Read Our Frequently Asked Questions

Mission

The Essence of our Daycare

Our mission is to create a quality, nurturing, and developmentally challenging environment for children aged birth to just before they enter Kindergarten. We aim to stimulate each child's emotional, physical, and cognitive development through a well-balanced combination of child and adult-led play.

Philosophy

The Essence of our Daycare

We believe in fostering young children's freedom to explore their interests and make choices. All children deserve respectful treatment, reflecting the behavior we expect from them. Encouraging trust in children's abilities builds confidence for trying new things and mastering skills. We prioritize open-ended and play-based activities. In our program, young children are free to move, play, create art from their imagination, and explore.

Program Principles

Our program is based on the following child development principles:

We embrace a diverse approach to early childhood development by incorporating elements from various early childhood philosophies allowing us to foster a well-rounded experience. We strive to create an enriching environment by drawing inspiration from the following principles:

Respect for children, including infants, treating them as unique human beings
Children educate themselves, we support them
Ensuring that children feel secure, autonomous, competent, and connected
Children have periods where they learn specific skills more easily, each child's timetable is unique
Children learn more easily in an environment where they can do for themselves
Trusting infants by helping enough to allow them to enjoy mastery of their own actions
Observing rather than interfering to understand the child's communications and needs
"Teaching" less, and providing an environment for learning instead
Providing interaction and cooperation during diapering, feeding, dressing, etc. so that the infant is an active participant
Providing a safe, challenging and predictable environment
Giving time for uninterrupted play and freedom to explore
Establishing clear limits and expectations

These principles are seamlessly integrated into our program and overall environment. Our approach centers on learning areas and responsive interactions. We create opportunities for children to develop crucial skills and concepts, including problem-solving, decision-making, questioning, evaluating, and the joy of discovery.

Goals

The goals of our program is to help children:

develop a positive self-concept
achieve intellectual growth
enlarge their world of people, experiences, ideas, and things
increase skills in oral language, literacy, writing, listening, and thinking
increase skills in physical coordination, both gross and fine motor
increase competence in dealing with emotional feelings and social situations
increase competence in self-direction and independence
develop cooperative, trusting relationships
develop his/her natural curiosity and his/her creative potential

Standards

Meeting or exceeding standards

The California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division sets mandatory state standards for licensed child care homes and facilities and despite no recent formal training requirement in family child care in California, I voluntarily seek educational opportunities to establish and maintain my own elevated standards for our program.

Our commitment to safety ensures that we never exceed a total of 8 children under the age of 10, including the childcare provider's own children. All adults residing in the home or working directly with the children undergo thorough background checks, TB testing, are fully vaccinated, and maintain up-to-date training in infant/child/adult CPR and first aid. Additionally, they receive mandated reporter training to uphold the highest standards of care and security for the children in our program.

My Approach

Meeting or exceeding standards

In early childhood education, I prioritize a departure from traditional academic methods. I foster learning through everyday experiences, balancing open-ended and directive activities. Emphasizing the process over the end result, my role involves offering hands-on support, resources, and guidance to children on their learning journey.

Throughout the day, I cultivate essential life skills across various developmental domains.

Infants & Toddlers

Social-Emotional Development
Language Development
Cognitive Development
Perceptual & Motor Development

Preschool Age

Social-Emotional
Language & Literacy
Mathematics
Visual & Performing Arts
Physical Development
Health
History-Social Science
Science
English Language Development
(for ESL learners)

About Me

A Quick Autobiography

Hello, I'm Marina Valenzuela, a licensed family childcare home provider in Ventura, CA. Outside of childcare, I find joy in reading, camping, traveling, and various forms of arts and crafting, including various beading, paper crafts, costume making, painting, and drawing. Married for over 13 years to my supportive husband, Alfredo, who often assists in my daycare, we have four children—two boys and two girls, with one grown and living independently, two in middle school, and one in elementary school.

For almost 30 years, I've been dedicated to working with children. My journey began in high school, babysitting and nannying for families in Ventura. In 2010, with my husband's encouragement, I established my licensed family childcare home.

Active in my field, I engage in ongoing education, focusing on infants and toddlers. I've completed Child Development courses at the local community college and participate in workshops and training through different programs.

I bring almost three decades of experience working with parents, fellow childcare providers, and children. As a mentor, I volunteer to assist other family childcare providers with licensing processes, crafting contracts and policies, implementing effective business practices, marketing, and more. My goal is to share my experiences and knowledge, contributing to the improvement and promotion of quality childcare.

Quick, Close, Easy

Conveniently located in East Ventura

Conveniently near an abundance of local parks, elementary and middle schools, freeways, public transit and the Ventura County Government Center.

Schools within 4 miles: Juanamaria, Portola, Junipero Serra, Mound & Balboa.

Parks within 2 miles: Juanamaria, Ventura Community & Aquatic Center, and Hobert.

2 minutes from the 126 freeway at Kimball Rd, 6 minutes to the 118 at Wells Rd, & 8 minutes from the 101 freeway to either Johnson Dr or Victoria Ave.

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