Child Care / Preschool in Encino, CA

Caterpillar Cottage Preschool, Lake Balboa:
Caterpillar Cottage Preschool, in the Los Angeles district of Encino, is a neighborhood-based early childhood education school that provides a play-based preschool program with an eclectic curriculum for kids ages 2.5 - 5 years. Our school is located in Lake Balboa at 17214 Cantlay Street, southern San Fernando Valley. Our programs are open to children from Los Angeles communities that include West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Encino, Van Nuys, Reseda, Northridge and North Hills.

"My husband pops in anytime as he doesn't get enough time with our son during the week ... Most schools tell you it's too distracting but this is not that environment."

"I feel our children are very fortunate to be recieving the personalized attention of the teachers due to the small class size. It is clearly a very warm, comfortable environment."

"I love the warm, safe environment of the school. The teachers are very gentle and kind to the children."

Morning Preschool & Kindergarten Readiness Programs - 8am to 12 noon:
- Ages 2.5-5 years
- 5 Day Preschool (Monday through Friday)
- 3 Day Preschool (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
- 2 Day Preschool (Tuesday, Thursday)

Program Director Heather Malley's Story:
By starting Caterpillar Cottage I am, in many ways, coming full circle in my dedication to early childhood education. I began my career in early education as a Montessori preschool teacher in the San Francisco bay area-first as an assistant, and eventually as a lead teacher. I then worked for eight years as a researcher and program evaluator, identifying quality early education programs and helping early education programs to improve. I found those years invaluable, enriching my understanding of best practices in early education. It is with great joy that I have been able to open my own small program, offering the kind of quality preschool program that supports the development of the whole child.

Philosophy:
My fundamental philosophy at Caterpillar Cottage is to keep constantly abreast of best practices to support children's development and learning. I've noticed that the more I learn and the more I observe Reggio Emilia is the model I most resonate with. The activities, projects and environment at Caterpillar Cottage are intentionally designed to support the learning and play of each child enrolled. Multiple pathways of communication and opportunities for parent involvement are crucial, as parents are always their children's first teacher.

- Every child is unique
- Our integrated curriculum encourages the love of learning
- Learning is play-based
- Children learn self-regulation and social emotional skills
- You know how your child is doing