Infant and preschool admissions at Growing Place

When you submit an application and the $100 fee, your child joins that campus's wait pool. Unlike a first-come waitlist, the wait pool lets us admit families in a way that keeps each classroom diverse in gender, family structure, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. You remain in the pool until your child is admitted or you withdraw.

Apply by December 1, 2026 for priority consideration, including siblings of current students, or by February 1, 2027 for the regular deadline. Applications after February 1 are accepted as late applications. Admissions notifications go out February 25, and contracts and deposits are due March 4. See all key dates.

No. Families come to our three Santa Monica campuses from across the Westside, including Venice, Mar Vista, Palms, West LA, Sawtelle, Cheviot Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Culver City, Playa Vista, and Marina del Rey. Some campuses give priority consideration to Santa Monica residents and to employees of the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica College, and RAND, and Tuition Assistance requires Santa Monica residency.

Marine Park, at 1406 Marine Street, is convenient for families in Venice, Mar Vista, Palms, and Sawtelle. Ocean Park, at 401 Ashland Avenue, is close to Venice, Mar Vista, Culver City, Playa Vista, and Marina del Rey. The Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School, at 1802 4th Street, is convenient for families in Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, West LA, and Cheviot Hills. Compare our campuses.

Growing Place offers infant care for children from 3 months old at two campuses: Marine Park, which has rolling infant admissions year-round, and the Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School. Our Ocean Park campus serves preschool and TK children ages 2.5 to 6.

Yes. Each campus keeps its own wait pool, so submit an application for each campus you would like to be considered for. The $100 application fee applies per campus, per child, and applications are not transferable between campuses.

Preschool tuition is $2,625 per month and infant and toddler tuition is $2,835 per month on a 12-month contract, for full-day care from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. There is also a one-time $1,600 enrollment fee and an annual $975 deposit. As a nonprofit, we raise up to 15% of our operating budget each year to keep tuition as accessible as possible. See the full breakdown.

Yes. Our Tuition Assistance Program is available at Marine Park and the Lab School for families who live in Santa Monica, work full-time, and show financial need. Applications are due February 16, 2027, and the application fee is waived for Tuition Assistance applicants. We also accept Connections for Children and CCAMPIS subsidies. Learn about Tuition Assistance.