Kindercare Learning Center
Kindercare Learning Center is a licensed child care center in Laguna Niguel, CA, licensed for up to 36 children and serving infants and toddlers. It has held its California license since 2000. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 4 times and investigated 9 complaints, 5 of them substantiated. The state issued 19 citations, 5 of them Type A (the most serious), most often for caregiver conduct (3 of 19). 8 citations came in the last 12 months, including 3 Type A. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is #25 of 25 centers in Laguna Niguel and better than 2% of licensed centers statewide.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
a complaint report, interviewing 5 staff, 1 Director will discuss the issue with the staff. A review of discussion with the staff regarding personal rights of children will be sent to our office by the due date of 7/1/2026. Staffs' signatures acknowledging the personal rights of children and importance of keeping children safe will be sent to our office and admitting the involved staff in the biting incidents that they could not prevent C1 of getting hurt, and reviewing incident reports of C1 getting hurt in 3 incidents within a week. This is an immediate risk to the health, safety, and personal rights of children in care. by the due date of 7/1/2026. The director will also include a statement that what steps shall be taken to prevent these incidents of happening for the future as much as they can.
a complaint report, interviewing 5 staff, 1 Director will discuss the issue with the staff. A review of discussion with the staff regarding personal rights of children will be sent to our office by the due date of 7/1/2026. Staffs' signatures acknowledging the personal rights of children and importance of keeping children safe will be sent to our office and admitting the involved staff in the biting incidents that they could not prevent C1 of getting hurt, and reviewing incident reports of C1 getting hurt in 3 incidents within a week. This is a potential risk to the health, safety, and personal rights of children in care. by the due date of 7/1/2026. The director will also include a statement that what steps shall be taken to prevent these incidents of happening for the future as much as they can.
Based on a complaint report, and interviews with 10 staff, and reporting of S1, S2, S3, S4, and S10 that S1 has appeared to be under the influence of drug while arrived at work. This is a potential risk to the health and safety of the children in care. 8 Director will submit agenda and staff signatures acknowledging completing the training by the due date of 3/27/2026.
Director will discuss the issue with the staff. A review of supervision discussion with the staff will be sent to our office by the due date. The training shall contain supervision of infants and toddlers. Supervision shall include visual observation. The statement with the self reported incident, and today's interview with 3 staff that 16 months old toddler (C1) was left unattended outside the toddler classroom unsupervised for couple of minutes without staffs' acknowledgement. This is an immediate risk to the health and safety of children in care. 8 staffs' signatures acknowledging the importance of supervision and conducting accurate name to face procedure will be sent to our office by the due date of 3/3/2026.
The assistant director agreed to send a statement with the new staff’s scheduling to show that the infant/toddler classrooms are staying in ratio at all times. The proof of correction will be sent to LPA's email address by the due date of 1/30/2026. Staff interviews admission of S3, S4, S6, S9, S10, and RP2 and reviewing CSR showing the infant/toddler program has been out of ratio on different days from approximately one minute to 10 minutes. This is an immediate risk to the health and safety of children in care.
a complaint report, and 1 The assistant director agreed to send a statement that a training with staff will be conducted acknowledging of this section of the regulation. The proof of correction will be sent to LPA's email address by the due date of 2/4/2026. 3 staff (S5, S6, S7) that confirms bottle of children were not returned to the child's representative at the end of the day on few occasions. This is a potential risk to the health and safety of children in care.
a complaint report, 4 staffs' admission (S3, S4, S5, S6) that and LPA's observation of the thermostat today, today at 8:00am showing 66 degree This is a potential risk to the health and safety of children in care.
LPA's observation and staffs' interviews today that the change of the center director was not reported to the office. The former director left 12/5/2025. This is a potential risk to the health and safety of children in care.
Based on observation, and record review], the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in one count out of 6 reviewed files, Staff # 5 was missing the infant/toddler course which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care. LPA observed S5 and S6 were supervising 6 infants in infant room without staff having infant/toddler required units. S5 was a qualified preschool teacher.
The director agreed to purchase a portable crib to keep in the office to isolate the sick children when needed. The plan of correction will be sent to our office by the due date of 3/9/2025 interviewing 9 staff during a complaint investigation. 8 staff confirmed that facility calls the parents to pick up sick child. However, the sick children from infant/toddler program are kept in the room until they are picked up. This is a potential risk to the health and safety of children in care.
S1's admission that a 16 months old child fell on the floor from the diaper changing 1 The director agreed to review the process of changing diapers on the changing table in a safe way with staff. A review of discussion and understanding the process with the staff will be conducted. table while child standing to pull the pants up. Child slipped on the disposable paper on the diaper changing table while grabbling to S1's shoulder. S1 failed to catch the child to prevent the chilld of fallling. This is an immeiddiate risk to the health and stafety and personal rights of children in care. 8 The statement with the staffs' signatures acknowledging the importance of a safe procedure for changing diaper on the changing table will be sent to our office by the due date of 10/1/2024.
facility's self report, and LPA's interviews with 3 staff stating during 1 The director will have a meeting with staff about transitioning children safely and practical communications. A copy of the minute and staff signatures acknowledging the importance of supervision of children at all times will be emailed to LPA's email address by the due date of 7/12/2024 transition time from playground to classroom, 23 months old child refused to come in. Staff # 1 was with the child. Staff # 1 decided to go back in the classroom to get help and left the child unattended for 30 seconds or a minute to get help. This poses a potential risk to the health and safety of children in care.
today's observation, staffs' interviews, 1 The director agreed to send a statement with the new staffs’ scheduling to show that the infant/toddler classroom are staying in ratio at all times. The proof of correction will be sent to LPA's email address by the due date of 5/29/2024. and reviewing CSR for Friday that there were 11 toddlers with 2 staff from 8:48 to 9:01 and today 9 toddlers with 2 staff from 8:10 to 8:20 am for 10 minutes until 3rd staff arrived. This is an immediate risk to the health and safety of children in care.
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in one count out of one count missing fire drill with children within 6 months which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care. The facility did not do fire drill with children and there was no documentation on a log.
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 5 counts out of 5 counts missing logging every 15 minutes check on napping children under 24 months old which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care. Child # 1, 2,3, 4, and 5 did not have the log.
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 3 counts out of 7 counts missing immunizations of MMR, and Dtap for staff # 3, 4, and 5 which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care.
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 2 counts out of 7 counts missing Mandated Reporter Training Certificate for staff # 3, and 4 which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care.
Based on interview and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 3 counts out of 5 counts missing Infant Sleeping Plan (LIC 9227) for child # 3, 4, and 5 which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care.
Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in 3 counts out of 3 counts missing labels and today's date on 3 infants' bottles which poses a potential health, and safety risk to persons in care.
Complaint investigations
Staff did not prevent a daycare child from causing harm to another daycare child.
Staff did not prevent a daycare child from causing harm to another daycare child.
Teacher appears to be high and disoriented while caring for children.
Staff are operating out of ratio
Facility staff are operating out of ratio
About this center
Other licenses at this address
Common questions
Does Kindercare Learning Center take infants?
Yes. It is licensed by California as an infant center.
Has Kindercare Learning Center had any serious violations?
California issued 5 Type A citations since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Jun 30, 2026, for personal rights. Each citation is listed in full above.
Have there been complaints about Kindercare Learning Center?
California investigated 9 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 5. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does Kindercare Learning Center compare with other daycares in Laguna Niguel?
It is #25 of 25 centers in Laguna Niguel by weighted citations per inspection, and is better than 2% of licensed centers statewide (out of 10,948 California centers with enough inspection history).
When was Kindercare Learning Center last inspected?
Apr 28, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Kindercare Learning Center cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Kindercare Learning Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Orange County, which includes Laguna Niguel, was $1,584 a month for infants (about $2,000 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Kindercare Learning Center?
The licensee is Kindercare Learning Center LLC, and the administrator listed with the state is Sara Ortiz.
Licensed centers nearby
25189 Beacon Hill Way, Laguna Niguel · under 0.1 mi away · 96 spotsAmong the most citedKindercare Learning Center
25189 Beacon Hill Way, Laguna Niguel · under 0.1 mi away · 28 spotsAbout typicalSouth Coast YMCA-george White Elementary School
25422 Chapparosa Park Dr., Laguna Niguel · 0.7 mi away · 90 spotsNo citationsSt. Anne Early Child Development Center
32451 Bear Brand Rd, Laguna Niguel · 0.9 mi away · 160 spotsNo citationsPacific Preschool
31341 Niguel Road, Suite H, Laguna Niguel · 1.0 mi away · 115 spotsAbout typicalEvelyne Lobo Villegas Early Head Start
32204 Del Obispo Street, San Juan Capistrano · 1.1 mi away · 8 spotsAbout typical
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 304270686 on the California Care Facility Search. Data refreshed Oct 2, 2026.