Early Childhood Education
3 months old to 5 years old (varies per site) Alice Chalmers Clubhouse, Edwin & Margaret Lee Tung Lok Early Childhood Learning Center, Gateway Child Care Center, Lutheran Church of our Savior, Mission YMCA Preschool, Villa de Kapuso Child Development Center
A Trusted Partner In Early Childhood Education
Our YMCA Child Development Centers offer high-quality care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Families looking for infant and toddler childcare in San Francisco and San Mateo counties will find that we prioritize building strong emotional bonds between children, families, and peers. By creating a safe and nurturing environment, we help children reach their full potential.
our mission statement
The mission of our early childhood education programs is to provide a supportive, nurturing environment that enriches the development of the whole child and lays a foundation for the entire family.
Our Philosophy
Our primary focus for our Early Childhood Education program is to create and strengthen emotional bonds between children and families. We believe children need to feel emotionally and physically safe in their environment to reach their highest potential.
At the YMCA of Greater San Francisco, we understand that children develop at different rates, and we incorporate that belief into every aspect of the program. We provide opportunities for children to engage in developmentally appropriate activities that focus on the child’s whole development, including social-emotional, physical health, language and literacy, and cognitive development.
Our Early Childhood Development Centers
Alice Chalmers Preschool
670 Brunswick Street
San Francisco, CA 94112
(628) 250-3542
Services: Toddler and Preschool Childcare
Operated by: Mission YMCA
Edwin & Margaret Lee Tung Lok Early Childhood Learning Center
75 Vallejo Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 576-9622
Services: Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Child Care
Operated by: Chinatown YMCA
Gateway Child Development Center
559 Gateway Blvd
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 873-8145
Services: Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Childcare
Operated by: Peninsula Family YMCA
Mission Preschool
4080 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 452-7566
Services: Toddler and Preschool Childcare
Operated by: Mission YMCA
Lutheran Church of Our Savior (LCOS) Preschool
1011 Garfield Street,
San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 333-9622
Services: Toddler and Preschool Childcare
Operated by: Stonestown Family YMCA
Villa de Kapuso Child Development Center
2350 San Jose Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 586-6900
Services: Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Childcare
Operated by: Mission YMCA
If you’d like to visit an Early Childhood Education Center, please reach out to us to schedule a tour with our staff:
Our Goals for Children
Children will learn and demonstrate growth in the following four primary areas of development.
- Language development: comprehension and verbal communication
- Pre-literacy and reading skill development: phonetic sounds, recognizing and naming letters, shapes, and numbers
- Fine Motor Development: the use of small muscles for object manipulation and grasping, for coloring, drawing, and writing
- Gross Motor Development: the use of the large muscle movement such as sitting, crawling, walking, or running
- To develop healthy habits for self-care, hygiene, and nutrition
- To develop positive self-esteem and self-awareness and interpersonal relationships
- To develop and demonstrate a sense of independence, trust, and cooperation
- To recognize emotions of self, show understanding and empathy for others
- To appreciate and respect all aspects of diversity in all families, other children in our program, and their community
- To develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- To learn about objects and relations between cause and effect
- To develop pre-reading and early literacy skills, and language acquisition
- To learn math language and mathematical concepts such as counting by rote, one-on-correspondence, and simple age-appropriate arithmetic such as addition, subtraction, measurement and data, and geometry for preschoolers
- To close the achievement gap by meeting the child’s developmental and learning needs
- For children to become confident learners
Our Core Values
We look to the YMCA’s core values when implementing our curriculum. Incorporating Honesty, Caring, Respect, and Responsibility in all our work drives us to provide high-quality care and early childhood education for all children from three months old to six years of age.
Honesty
Encouraging children to speak the truth and act with integrity and fairness.
Caring
Teaching compassion, kindness, and the importance of helping others.
Respect
Fostering an environment that accepts and celebrates all cultures and abilities.
Responsibility
Helping children understand their choices and develop independence through play.
At the Y, we understand that we are developing leaders of the future who will display strong character, curious minds, and healthy bodies. Our staff’s role is to guide and teach children with love, respect, and creativity. We teach these values in our preschool programs through appropriate guidance and facilitate learning by providing opportunities for hands-on learning experiences that allow exploration and discovery through play.
Our Curriculum Statement
We use the Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), Program for Infant-Toddler Caregivers (PITC), Creative Curriculum, and inspirations from Reggio Emilia, all of which are implemented in our programs through play and by creating a positive indoor and outdoor learning environment and experiences for children.
Read our entire Early Childhood Education Curriculum Statement below:
Tuition Scholarships & Financial Assistance
Program scholarships and amounts vary per household (income-based), county of residence, or program site.
San Francisco County residents may qualify for scholarships or tuition discounts for income-qualified families enrolled at San Francisco program sites, which may include some of the following:
- Full Scholarships
- Up to 50% off Childcare Tuition
Free meals are included with program enrollment. If a household does not qualify for the scholarship or discount, we offer a 20% Tuition Discount for active YMCA Facility Members (San Francisco sites only).
San Mateo County residents may qualify for the following:
- 20% sibling discount
- Income-qualified limited financial assistance (must apply on a yearly basis)
Morning and afternoon snacks are included with program enrollment.
Third-Party Billing
The YMCA of Greater San Francisco’s Early Childhood Education Centers accept 3rd-party vouchers from services such as Children’s Council of San Francisco, Wu Yee Children’s Services, 4Cs of San Mateo County, and others.
All inquiring families must submit a certificate or contract of child services provided by their caseworker before a request for enrollment can be submitted. Please note that you may be responsible for a portion of tuition dues. Contact your caseworker to let them know which program and site you’d like to register for.
Please reach out to Katia Alvarez at KAlvarez@ymcasf.org for more information.
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance is available to familes who qualify. To apply, please fill out our Financial Assistance application and email your completed form to BranchFA@ymcasf.org along with two types of income verification. Please reder to the application form for acceptable forms of income verification.
Families who qualify for Financial Assistance during the calendar year do not need to reapply for additional program offerings. If you have not been awarded Financial Assistance within the calendar year, then you will need to reapply.
Applicants can expect to hear back from an associate in approximately 15 business days with award details.
Email your completed and attached income verification forms by clicking below:
High Quality Care, Safe Learning Environment
Prioritizing Safety
Our Early Childhood Education Centers and Infant Care sites are licensed and secure facilities.
Trained, Expert Staff
Staff are CPR and First-Aid Trained, Live-Scan Background-Checked, and cleared.
Preschoolers Are Prepared
Preschoolers are ready to enter Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten.
Get in touch
Want to chat about how your child can thrive at the Y?
Email Executive of Early Childhood Development, Anne Señores, at ASenores@ymcasf.org to set up a call.
The YMCA of Greater San Francisco is a trusted Early Childhood Education provider for cities and companies across the Bay Area. If you or your employer are interested in partnering with the Y for preschool services, please get in touch with Anne.