About
The Garden Community Preschool offers project-based exploration and hands-on learning experiences using The Project Approach. Children participate in active play at ZyLand Indoor Playground and have hands-on experiences with planting, caring for, and observing growth in the on-site community garden. The program also includes toy and clothing drives, local fundraisers, and family-centered events such as holiday celebrations and trunk-or-treat.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
The Garden Community Preschool was founded in 2004 by Melissa Cady as a small home-based daycare and moved into its current form in 2019, continuing the legacy of care established at the site since 1999. The program is led by Ms. Melissa, the owner, who holds a B.A. in Community Studies and a California Site Supervisor Permit. The center is equipped with surveillance cameras, controlled access entry points, and an alarm system, and it includes an on-site community garden. The program follows a play-based, Reggio Emilia–inspired approach that uses The Project Approach and emphasizes social-emotional development alongside early academic foundations. Their work has been recognized through Contra Costa County’s Quality Improvement Initiative, where they earned a Tier 3 rating in their first year of participation.
The Garden Community Preschool maintains an ongoing partnership with ZyLand Indoor Playground and carries out regular outreach efforts such as toy and clothing drives, supporting local fundraisers, and hosting family-centered events including holiday celebrations and trunk-or-treat. Families describe the school as a place where children talk about their teachers daily, where the class environment is organized, neat, and child-centered, and where activities are academic in nature yet focused on the developmental needs of the child. Parents also report that teachers treat children with care and love, that the director is very present at drop-off for one-on-one conversations, and that some children have been ahead of classmates educationally and socially after attending the program.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
The Garden Community Preschool was founded in 2004 by Melissa Cady as a small home-based daycare and moved into its current form in 2019, continuing the legacy of care established at the site since 1999. The program is led by Ms. Melissa, the owner, who holds a B.A. in Community Studies and a California Site Supervisor Permit. The center is equipped with surveillance cameras, controlled access entry points, and an alarm system, and it includes an on-site community garden. The program follows a play-based, Reggio Emilia–inspired approach that uses The Project Approach and emphasizes social-emotional development alongside early academic foundations. Their work has been recognized through Contra Costa County’s Quality Improvement Initiative, where they earned a Tier 3 rating in their first year of participation.
The Garden Community Preschool maintains an ongoing partnership with ZyLand Indoor Playground and carries out regular outreach efforts such as toy and clothing drives, supporting local fundraisers, and hosting family-centered events including holiday celebrations and trunk-or-treat. Families describe the school as a place where children talk about their teachers daily, where the class environment is organized, neat, and child-centered, and where activities are academic in nature yet focused on the developmental needs of the child. Parents also report that teachers treat children with care and love, that the director is very present at drop-off for one-on-one conversations, and that some children have been ahead of classmates educationally and socially after attending the program.
Last updated May 12, 2026.
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