Children's Choice Learning Connection in Santee provides nonprofit childcare and preschool education at its Cottonwood Avenue campus, serving children from six weeks through 16 years of age. The school-age after-care program includes transportation from local Santee elementary campuses and a structured afternoon enrichment schedule that complements the discipline-focused youth training at Leaders of Tomorrow College of Martial Arts on Mission Gorge Road. Founded in 1994 with a single El Cajon location, the network has expanded to nine East County campuses delivering the Zoo-Phonics pre-kindergarten curriculum — a character-based letter-recognition and phonemic-awareness system aligned to Common Core kindergarten-readiness standards. Each classroom maintains a live animal mascot ranging from rabbits and bearded dragons to iguanas, giving children hands-on responsibility for daily animal care alongside the Incredible Years social-emotional development program. The summer camp component introduces field trips and age-tiered enrichment for school-age enrollees, extending the aquatic-readiness skills taught at British Swim School on Mission Gorge Road. The Cottonwood Avenue facility operates under restricted-access entry controls with perimeter fencing, security-camera monitoring, and CPR-certified staff across all indoor and outdoor classroom zones.