Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care
Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care is a licensed child care center in Santa Cruz, CA, licensed for up to 24 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 1994. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it twice. 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 34 centers in Santa Cruz and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
Inspection record
Every state visit
Citations, newest first
About this center
Common questions
Does Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care take infants?
Not under this license, which covers preschool-age children.
Has Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021.
How does Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care compare with other daycares in Santa Cruz?
It is tied for #1 of 34 centers in Santa Cruz by weighted citations per inspection, and is tied for the best record statewide (no citations).
When was Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care last inspected?
Mar 2, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care 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 Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Day Care?
The licensee is Messiah Lutheran Church, and the administrator listed with the state is Gretchen Thigpen.
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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 440702994 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.