We've been serving families for 47 years. We plan to serve for many more.
EES has operated early childhood education centers across San Diego County since 1979. Here's what we've built, why it works, and who runs it.
Educational Enrichment Systems (EES) is a San Diego County nonprofit operating 21 early childhood education centers across Vista, Chula Vista, National City, and Linda Vista. Founded in 1979, EES serves 1,300 children each year through California Department of Education and California Department of Social Services. EES sites are rated Tier 4 and Tier 5 under California's Quality Counts framework. Free for qualifying families.
47 years of showing up for the same families.
EES was founded in 1979 with a straightforward belief: quality early childhood education should be available to every San Diego family, not just the ones who can pay for it.
We've grown from a handful of centers to twenty sites across three regions. We've expanded from preschool to full infant care. We've navigated every shift in state and federal funding — the hold-harmless cliff, the TK expansion, the post-COVID enrollment gap — and we've kept showing up for the families who need us most.
Embedded in your school district.
11 of our 21 centers are on Vista Unified Elementary School campuses on fifteen-year agreements — not annual contracts. When your child finishes EES, they're walking into a kindergarten where the teachers already know the building, the program, and very likely their name. No other early childhood organization in San Diego County has built this.
Bilingual, bicultural, whole-child.
EES classrooms are staffed by educators who reflect the families they serve — predominantly Latino/Hispanic across all three regions, with Vietnamese and other language capacity in Linda Vista. We teach social-emotional development first, because a child who feels safe and connected is a child who can learn. Vision, hearing, and dental screenings are built into the annual calendar, not offered as extras.
We don't hand families a list. We sit with them.
Four Family and Community Liaisons work across our three regions. When a family is navigating housing, immigration paperwork, healthcare, food access, or school enrollment — our team stays with them until it's sorted. This isn't what we do in addition to early education. It's how we understand early education.
children taught each year
centers across San Diego County
regions — Vista, Linda Vista, South Bay
years in San Diego
Quality Counts California ratings at all centers
Three regions. One integrated program.
EES operates across three distinct San Diego communities — Vista and North County, Chula Vista and National City in South Bay, and Linda Vista in the city. Each region has its own Enrollment Coordinator, its own Family Liaison, and its own community relationships. They run as a single integrated program with shared standards, shared oversight, and shared accountability to the same families.
State-regulated. Operated above the minimum.
EES operates under Community Care Licensing and is both Title 22 (CDSS) and Title 5 (CDE) — the dual regulatory framework that governs California's highest-quality subsidized early childhood programs. We hold Tier 4 or Tier 5 ratings at all of our centers. Our annual Program Self-Evaluation is reviewed by our Parent Advisory Committee and Board before CDE and CDSS submission. These aren't boxes we check. They're how the program actually runs.
Our Team
Meet the leadership team who run the program day to day.
Our Partners
Vista Unified, Feeding San Diego, WIC, and more — the organizations we work alongside.
Careers
We're hiring early childhood educators across 20 centers. Starting pay from $20/hour.
Contact
Enroll a child, discuss a gift, or ask a question. We'll respond within 2 business days.
Considering a gift to EES?
EES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our major gifts have come after tours because what you see in the room is more compelling than anything a website can say. If you're considering a meaningful gift, we'd welcome a conversation and a visit.
EIN: 95-3415446
Want to learn more?
Whether you're a parent, a funder, a partner, or a journalist — we're glad you're here. Reach out and we'll point you in the right direction.
