About
Montecito Preschool includes daily free-choice activity hour and time in the bike circle as part of its program. Children participate in various learning environments, including nature-focused spaces, playgrounds used as outdoor classrooms, and areas with barnyard animals, forts, and gardens. The program offers academic, emergent, developmental, and play-based learning with age-appropriate, concrete learning opportunities.
• Ages: 2–11 years old
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Montecito Preschool provides a developmentally appropriate preschool experience for children two years of age through Kindergarten and also includes elementary children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The program offers flexible scheduling for families and provides drop-in care year-round, summer camps, and holiday care when many public schools are closed. Children engage in their own emergent curriculum, with curriculum planning and activities based on their interests, skills, and age, and each child receives Kindergarten Readiness assessments.
The school has been family owned and in business for 60 years, with a history of teaching children in Los Altos and a statement of “Setting the Standard Since 1960.” Montecito Preschool caters to up to 350 families each year and includes various learning environments, classroom designs that are described as stimulating and engaging, and all environments are described as designed and built for children to feel safe and comfortable. The team includes Early Childhood Experts, with leadership from Director Erin Mobley; Administration team members Dipali Prabhu and Tammy Franchi; and Bookkeeper Michelle Von Jaeger.
The mission of Montecito Preschool is to provide children with an academic setting that makes learning organic and fun. The program includes culturally inclusive activities and is committed to combatting institutional racism and teaching anti-bias, modeling love, inclusion, and acceptance. Montecito joins early education partners, including Kinder Care, other preschools, NAEYC, CAEYC, and the Department of Education, in continuing to provide programs and curriculum to the community, including teaching anti-bias and modeling love, inclusion, and acceptance.
Representatives from Santa Clara Community Care Licensing and the County Health Department described Montecito’s 2-acre playgrounds, large classroom sizes, indoor and outdoor sinks, and open windows as making the school “IDEAL” for healthy preschools in the Bay Area. Parent testimonials describe Montecito as a play-based preschool with a lot of outside time and time to be creative, with a large bike area, a wide range of well-planned activities, and animals. Parents also describe the staff as great, the atmosphere as beautiful, and refer to it as the “Best play-based preschool and staff in the bay area!!!!”
Last updated March 20, 2026.
• Ages: 2–11 years old
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Montecito Preschool provides a developmentally appropriate preschool experience for children two years of age through Kindergarten and also includes elementary children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The program offers flexible scheduling for families and provides drop-in care year-round, summer camps, and holiday care when many public schools are closed. Children engage in their own emergent curriculum, with curriculum planning and activities based on their interests, skills, and age, and each child receives Kindergarten Readiness assessments.
The school has been family owned and in business for 60 years, with a history of teaching children in Los Altos and a statement of “Setting the Standard Since 1960.” Montecito Preschool caters to up to 350 families each year and includes various learning environments, classroom designs that are described as stimulating and engaging, and all environments are described as designed and built for children to feel safe and comfortable. The team includes Early Childhood Experts, with leadership from Director Erin Mobley; Administration team members Dipali Prabhu and Tammy Franchi; and Bookkeeper Michelle Von Jaeger.
The mission of Montecito Preschool is to provide children with an academic setting that makes learning organic and fun. The program includes culturally inclusive activities and is committed to combatting institutional racism and teaching anti-bias, modeling love, inclusion, and acceptance. Montecito joins early education partners, including Kinder Care, other preschools, NAEYC, CAEYC, and the Department of Education, in continuing to provide programs and curriculum to the community, including teaching anti-bias and modeling love, inclusion, and acceptance.
Representatives from Santa Clara Community Care Licensing and the County Health Department described Montecito’s 2-acre playgrounds, large classroom sizes, indoor and outdoor sinks, and open windows as making the school “IDEAL” for healthy preschools in the Bay Area. Parent testimonials describe Montecito as a play-based preschool with a lot of outside time and time to be creative, with a large bike area, a wide range of well-planned activities, and animals. Parents also describe the staff as great, the atmosphere as beautiful, and refer to it as the “Best play-based preschool and staff in the bay area!!!!”
Last updated March 20, 2026.
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