Awards Earned

Top 3 in El Cajon

Ranked among the top 3 childcare centers in El Cajon across all 11 quality dimensions — placing this center in the very top tier of local options.

Most Compassionate

Earned the highest compassion score in El Cajon. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.

Best Management

Earned the highest management score in El Cajon. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.

Best Culture

Earned the highest culture score in El Cajon. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door.

Best Extracurriculars

Earned the highest extracurricular score in El Cajon. This dimension covers enrichment programs — languages, STEM, yoga, cooking, field trips, and other activities beyond the core curriculum.

Full Ranking Detail

childcarepreschoolkinder

Children's Choice Preschool on Madison Avenue in El Cajon is a CCLD-licensed preschool serving ages 2 through 5, with extended hours from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM and an active subsidy program. The center has earned local recognition as El Cajon's and Santee's Best Choice in Childcare, backed by a strong 4.6/5 parent satisfaction rating across brand locations. It employs Zoo-Phonics curriculum aligned to Common Core standards, the Incredible Years program for social-emotional development, and includes breakfast, lunch, and two snacks daily as part of its nutrition program. With consistent teacher-child relationships described as familial and 90 minutes of daily outdoor play, it offers a full-service option for working families; however, it does not serve infants, making it suitable only for families with children age 2 and above.

Safety5.0

Curriculum7.0

Art / Music5.0

Kindergarten readiness7.0

Teacher quality7.0

Compassion7.0

Management7.0

Culture7.0

Extracurriculars6.0

Programs & curriculum

Programs & activities: Serves infants (6 weeks-18 months), toddlers, preschool, free preschool, Pre-K, Advanced Kinder Readiness, and school age (5-16 years). Children spend up to 90 minutes daily on the playground for outdoor play and gross motor development.

What sets it apart: Open 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. License #376600965966967. CPR-certified teachers, cameras and a fenced-in yard for security. Professional nightly deep cleaning and daily surface sanitation. Free adjacent parking between Main St. and N. 3rd St.

Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge

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Top 3 in El Cajon

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/san-diego/el-cajon/children-s-choice-preschool-madison-ave/" 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;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-3-city.jpg" alt="Top 3 in El Cajon - Children's Choice Preschool (Madison Ave) - El Cajon, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Top 3 in El Cajon Ranked among the top 3 childcare centers in El Cajon across all 11 quality dimensions — placing this center in the very top tier of local options. </a>

Most Compassionate

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/san-diego/el-cajon/children-s-choice-preschool-madison-ave/" 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;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg" alt="Most Compassionate - Children's Choice Preschool (Madison Ave) - El Cajon, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Most Compassionate Earned the highest compassion score in El Cajon. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center. </a>

Best Management

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/san-diego/el-cajon/children-s-choice-preschool-madison-ave/" 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;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-mgmt.jpg" alt="Best Management - Children's Choice Preschool (Madison Ave) - El Cajon, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Best Management Earned the highest management score in El Cajon. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership. </a>

Best Culture

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/san-diego/el-cajon/children-s-choice-preschool-madison-ave/" 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;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-culture.jpg" alt="Best Culture - Children's Choice Preschool (Madison Ave) - El Cajon, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Best Culture Earned the highest culture score in El Cajon. This dimension captures a sense of community, inclusivity, staff morale, and the feeling families describe when they walk through the door. </a>

Best Extracurriculars

<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/san-diego/el-cajon/children-s-choice-preschool-madison-ave/" 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;"> <img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-extra.jpg" alt="Best Extracurriculars - Children's Choice Preschool (Madison Ave) - El Cajon, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy"> Best Extracurriculars Earned the highest extracurricular score in El Cajon. This dimension covers enrichment programs — languages, STEM, yoga, cooking, field trips, and other activities beyond the core curriculum. </a>

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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.

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