California childcare inspection records

This is a Census estimate, not an exact count. The Census reports a 90% margin of error of about 792 children in either direction.

This count includes California daycare providers listed as active, excluding programs identified as serving only school-age children.

This compares the number of included daycare providers with the estimated number of children under 5. It counts providers—not classrooms, openings, or available spots. Based on the Census margin of error, the 90% estimate range is 12.26 to 12.27 providers per 1,000 children.

This is the share of children under 6 living with parent(s) who are all working or looking for work. The Census uses a narrower family-based definition here than it uses for the under-5 population estimate, so the two numbers should not be compared directly. This provides context, but it does not tell us how many families actually use or are looking for paid childcare. The Census reports a 90% margin of error of about 0.5 percentage points in either direction.