Federally funded Head Start and California State Preschool programming in Carlsbad runs through MAAC - Eureka Center at 3368 Eureka Place, serving income-qualified families with children from birth through age five. The center is one of multiple North County sites operated by the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego County, a 501(c)(3) founded in 1965 that now assists over 100,000 individuals annually and fills the income-qualified enrollment gap that tuition-based programs at Carlsbad Country Day School do not cover. Enrollment requires proof of residency, immunization records, and a birth certificate, with eligibility determined by federal poverty guidelines. Beyond classroom instruction, the Eureka Center provides developmental screenings, nutrition programs, mental health consultations, and bilingual family support services that prepare graduates for the Carlsbad Unified School District pipeline, feeding into neighborhood elementary campuses including Buena Vista Elementary School. The full-day, center-based program follows Next Generation Science Standards and California Preschool Learning Foundations, with teacher-to-child ratios mandated by Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.