Edition 2026-Q2
Childcare safety & supply in California
California has 28,109 licensed childcare facilities with 974,880 licensed slots — 46.7 for every 100 children under five. State inspectors have recorded 9.6 high-severity findings per 100 facilities, and 92.6% of facilities carry none at all.
California vs. the national picture
| Measure | California | National |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed slots per 100 children under 5 | 46.7 | 63.4 |
| Mean facility safety rating | 4.52 / 5 | 4.03 / 5 |
| Facilities with no high-severity findings | 92.6% | 79.7% |
| High-severity findings per 100 facilities | 9.6 | 107.8 |
| Median facility size (licensed capacity) | 14 | 30 |
| Median years in operation | 13.1 | 4.3 |
Use this data
Free to republish and cite with attribution. The full national dataset is available as a CSV download, and we prepare custom extracts — county level, care type, longer time series — for journalists and researchers on request.
DaycareAlert Childcare Safety & Supply Index, 2026-Q2: California. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21545571Look up an individual California facility
These are state-level aggregates. To see one daycare's actual inspection history and safety rating, browse California by city or search by name, city, or ZIP. Our guide to reading inspection reports explains what the findings mean.
Methodology and caveats on cross-state comparison are published on the main index page. Edition generated 2026-07-25.