Daycare in San Diego CA

Many of San Diego's highest-rated daycares are small family child care homes rather than large centers, and parents often rave about them. This guide ranks the highest-rated daycares and preschools in San Diego using the parent reviews on each listing, with hours and review counts so you can build a shortlist quickly.

California has some of the highest child care prices in the country and infant spots fill fast, so it is worth contacting your top choices early. The full directory of San Diego daycares sits below the rankings.

How we rank

We start from the Google parent reviews on every San Diego listing in our directory. Each center is scored on both its average rating and how many reviews stand behind it, so a 4.9 across 60 reviews outranks a 5.0 from two or three parents. Centers that are closed or unpublished are left out. Nobody pays to be ranked.

Last updated October 16, 2026.

Top 10 daycares in San Diego

1. Butterfly Home Daycare: 5.0 stars (33 reviews), open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. A home daycare rated 5.0 across 33 reviews, where parents say children are treated like family.
2. Happy Snowman Childcare: 5.0 stars (25 reviews), open 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM. A perfect rating across 25 reviews and one of the earliest openings in the city at 6:00 AM.
3. Moonlight Daycare: 5.0 stars (24 reviews), open 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM. A family child care home with low caregiver turnover, rated 5.0 across 24 reviews.
4. Elmira's Daycare: 5.0 stars (23 reviews), open 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Rated 5.0 across 23 reviews, with a bilingual English and Russian program and holiday performances.
5. Montessori Home Care: 5.0 stars (23 reviews), open 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM. A small Montessori-style home program rated 5.0 across 23 reviews.
6. Little Lamb Land Christian Preschool: 4.9 stars (66 reviews), open 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM. A Christian preschool rated 4.9 across 66 reviews, among the most-reviewed in San Diego.
7. San Diego Brighter Day Care: 4.9 stars (64 reviews), open 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM. Rated 4.9 across 64 reviews. Parents credit the owner's personal connection with every family.
8. Cuties Learn-N-Play Family Childcare: 5.0 stars (22 reviews), open 6:30 AM – 5:30 PM. A family child care home rated 5.0 across 22 reviews, known for detailed communication with parents.
9. Healthy Toddlers Care: 5.0 stars (21 reviews), open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. An outdoor-focused program that spends much of the day outside, rated 5.0 across 21 reviews.
10. Fleur De Lis School: 5.0 stars (18 reviews), open 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM. A close-knit school with personal attention for each child, rated 5.0 across 18 reviews.

Also worth a look: The New Haven pairs daycare with an on-site coworking space for remote-working parents (5.0, 17 reviews), and Scripps Exploring Academy opens at 6:30 AM (5.0, 14 reviews).

San Diego daycare FAQ

How much does daycare cost in San Diego?

Child Care Aware of America puts the average California price for full-time infant care in a center at about $22,600 a year (roughly $1,890 a month, 2024 data), one of the highest in the country. Family child care homes are often less expensive than centers. Always confirm current tuition, fees and waitlist policies with each provider.

What hours do San Diego daycares keep?

Most San Diego providers run roughly 7:00 or 8:00 AM to 5:00 or 6:00 PM. Happy Snowman Childcare opens at 6:00 AM and Little Lamb Land at 6:30 AM, while many family child care homes close by 5:00 or 5:30 PM. Each listing on this page shows that provider's hours.

How do I check whether a San Diego daycare is licensed?

Child care in California is licensed by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. Its Child Care Facility Search shows license status, inspection reports and any citations. Small family child care homes may only be searchable by license number, so ask the provider for theirs.

What is a family child care home?

A family child care home is a licensed daycare run in the provider's own home, with a small, mixed-age group. California licenses them as small or large depending on how many children they care for. Many of San Diego's top-rated providers, including Butterfly Home Daycare and Moonlight Daycare, are family child care homes.

How were these rankings decided?

We score every San Diego listing on its average parent rating and the number of reviews behind that rating, and leave out centers that are closed or unpublished. No provider pays to be included or ranked.