a safe, caring environment that makes families feel like part of a larger faith community.
Giggles & Smiles Child Care Center LLC
11316 Woodside Avenue N., Santee, CA
Parents consistently praise Giggles & Smiles for exceptional care, attentive staff, and strong communication. The facility is noted for cleanliness, a comprehensive curriculum, and going above-and-beyond with amenities like provided meals and diapers. Multiple families have enrolled multiple children over many years, indicating high satisfaction and retention.
Giggles & Smiles Child Care Center LLC-Infant
11316 Woodside Avenue N., Santee, CA
Giggles & Smiles receives consistently excellent feedback from parents who praise the caring owners (Piper and Brooke) and dedicated teaching staff. Parents highlight strong communication, comprehensive curriculum including academics and Spanish, and practical benefits like provided meals and diapers. Multiple families have enrolled multiple children over many years, indicating high satisfaction and trust.
Little Learners & Infant Care
10154 N. Magnolia Avenue, Santee, CA
Parents highlight Little Learners for its nurturing environment, skilled staff, and strong academic and emotional preparation for kindergarten. While most reviewers express deep gratitude and high satisfaction, one parent offers a neutral assessment, and another notes the program's limitation to Transitional Kindergarten as a drawback for long-term needs.
East County Christian Preschool
10701 N. Magnolia Ave., Santee, CA
Parents describe East County Christian Preschool as a caring, Christ-centered environment that supports early learning through play-based and Montessori-style activities. Reviewers highlight the staff's patience and involvement in developmental milestones like potty training, noting that children thrive socially and academically.
Map
Daycare types in Santee
Browse by type in Santee
Daycare Centers in Santee, California
There are 17 daycare centers in Santee, California. Below you'll find a complete directory to help you compare and choose the right daycare for your child.
Based on Google reviews, daycares in Santee have an average rating of 4.59 out of 5 across 8 rated facilities, with 75% scoring 4.5 stars or higher. Church Daycare facilities lead with an average of 4.7 stars. Our analysis covers 110 parent reviews.
When choosing a daycare in Santee, consider visiting facilities in person, checking their licensing status, and asking about staff-to-child ratios, daily routines, and safety policies.
All Daycare Centers in Santee
Showing 17 results
Parents describe East County Christian Preschool as a caring, Christ-centered environment that supports early learning through play-based and Montessori-style activities. Reviewers highlight the staff's patience and involvement in developmental milestones like potty training, noting that children thrive socially and academically.
- Address
- 10701 N. Magnolia Ave., Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-2029
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for its warm, safe, and nurturing environment where children thrive academically and emotionally. The staff, led by director Ms. Vanessa, is highlighted as exceptional, compassionate, and dedicated to each child's individual growth and happiness. Multiple parents report their children look forward to attending daily and have developed genuine love of learning.
- Address
- 8824 Cottonwood Ave, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 457-0381
Parents highlight Little Learners for its nurturing environment, skilled staff, and strong academic and emotional preparation for kindergarten. While most reviewers express deep gratitude and high satisfaction, one parent offers a neutral assessment, and another notes the program's limitation to Transitional Kindergarten as a drawback for long-term needs.
- Address
- 10154 N. Magnolia Avenue, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 562-9907
Guardian Angels Catholic Church Preschool is consistently praised for its welcoming and compassionate community atmosphere. Parents appreciate the friendly parish members, family-oriented programming, and engagement activities. The facility is noted as a safe, caring environment that makes families feel like part of a larger faith community.
- Address
- 9310 Dalehurst Road, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 596-3281
Parents consistently praise Giggles & Smiles for exceptional care, attentive staff, and strong communication. The facility is noted for cleanliness, a comprehensive curriculum, and going above-and-beyond with amenities like provided meals and diapers. Multiple families have enrolled multiple children over many years, indicating high satisfaction and retention.
- Address
- 11316 Woodside Avenue N., Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-5437
Giggles & Smiles receives consistently excellent feedback from parents who praise the caring owners (Piper and Brooke) and dedicated teaching staff. Parents highlight strong communication, comprehensive curriculum including academics and Spanish, and practical benefits like provided meals and diapers. Multiple families have enrolled multiple children over many years, indicating high satisfaction and trust.
- Address
- 11316 Woodside Avenue N., Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-5437
Door to the Future Preschool receives mostly positive feedback from parents, with high praise for staff attentiveness, communication, and child engagement. However, one parent raised concerns about excessive outdoor noise levels disturbing the residential neighborhood.
- Address
- 8964 North Magnolia Avenue, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-5721
A single five-star review highlights the school's faith-based, peaceful environment and dedicated staff, while a separate one-star review details serious safety and communication failures. These contrasting experiences reflect either a highly positive community feel or significant operational negligence, depending on the specific perspective shared.
- Address
- 9971 Mission Gorge Road, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 596-0390
- Address
- 9440 Cuyamaca Street, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 448-4445
- Address
- 8559 Fanita Drive, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 449-1187
- Address
- 8655 Ellsworth Lane, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 956-5257
- Address
- 9353 Pike St, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-2369
Parents consistently praise KinderCare Cuyamaca Infant for its caring, patient staff and nurturing environment. Children reportedly thrive academically and socially, with smooth transitions between age groups. Families appreciate the structured curriculum, activities, and responsive management.
- Address
- 9735 Cuyamaca Street, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 562-3423
Parents consistently praise KinderCare Cuyamaca Center for its caring, patient staff and nurturing environment where children thrive academically and socially. Multiple reviewers highlight successful transitions from home to preschool and positive developmental progress. The center is highly recommended as a reliable, safe facility where children are genuinely happy to attend.
- Address
- 9735 Cuyamaca Street, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 562-3423
- Address
- 10201 Settle Road, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-2369
- Address
- 9440 Cuyamaca Street, Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 448-4445
- Address
- 9665 Jeremy St., Santee, CA
- Phone
- (619) 258-2369
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Frequently asked questions
- Licensing status with California's regulatory agency
- Staff-to-child ratios (requirements vary by age group in California)
- Safety measures and cleanliness
- Daily routines and educational curriculum
- Parent reviews and ratings
- Location and hours that fit your schedule
- Child Daycare & Preschools — 15 facilities
- Church Daycare — 1 facilities
- Before or After School Daycare — 1 facilities