Licensed Before & After School in Westminster, CA

Before & After School in Westminster

As of August 2026

Parents comparing options in Westminster will find 23 licensed child care providers, 19 of them centers and 4 family child care homes — about 83% center-based. Together they report licensed capacity for roughly 1,195 children, an average of 52 per site. Preschool-age coverage is strong, with 20 of the 23 providers serving that age group, while infant and toddler care are each offered at 5 providers. CloverMap gives Westminster families a single place to browse all 23 verified, licensed listings.

What to know about childcare in Westminster

Westminster's 23 licensed providers lean strongly toward centers, with 19 operating as centers and 4 as family child care homes — about 83% center-based. That leaves a smaller set of home-based options for families who prefer a more intimate, in-home setting, alongside the larger pool of center programs. Larger centers like these typically offer structured daily schedules, dedicated outdoor play space, and multiple staff members organized by classroom, while the smaller number of family child care homes in the mix can appeal to families who want a lower adult-to-child ratio and a more home-like setting. Neither format is inherently better for every child — fit often comes down to a child's temperament and a family's schedule.

Combined licensed capacity across Westminster's 23 providers totals roughly 1,195 children, an average of about 52 per site. This average is drawn from capacity data reported by all 23 providers, giving families a reliable sense of typical program size across the city. As with any licensed capacity figure, this number represents the ceiling a provider is permitted to serve rather than a live vacancy count, so families should treat it as a starting point for comparison rather than a guarantee of an open seat. Contacting providers directly remains the best way to confirm current availability.

Preschool-age children are clearly the most served group in Westminster, with 20 of the 23 providers offering that age range — a strong majority of the market. Infant and toddler care are each available at 5 providers, and school-age care at 6, smaller but still viable options for families with younger or older children. Because staffing requirements are generally most stringent for infant care, the number of providers serving that age group often trails the numbers for preschool or school age — a pattern that shows up across most California cities, not just this one. Families with children spanning several age brackets may want to prioritize providers that report coverage across multiple groups at once, since that can simplify daily drop-off and pickup logistics.

Like every California city, Westminster's licensed child care providers are regulated by the California Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). A CCLD license means the provider, whether a center or a family child care home, has met the state's staffing, group-size, and facility requirements. That licensing process includes background checks for staff, minimum staff-to-child ratios, facility and space requirements, and emergency preparedness planning, applied consistently regardless of whether the provider is a center or a family child care home. A license doesn't disclose day-to-day details of a specific program, but it does confirm the operator has cleared the state's baseline requirements to legally care for children.

With 20 of 23 providers serving preschool-age children, families searching in Westminster — including options like HOPE HEAD START — will find the deepest set of choices for that age group. Parents needing infant or toddler care are working with a smaller pool of 5 providers each, so confirming openings early is worth the extra step given the more limited count.