
Compare 52 child daycare & preschools in El Cajon. Average rating: 4.46/5 stars. See top 10 ranked daycares, compare by type, and find the right childcare for your family.
El Cajon has 52 licensed child daycare & preschools with 424 parent reviews averaging 4.46/5.18 are top-rated with 4.5+ stars — 62% of rated programs, well above average.The highest-rated options cluster around 92021 (avg 4.61 stars), while 92019 has the largest selection (23 programs).Start with our top-10 ranked list below or filter by philosophy.
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.
1150 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 24 children
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice (formerly Dayspring Christian Learning Center) for exceptional staff care, cleanliness, and a nurturing environment where children thrive. The facility features enriching activities, a well-maintained garden with animals, renovated classrooms, and strong parent communication through daily updates. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers by name, noting their warmth, patience, and genuine investment in child development.
1150 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 64 children
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice (formerly Dayspring Christian Learning Center) for exceptional staff care, cleanliness, and educational activities. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers by name for their warmth, patience, and genuine love for the children. The facility features hands-on learning opportunities, good communication with parents, and a welcoming environment where children are eager to attend.
315 West Bradley Avenue, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 58 children
Note: The reviews provided are for Foothills Church, not the preschool program. Reviews praise the church's welcoming community, biblical teaching, and youth programs. Parents appreciate the supportive atmosphere and community involvement.
2100 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 94 children
These reviews do not pertain to the daycare's services. All reviews discuss Shadow Mountain Community Church's worship services, Pastor David Jeremiah's preaching, and church hospitality rather than the preschool program itself.
2330 Center Place, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 24 children
Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Preschool receives consistently high praise from parents who highlight the warm, caring staff and director Robin's exceptional leadership. Parents report their children thrive academically and emotionally in a bright, well-organized facility with strong community and family support.
455 Church Way, El Cajon, CA · Church Daycare · Capacity: 78 children
Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Church Pre-School in El Cajon receives unanimous 5-star ratings from parents who praise the warm, caring staff and director Robin's leadership. Parents highlight the bright, spacious facility, strong academics, and supportive community environment that has served multiple generations of families.
455 Church Way, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 28 children
Parents consistently praise Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Preschool as an exceptional facility with warm, caring staff and strong leadership. Multiple families report significant positive experiences across multiple children, with appreciation for the structured learning environment, safe facilities, and sense of community.
1465 E. Madison Avenue, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 19 children
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for providing a loving, safe, and nurturing environment where children thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers who go above and beyond, form strong connections with children, and communicate effectively with parents. Parents express high trust in the facility and staff, with many having children attend for multiple years across different classroom levels.
1465 E. Madison Avenue, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 28 children
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for exceptional teacher care and emotional support. Multiple teachers are highlighted for going above and beyond, creating safe and loving environments where children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Parents emphasize they trust the staff completely with their children's development.
1465 E. Madison Avenue, El Cajon, CA · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 82 children
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for providing loving, patient, and attentive care. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers who go above and beyond, making children feel safe, valued, and supported in their development. The facility focuses on independence, manners, and emotional growth while maintaining strong communication with parents.
Based on 29 daycares with Google ratings in El Cajon
Top qualities mentioned across 424 reviews, analyzed by AI
Average ratings by facility type in El Cajon, based on parent reviews
El Cajon zip codes ranked by average daycare rating
| Zip Code | Daycares | Avg. Rating | Top Rated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92021 | 16 | 4.61 | 6 | |
| 92020 | 15 | 4.46 | 5 | |
| 92019 | 23 | 4.37 | 5 |
Capacity distribution of daycares in El Cajon (14–144 children)
Small
up to 30 children
30
Medium
31–75 children
20
Large
76–150 children
7
Very Large
150+ children
0
Highest rated daycares in El Cajon based on parent reviews
1150 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, CA
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice (formerly Dayspring Christian Learning Center) for exceptional staff care, cleanliness, and a nurturing environment where children thrive. The facility features enriching activities, a well-maintained garden with animals, renovated classrooms, and strong parent communication through daily updates. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers by name, noting their warmth, patience, and genuine investment in child development.
1150 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, CA
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice (formerly Dayspring Christian Learning Center) for exceptional staff care, cleanliness, and educational activities. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers by name for their warmth, patience, and genuine love for the children. The facility features hands-on learning opportunities, good communication with parents, and a welcoming environment where children are eager to attend.
315 West Bradley Avenue, El Cajon, CA
Note: The reviews provided are for Foothills Church, not the preschool program. Reviews praise the church's welcoming community, biblical teaching, and youth programs. Parents appreciate the supportive atmosphere and community involvement.
2100 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, CA
These reviews do not pertain to the daycare's services. All reviews discuss Shadow Mountain Community Church's worship services, Pastor David Jeremiah's preaching, and church hospitality rather than the preschool program itself.
2330 Center Place, El Cajon, CA
Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Preschool receives consistently high praise from parents who highlight the warm, caring staff and director Robin's exceptional leadership. Parents report their children thrive academically and emotionally in a bright, well-organized facility with strong community and family support.
455 Church Way, El Cajon, CA
Parents consistently praise Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Preschool as an exceptional facility with warm, caring staff and strong leadership. Multiple families report significant positive experiences across multiple children, with appreciation for the structured learning environment, safe facilities, and sense of community.
There are 52 child daycare & preschools in El Cajon, California, making up 91% of the 57 total childcare facilities in the city. 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 El Cajon have an average rating of 4.46 out of 5 across 29 rated facilities, with 62% scoring 4.5 stars or higher. Church Daycare facilities lead with an average of 4.8 stars. Our analysis covers 424 parent reviews. Parents in El Cajon most frequently praise daycares for warm and caring staff, strong teacher-child relationships, and safe environment.
When choosing a daycare in El Cajon, consider visiting facilities in person, checking their licensing status, and asking about staff-to-child ratios, daily routines, and safety policies.
Showing 52 results
Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Preschool receives consistently high praise from parents who highlight the warm, caring staff and director Robin's exceptional leadership. Parents report their children thrive academically and emotionally in a bright, well-organized facility with strong community and family support.
Parents consistently praise Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Preschool as an exceptional facility with warm, caring staff and strong leadership. Multiple families report significant positive experiences across multiple children, with appreciation for the structured learning environment, safe facilities, and sense of community.
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice (formerly Dayspring Christian Learning Center) for exceptional staff care, cleanliness, and a nurturing environment where children thrive. The facility features enriching activities, a well-maintained garden with animals, renovated classrooms, and strong parent communication through daily updates. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers by name, noting their warmth, patience, and genuine investment in child development.
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice (formerly Dayspring Christian Learning Center) for exceptional staff care, cleanliness, and educational activities. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers by name for their warmth, patience, and genuine love for the children. The facility features hands-on learning opportunities, good communication with parents, and a welcoming environment where children are eager to attend.
Note: The reviews provided are for Foothills Church, not the preschool program. Reviews praise the church's welcoming community, biblical teaching, and youth programs. Parents appreciate the supportive atmosphere and community involvement.
These reviews do not pertain to the daycare's services. All reviews discuss Shadow Mountain Community Church's worship services, Pastor David Jeremiah's preaching, and church hospitality rather than the preschool program itself.
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for providing a loving, safe, and nurturing environment where children thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers who go above and beyond, form strong connections with children, and communicate effectively with parents. Parents express high trust in the facility and staff, with many having children attend for multiple years across different classroom levels.
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for exceptional teacher care and emotional support. Multiple teachers are highlighted for going above and beyond, creating safe and loving environments where children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Parents emphasize they trust the staff completely with their children's development.
Parents consistently praise Children's Choice for providing loving, patient, and attentive care. Multiple reviews highlight specific teachers who go above and beyond, making children feel safe, valued, and supported in their development. The facility focuses on independence, manners, and emotional growth while maintaining strong communication with parents.
Ready Set Grow School Age receives consistently excellent feedback from parents, with all 10 reviews rating the center 5/5 stars. Parents praise the caring, attentive staff, strong parent communication, clean and safe environment, and balanced approach to academics and social-emotional development. Children are reported to be happy, excited to attend, and making measurable progress.
Oak Tree Academy receives mostly positive reviews praising personalized curriculum, caring staff, and reasonable pricing for infant and preschool care. However, two negative reviews cite serious concerns about owner conduct, including alleged verbal abuse, discrimination against families receiving county subsidies, and dismissive attitudes toward parents.
Ready Set Grow Preschool in El Cajon receives unanimous 5-star reviews from parents who praise the warm, caring staff, strong communication, and nurturing environment. Parents consistently report their children are happy, engaged, and thriving academically and socially. The center is noted for its cleanliness, organized structure, convenient amenities, and healthy meal programs.
Ready Set Grow Infant receives consistently excellent reviews with all 5-star ratings. Parents praise the warm, caring staff, strong communication, clean facility, and child development outcomes. Children reportedly enjoy attending and form genuine attachments to teachers and the center.
Oak Tree Academy-Infant receives mostly positive reviews praising personalized curriculum, caring staff, and reasonable pricing for infant and preschool care. However, two recent reviews describe serious concerns about the owner's unprofessional conduct, including verbal abuse and discriminatory treatment toward families receiving county childcare subsidies.
The reviews provided are for Cuyamaca College, a community college, not for Cuyamaca Child Development Center, a daycare. No actual daycare reviews are present in the data submitted.
Parents consistently praise the Cajon Valley Union School District's state-funded preschool program for its respectful, friendly staff and clean facilities. Reviewers highlight strong STEAM curriculum integration, excellent special education services, diverse learning opportunities, and robust parent communication tools. The program is described as well-organized and helpful.
Pepper Valley Learning Center receives overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents, with staff consistently praised for being caring, patient, and dedicated to child development. Parents report their children are happy, safe, and making strong academic and social progress. One parent raised concerns about supervision and staff defensiveness when issues were raised.
Pepper Valley Learning Center receives overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents, with 9 out of 10 recent reviews rating it 5/5 stars. Parents consistently praise the caring, patient, and dedicated staff, strong curriculum, and nurturing environment where children feel safe and excited to learn. One parent raised concerns about supervision adequacy and staff defensiveness when the issue was addressed.
Holy Trinity Early Childhood Development Center in El Cajon receives mostly positive reviews praising the caring staff and welcoming environment, though one parent reported a negative experience with teacher professionalism regarding behavior management. Most reviewers highlight Director Debbie's leadership, clean facilities, secure outdoor play areas, and faith-based curriculum that prepares children for kindergarten.
Multiple parents highlight the facility's friendly and responsive staff, noting their son's happiness and significant learning improvements within a short timeframe. However, one review explicitly describes the staff as unprofessional, contrasting with the positive experiences reported by others.
Parents highlight the school's small size and loving staff as key strengths, noting that the environment successfully builds confidence in shy children through daily outdoor time and screen-free activities. The few reviews available suggest a highly positive experience with no reported complaints.
Some parents highlight the friendly, responsive staff and their genuine care for children, noting significant improvements in learning and happiness. Conversely, a single review criticizes the center for being unprofessional.
Parents consistently praise Grossmont High School's supporting and caring teachers and staff, with multiple mentions of exceptional customer service. The facility offers good academic opportunities, activities, and sports programs with convenient access and parking. However, some parents note that a few staff members can be rude and facilities like bathrooms and drinking fountains need improvement.
NEXT GENERATION EDUCATIONAL CENTER receives mixed reviews with stark contrasts. Positive reviews praise the childcare experience and specific staff members. However, negative reviews from former staff and observers cite toxic work environment, micromanagement by owner, inadequate curriculum and materials, high staff turnover, and concerning teacher conduct toward children.
NEXT GENERATION EDUCATIONAL CENTER receives mixed reviews with stark contrasts. While some parents praise the care and staff like Ms. Sarah, multiple reviews from former employees and observers describe serious concerns about management practices, staff treatment, and classroom conduct.
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