Dow's Prairie Children's Center
Dow's Prairie Children's Center is a licensed child care center in McKinleyville, CA, licensed for up to 25 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2005. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times. No visit in that period produced a citation, which puts it among the 34% of ranked California centers with no citations. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #1 of 6 centers in McKinleyville and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
Inspection record
Every state visit
Citations, newest first
About this center
Common questions
Does Dow's Prairie Children's Center take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Dow's Prairie Children's Center had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021.
How does Dow's Prairie Children's Center compare with other daycares in McKinleyville?
It is tied for #1 of 6 centers in McKinleyville by weighted citations per inspection, and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
When was Dow's Prairie Children's Center last inspected?
Apr 8, 2025. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Dow's Prairie Children's Center cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Dow's Prairie Children's Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Humboldt County, which includes McKinleyville, was $798 a month for preschoolers (about $1,010 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Dow's Prairie Children's Center?
The licensee is Gaye L. Cox, and the administrator listed with the state is Gaye L. Cox.
Licensed centers nearby
1547 A Pickett Road, McKinleyville · 2.3 mi away · 45 spots No citations Lil Fisher Learning Center
1547 A Pickett Road, McKinleyville · 2.3 mi away · 14 spots No citations Sprouting Scholars Academy
1621 Gwin Road, McKinleyville · 2.4 mi away · 30 spots No citations Head Start - McKinleyville
1460 Hiller Road, McKinleyville · 2.5 mi away · 55 spots About typical Turner's Learning Center
1667 Bella Vista Drive, McKinleyville · 3.5 mi away · 18 spots No citations Head Start - Children of the Redwoods
75 Frank Martin Court, Arcata · 5.3 mi away · 24 spots No citations
Citations are quoted from California Department of Social Services inspection and complaint reports. Type A citations are the state’s most serious category (an immediate risk to children’s health, safety or personal rights); Type B citations are a potential risk. A citation is a finding about one rule, not a judgment about a center overall. Complaint allegations appear here only when the state substantiated them.
To read the full state reports, search facility number 123005460 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 3, 2026.
Comparing centers? See how to choose a daycare: 30 questions to ask and a printable checklist.