Schools, Preschools, and Daycare in the San Lorenzo Valley

The short version

• Public school runs through one district, San Lorenzo Valley Unified, covering transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. You enroll by calling the registrar at your assigned school, not through an online portal.
• In Boulder Creek: Seeds of Knowledge for preschool, Little People's School for infants and toddlers, and Adina's and Busy Bees as home-based options.
• Licensed family daycares (home-based, so you call to arrange a visit) include Adina's and Busy Bees in Boulder Creek, and Osito's in Ben Lomond.
• One licensed childcare center, Highlands Park Early Education Center in Ben Lomond, also runs a state preschool program for income-eligible families.
• Recreation preschool programs like BCRPD's Enchanted Little Forest Friends and the county's Kreative Kids are partial-day enrichment, not a substitute for full-day daycare.
• Not sure where to start, or watching the budget? Call the county Child Development Resource Center at 831-466-5820 for free referrals to programs with current openings.

Ask three valley parents where their kid goes and you'll get three different kinds of answers, all of them correct. There isn't one system here, there are four. Public school runs through a single district, and everything before kindergarten splits into licensed preschools, licensed family daycares, one licensed childcare center, and a handful of recreation programs that don't carry a childcare license at all. They're licensed differently and they run different hours, and knowing which is which saves a lot of confused phone calls. Openings change constantly, so treat each link and phone number below as the source of truth, and never assume a spot is open without calling.

One rule we hold to throughout: for the home-based family daycares, we list the community and phone number only, never a home address. That's a privacy line we don't cross, and the phone call is how you'd arrange a visit anyway.

Public school: SLVUSD

Boulder Creek and the rest of the valley are served by the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, which runs transitional kindergarten through 12th grade out of its offices at 325 Marion Avenue in Ben Lomond (831-336-5194). The in-town elementary campus is Boulder Creek Elementary at 400 Lomond Street, a short walk from downtown. Older students head to the district's middle and high school campuses in Felton. For the full, current roster of school sites and attendance areas, the district office is the place to confirm.

Enrollment starts with a phone call, not an online portal. Contact the registrar at your assigned school first; once pre-enrollment is set up, the registrar emails you instructions to finish registering online.

For the 2026-27 year, kindergartners need to turn five on or before September 1, and TK students need their fourth birthday before that date. Have proof of age, immunization records, proof of address, and an oral health assessment for the youngest grades ready. Our family resources guide covers the wider picture: library programs, the seasonal pool, camps.

Tier one: licensed preschools and early-childhood centres

These are state-licensed programs run out of a facility rather than a home, built around early learning and usually on a school-day schedule. Two operate in Boulder Creek, and they cover different ages: one takes the classic preschool range of roughly 2 to 5, the other now takes infants and toddlers.

Seeds of Knowledge Preschool at 16900 Highway 9 runs a licensed weekday program, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a hands-on, child-centered, play-based approach, and welcomes visits from prospective families.

Little People's School at 13155 Oak Street (831-566-4236) has cared for young children in town for years and now focuses on infants and toddlers, roughly babies up to age three. It is open and taking inquiries. Ages served have changed over the years, so confirm the current range and openings when you call.

Tier two: licensed family daycares

A family child care home is a state-licensed program run out of the provider's own house, which usually means smaller groups, mixed ages, and hours that stretch further than a school-day preschool.

In Boulder Creek, Adina's Daycare (831-338-3873) has operated as a licensed family child care home since 1991, serving infants through preschool age on weekdays. Busy Bees Playschool, founded by Michelle Hamblin Mathews, runs a play-based licensed family child care home in Boulder Creek and recently opened a second, larger location: Busy Bees Playschool Two, a licensed childcare center at 7985 B Highway 9 in Ben Lomond for ages 2 to 6.

Down the valley in Ben Lomond, one more home-based daycare serves San Lorenzo Valley families. Licences are issued to individuals and change, so check it against the state's Community Care Licensing facility search before you enroll. Osito's Day Care (831-336-8486), run by Jesucita Licona, is a bilingual English-and-Spanish home with a Montessori-influenced approach for children from about 12 months through preschool age, open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For all three, call to arrange a visit; the addresses stay unpublished.

Tier three: the licensed center

The valley's licensed childcare center sits in the redwoods beside the San Lorenzo River. The Highlands Park Early Education Center at 8500 Highway 9 in Ben Lomond (831-400-1170) is a Community Bridges program, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering infant, toddler, and preschool care. It also runs the California State Preschool Program for income-eligible families. A center like this is licensed and staffed differently than a home daycare, and its state-preschool slots are a real resource for families who qualify.

Tier four: license-exempt recreation programs

The last category trips people up. Some preschool-age programs are run by parks and recreation agencies as enrichment rather than licensed childcare, which means no state childcare license is required, and the schedules tend to be partial-day and part-week. Good for socialization and routine. Not a full day of daycare.

Two are verified nearby. Enchanted Little Forest Friends, the Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District's outdoor program for ages 3 to 7, runs Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the district posts current fees and registration on its kids classes page. Kreative Kids Preschool, run by Santa Cruz County Parks, meets Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Wilder Hall in Ben Lomond Park for ages 3 to 6, with art, music, nature crafts, and monthly field trips.

The rec district also runs other seasonal preschool-age recreation programs, so check the BCRPD kids-classes page for the current lineup.

When you're not sure who to call

Weighing options, or working out what you can afford? Start with the county's Child Development Resource Center at 400 Encinal Street in Santa Cruz (831-466-5820), open weekdays 8 to 5. Its specialists give free referrals to licensed centers and licensed family child care homes anywhere in the county, and they can walk you through subsidized programs and preschool options. It's the fastest way to find current openings without cold-calling every provider yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a licensed daycare and a recreation preschool program?

A licensed daycare or preschool holds a California childcare license and can provide full-day care with the staffing and safety standards that come with it. A license-exempt recreation program, like BCRPD's nature classes or the county's Kreative Kids, is run by a parks agency as partial-day enrichment and doesn't require a childcare license. Recreation programs work well for routine and play, but they aren't a substitute for full-day daycare.

Is Little People's School still open?

Yes. Little People's School at 13155 Oak Street in Boulder Creek is open and taking inquiries, now focused on infants and toddlers rather than preschool-age children. Call 831-566-4236 to confirm the current age range and openings.

How do I find licensed childcare with an opening?

Call the county Child Development Resource Center at 831-466-5820 for free referrals to licensed centers and family child care homes with current availability. In Boulder Creek, Seeds of Knowledge is the licensed preschool, Little People's School takes infants and toddlers, and Adina's and Busy Bees are home-based options; contact each directly, and confirm any provider's current licence through the state's Community Care Licensing facility search.

How do I enroll my child in public school here?

Contact the registrar at your assigned SLVUSD school first, which for in-town elementary kids is Boulder Creek Elementary. The registrar sets up pre-enrollment and sends online registration instructions. You'll need proof of age, immunization records, proof of address, and an oral health assessment for the youngest grades.

Inclusion here is a starting point, not an endorsement. See the full directory for contact details, and if a program, opening, or listing has changed, tell us at bouldercreeklocal.com/contact so the next family gets it right. For the wider picture of raising kids in the valley, from library story times to summer camps, our SLV family resources guide pulls it together, and the Residents guide keeps local contacts in one place.