Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Laguna Beach. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Laguna Beach. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Best Culture
Earned the highest culture score in Laguna Beach. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarenonprofitkinder
Even Start Preschool — Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach is a DCF-licensed center based at 1085 Laguna Canyon Rd in Laguna Beach, serving preschool-age children ages 3–5 with a Transitional Kindergarten program. Established in 2001 under CCLD license 304270768, the center serves as a stable community institution backed by the nationally recognized Boys & Girls Club nonprofit. It offers free tuition for qualifying low-income families—a uniquely accessible option in the high-cost Laguna Beach market—and includes breakfast and lunch with enrollment. The program emphasizes learning-through-play combined with kindergarten-readiness instruction in language arts, math, and science, with staff trained in Early Childhood Education and Child Development. The morning-only hours (8:00 am–12:30 pm, with optional extension to 3:30 pm) and income-eligibility requirements limit its utility for full-time working parents, and the absence of public parent reviews prevents independent verification of the parent experience.
Safety6.0
Curriculum6.0
Art / Music5.0
Infant care3.0
Kindergarten readiness6.0
Teacher quality6.0
Compassion7.0
Management6.0
Culture7.0
Extracurriculars5.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Learning-through-play approach combined with educational instruction; staff have backgrounds in Early Childhood Education and Child Development. Emphasis on development in language arts, math, and science.
Programs & activities: Full-day preschool with optional extended care, Transitional Kindergarten (TK) after-school program with school transportation, and Kinder Buddies after-school program.
What sets it apart: Breakfast and lunch included with preschool tuition; preschool hours Mon-Fri 8 AM-12:30 PM (extended to 3:30 PM); low staff-to-student ratio in TK; financial assistance for qualifying families; eligibility ages 4-5, enrolled in school and potty-trained; preschool tuition $225/week.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Top 10 in Laguna Beach
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<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 10 in Laguna Beach</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Laguna Beach. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.</span>
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Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Even Start Preschool — Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/orange-county/laguna-beach/even-start-preschool-boys-girls-club-of-laguna-beach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best for Safety</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest safety score in Laguna Beach. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Culture
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Even Start Preschool — Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/orange-county/laguna-beach/even-start-preschool-boys-girls-club-of-laguna-beach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
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<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Culture</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest culture score in Laguna Beach. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.</span>
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This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
