St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center · Preschool, Santa Barbara
St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center is a licensed child care center in Santa Barbara, CA, licensed for up to 74 children and serving preschool-age children. It has held its California license since 1999. Since February 2021, state licensing staff have inspected it 3 times and investigated 8 complaints, 3 of them substantiated. The state issued 5 citations, none of them Type A, most often for supervision (3 of 5). 1 citation came in the last 12 months. Measured by weighted citations per inspection, it is tied for #42 of 48 centers in Santa Barbara and has more citations per inspection than 76% of California licensed centers.
Inspection record
Every state visit
What inspectors cited most
Citations, newest first
(a) The licensee shall provide care and supervision as necessary to meet the children's needs.(1)No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time, ... On 4/27/2027 the rainbow fish classroom will no longer be utilized by the CCC. A new blue dolphin classroom and the current sea turtles classroom will be utilized for the preschool children. Based on observations and self reported incidents, it was discovered on 3/26/26, C2 was left unattended, in rainbow fish classroom, without care and supervision for approximately 5 minutes during a fire drill. 8 Administrator will email Licensing to confirm the aforementioned change is in effect.
Based on interviews, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as staff engaged in an inappropriate altercation in the presence of day care children, which poses a potential health, safety, and personal rights risk to children in care.
Based on interviews conducted, Licensee did not comply with the deficiency cited above which poses a potential risk to the health, safety, and or personal rights of children in care.
The licensee shall provide care and supervision as necessary to meet the children's needs.(1) No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time, except as specified in Sections 101216.2(e)(1) and 101230(c)(1). Supervision shall include visual observation. 1 Site Supervisor and staff memebers will watch a training video titled "care and supervision" on the departments website. Site supevisor wil email a statement confirming all staff members have watched the training video. Based on interviewes and documents collected the abovementioned regulation was not met on 4/7/2025, when C1 was left outside in the playground without the care and supervsion of a teacher/staffmember. 8 Also sitesupervsior will email copys of electronic messages pertaining to C1's 4/7/2025.
No children shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time... 1 Preschool staff are to be re-trained in supervising children in care. All preschool staff are to access CCLD training video "Supervising Children in Child Care" at ccld.childcarevideos.org, and director to provide roster of attendance upon completion to LPA at: maryrose.breault@dss.ca.gov To be completed November 22, 2022. This evidence is met by: Assistant director indicated visual observation was not met by either teachers present. 8
Complaint investigations
Staff engaged in an inappropriate altercation in the presence of day care children.
Staff mishandled day-care child.
Staff left day care child unattended behind a locked gate
How often are complaints about daycares in California substantiated? See the county-by-county report →
About this center
Other licenses at this address
Common questions
Does St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education 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 St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center had any serious violations?
No Type A citations since 2021. It has 5 Type B citations, listed above.
Have there been complaints about St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center?
California investigated 8 complaints since 2021 and substantiated 3. Allegations are shown only for substantiated complaints.
How does St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center compare with other daycares in Santa Barbara?
It is tied for #42 of 48 centers in Santa Barbara by weighted citations per inspection, and has more citations per inspection than 76% of California licensed centers with enough inspection history to compare.
When was St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center last inspected?
Apr 2, 2026. No citations were issued during that visit.
How much does St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center cost?
California does not publish individual centers’ prices, so ask St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center for its current tuition. For comparison, the median full-time price at licensed centers in Santa Barbara County, which includes Santa Barbara, was $1,099 a month for preschoolers (about $1,390 today) in the state’s 2021 Regional Market Rate Survey.
Who runs St. Vincent's Early Childhood Education Center?
The licensee is St Vincent's Institution, and the administrator listed with the state is Maite Estrada.
Licensed centers nearby
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4485 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara · 0.8 mi away · 45 spots Too few inspections to compare
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 426206807 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.