Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary
Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary is a licensed child care center in Santa Ynez, CA, licensed for up to 30 children and serving school-age children. It has held its California license since 1994. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times. The state issued 2 citations, 1 of them Type A (the most serious). None of them came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #109 of 131 centers in Santa Barbara County and has more citations per inspection than 70% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
Based on interview with Excutive Director Kathryn Thompson and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above, which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Based on LPA's observation during the inspection tour and director self-reporting the incident, Child #1 and Child #2 were left unsupervised. This is an immediate risk to the health and safety of the children in the facility.
About this center
Common questions
Does Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary take infants?
Not under this license, which covers school-age children.
Has Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary had any serious violations?
California issued 1 Type A citation since 2021, its most serious category. The most recent was on Nov 28, 2022, for care and supervision. Each citation is listed in full above.
How does Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary compare with other daycares in Santa Barbara County?
It is tied for #109 of 131 centers in Santa Barbara County by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 70% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary last inspected?
Sep 1, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Santa Barbara County, which includes Santa Ynez, was $861 a month for school-age children (about $1,090 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs Santa Ynez Branch - Santa Ynez Elementary?
The licensee is Channel Islands YMCA, and the administrator listed with the state is Jennifer Heinen-stiffler.
Licensed centers nearby
3525 Pine, Santa Ynez · 0.4 mi away · 25 spots More citations than most Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Pre-school
1825 Alamo Pintado, Solvang · 2.1 mi away · 114 spots No citations Bethania Pre-school
611 Atterdag Road, Solvang · 3.2 mi away · 40 spots About typical Bethania Pre-school
611 Atterdag Road, Solvang · 3.2 mi away · 46 spots About typical Stuart C.gildred-los Olivos Elementary Enrichment
2540 Alamo Pintado Avenue, Los Olivos · 3.7 mi away · 30 spots About typical St. Marks in the Valley Espiscopal Church Pre-sch
2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos · 3.9 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 421710981 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.