Felton Early Care and Education Programs

Felton Early Care and Education Programs offers Infant/Toddler and Preschool classrooms that provide full-day, year-round care. The program uses a primary care system in which each child is assigned to one teacher who is primarily responsible for that child’s care, individual needs, and progress. Parents’ participation in the classroom is welcome and described as necessary, and families are expected to take part in Felton events and educational activities each year, including the intake process and Family/Teacher conferences in the winter and spring. Felton states that the first and most important educator is the child’s parent and that parent involvement is vital to the success of a child’s program and subsequent development.

• Ages: Birth–5 years old
• Schedule: Most centers are open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with full-day, year-round Infant/Toddler and Preschool options

Felton Early Care and Education Programs include the Family Developmental Center (FDC) for children from birth to 5 years, Solmar Learning Center (SLC) for children from birth to 4 years, Sojourner Truth Center (STC) for children from birth to 3 years, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center (MLK) for children ages 2 to 5 years, and Felton Learning Center (FLC) for children from birth to 4 years. Programs offer an inclusive learning environment and state that they make every reasonable accommodation to encourage full participation based on the individual needs and abilities of each child. As needed and as funding allows, a child may receive early intervention services in an inclusive early learning environment alongside typically developing peers, with ECE teachers and early intervention professionals working together to provide responsive early intervention services for a culturally and linguistically diverse population.

Felton Institute has been providing comprehensive early care and education services in San Francisco since 1971. Felton states that it will maintain a highly qualified, diverse, and motivated teaching staff. The program’s mission is to provide responsive developmental early care and education services in an equitable, nurturing, challenging, and inclusive environment that addresses the medical, social, and educational needs of the child and family, with the stated goal of supporting a solid foundation for lifelong development, family economic success, and hope for a successful future. Felton has demonstrated a long-term commitment to providing research-based early care and education services and uses research-based assessments and curricula aligned to standards from the California Department of Education, First Five San Francisco, and the Office of Early Care and Education. Administrative and program leadership work to identify and use community, social services, medical, and other resources to support the children and families being served. The Early Care and Education programs are primarily funded by the California Department of Education’s Early Education Division, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood (DEC), and the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund.

Last updated June 5, 2026.