Questions, answered.

Todo bien. Most of our families don't speak Spanish at home. Young children pick up language through daily interactions, songs and play, and our teachers use gestures, pictures and gentle repetition so no one feels lost.

Understanding comes first, and speaking follows in its own time. Children who arrive with no Spanish often leave us with real proficiency.

The Center has separate classrooms for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, a big private playground and a bigger community. In-Home is one mixed-age group of twelve children at most, with three teachers, in a real house with a garden.

Both serve ages 3 months to 5 years, both are Spanish immersion, and both are run by our family. If you aren't sure, come and see them both.

Start with a tour request and let us know roughly when you'd like to begin. Availability moves by age group, and infant spaces tend to be the tightest.

If we're full, we'll share your projected place in line and an estimated start date, so you can plan around a real number.

We'll go through current rates and what's open when you tour, and one conversation covers both schools.

Both programs participate in the 4Cs of San Mateo County Alternative Payment Program, which provides childcare subsidies for families who meet eligibility requirements. Families interested in applying are welcome to contact 4Cs directly.

At the Center we also offer a Community Access Tuition Adjustment for families at or below 80% of Area Median Income for San Mateo County, based on the annual guidelines. Eligible families may qualify for a 10% adjustment, subject to availability. A limited number of spaces are set aside each year, and eligibility is reviewed annually.

No. We'll work on it together when you feel your child is ready, which is usually when they start showing interest in the toilet and can hold it for a few hours.

At the Center, lunch comes from Bebe Bitez, a local kitchen that cooks only with organic, sustainably sourced ingredients and builds every menu for young children. Breakfast and afternoon snack are made in our own kitchen each day.

At In-Home, all three meals are cooked in the house, drawn from the food our family grew up on. Pupusas are a favourite.

Vegetarian options are available, and we work with families on allergies and dietary needs, including nut-free.

Our regular hours are 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, and we keep to them.

A couple of times a year we host a Parents' Night Out, staying open until 8 PM so families can have an evening to themselves. It is included twice a year for In-Home families. At the Center, parents who volunteer on the Parent Advisory Committee receive one each year.

All State holidays, plus a one-week spring break, a one-week summer break and a two-week winter break. The annual calendar goes out well before the new year.

Tuition stays the same on closure days and when your child is on vacation.

With positive guidance: clear expectations, redirection, modelling what to do instead, and helping children name and manage big feelings. The belief underneath it is simple: a child isn't giving us a hard time, a child is having a hard time.

Teachers say what they would like to see rather than what they wouldn't. Instead of “don't grab the food,” you'll hear “hands on your lap, please. I see your hands on your lap, so you're ready to eat. Thank you.”

We acknowledge the feeling first, then encourage the behaviour we're hoping for.

Through Brightwheel, all day: photos and notes on naps, diaper changes, feedings and activities as they happen.

In-Home families also have a WhatsApp group with teachers and the other parents. The Center holds parent-teacher conferences twice a year and runs a monthly Parent Advisory Committee.

Most of our Ositos move on to transitional kindergarten or kindergarten, depending on what each family is looking for. We're glad to talk it through with you well before the time comes.

San Mateo also has two public Spanish immersion elementary schools nearby, Fiesta Gardens and McKinley, so children who want to keep going in Spanish have somewhere close to go.

We follow the green cleaning practices recommended by the San Francisco Department of Public Health, using their recommended products and methods on high-touch surfaces, toys and outdoor equipment throughout the day.