Downtown Children's Center
Downtown Children's Center is a licensed child care center in Santa Cruz, CA, licensed for up to 30 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 2009. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times. The state issued 2 citations, none of them Type A. None of them came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #17 of 34 centers in Santa Cruz and has more citations per inspection than 54% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on record review, the director did not comply with the section cited above as Staff 1 and Staff 2 do not have immunizations on file which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on record review, the Director did not comply with the section cited above as Staff 2 does not have a current TB test on file which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
About this center
Other licenses at this address
Common questions
Does Downtown Children's Center take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children. An infant center is licensed separately at the same address (listed below).
Has Downtown Children's Center had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 2 Type B citations, listed above.
How does Downtown Children's Center compare with other daycares in Santa Cruz?
It is tied for #17 of 34 centers in Santa Cruz by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 54% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Downtown Children's Center last inspected?
Jun 15, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Downtown Children's Center cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Downtown Children's Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Santa Cruz County, which includes Santa Cruz, was $1,183 a month for preschoolers (about $1,490 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Downtown Children's Center?
The licensee is Walnut Avenue Women's Center, and the administrator listed with the state is Debbie Banuelos.
Licensed centers nearby
120 Weeks Ave, Santa Cruz · under 0.1 mi away · 12 spots About typical Calvary Preschool
532 Center St, Santa Cruz · 0.4 mi away · 24 spots About typical Bayview Ckc
1231 Bay St, Santa Cruz · 0.4 mi away · 65 spots Too few inspections to compare Acr Academy
327 Church St, Santa Cruz · 0.4 mi away · 22 spots About typical Acr Academy
327 Church St, Santa Cruz · 0.4 mi away · 52 spots No citations Community Bridges Eed Sycamore Street Center
121 Sycamore St, Santa Cruz · 0.5 mi away · 32 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 444410836 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.