Natural Foundations Preschool

When we moved to San Jose, I had to find a place to live and a good daycare/​preschool in a short period of time. Luckily one of my new coworkers knew someone who had a good experience at Natural Foundations.
Olivia started there at 1.5 years and graduated just before turning 5. We had a wonderful experience. Olivia was more than ready for kindergarten and I can tell you she is doing so well! I give Gwen (and Olivia’s second teacher Lynda) much credit for the early education Olivia had.
I will echo what Rebecca said. Gwen has such a wonderful way of dealing with children that helps them learn while ensuring they feel loved and safe. If I could give more stars, I would.

Our son was 1 year old when we looked for child care. We knew we wanted the nurturing environment and individualized attention of a home day care where he could really bond with his care giver. At the same time, we wanted a structured setting with daily routines and activities created to enhance our son’s development.
We visited several home day cares and didn’t feel they had the structure and professionalism we were looking for. Some of them seemed disorganized and chaotic and others felt like a babysitting service which made us rethink the possibility of what we were looking for, until we visited Natural Foundations.
Not only is Natural Foundations Preschool an accredited program, Gwen Sanders has an extensive background in child care. She runs her program with genuine care and professionalism. Her program emphasizes learning through play and exploration and Gwen’s home is set up to do exactly that. Her home is very well organized with dedicated space both indoors and outdoors. There are art/​activity areas, group/​circle time areas, nap/​rest areas and even music class once a week. Outdoors she has a sandbox, play structure and best of all a flourishing garden in which the kids love to learn and eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Beyond the setup, we saw how well behaved the kids were and how much they listened and respected Gwen and her staff.
Once we made the decision to start, we were nervous about our son’s transition as he had been home with us for a year. Gwen helped our son through a smooth transition by making it a priority to make him feel safe. Not only did our son feel comfortable, we did as well through lots of open communication. There are daily written reports that gives us a glimpse into his day whether it be a good or bad day.
The kids all really love and respect Gwen. You can see a strong bond with each and every one of them which is a true testament to her nurturing care.
As our son transitioned from a baby to a toddler this past year, we’ve really seen him develop and mature thanks to Gwen. We drop our son off every day knowing that he is well-​loved and cared for. We know he is exploring his world and learning new things every day. We have been so fortunate to find Natural Foundations and would highly recommended it.

I could write pages about why Natural Foundations is such an exceptional home daycare. My almost 2-​year-​old son has been going there for nearly a year now, and he is absolutely thriving. Here’s why:
1. Love. Natural Foundations provides a loving home environment. It’s evident that Miss Gwen and her assistant teachers really love the kids, and the kid love them. I feel like he has a second home, which is what I feel like he needs at this age.
2. Communication. Parent-​teacher communication is superb. We get a daily written report, a daily oral report, ouchie reports (but not too often!). Also, every morning we have a short chat about how my son is doing and any issues he might be having. The other thing that impresses me is teacher-​student communication. Miss Gwen speaks to the kids with respect and authority. She can provide the boundaries they need, and the support they need as well. Miss Gwen has a gift with the kids.
3. Activities and Education. My son gets to color, paint, and play. Miss Gwen brings in a music teacher for lessons on Wednesdays, and she also has circle time for the older kids. What’s great is that my son is free to stay for the music portion of circle time, and then do other activities. He’s started talking now, and his language skills are blossoming.
In addition to all of these things, Natural Foundations provides a healthy breakfast and lunch. Miss Gwen has a garden out back, so in spring, my son discovered a love of fresh green beans. Now he’s enjoying apples from the apple tree. I couldn’t imagine sending him anywhere else.