Palo Alto · Licensed center
Children's Pre-School Center, the
- Medium Reggio Emilia–inspired center, licensed for 45 children.
- Run by a nonprofit. A board oversees it, and there are no owners taking profit.
What these mean, and where they come from
Medium means the middle half of Bay Area’s 439 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 31 to 75 children. Small is 8 to 30; large is 76 to 312.
Source for who runs it
ccld.dss.ca.govHow they teach
Reggio Emilia–inspired and play-based
“inspired by the RIE approach and Reggio Emilia philosophy”In their words, July 2026.cpsccares.org
“a child-centered, play-based educational program”In their words, July 2026.cpsccares.org
One of 21 Bay Area providers that describe a Reggio Emilia approach, out of 164 that describe any approach at all.
Shortlist doesn’t have these yet: cost, ratios and staff, sick and biting policies.
What the state has found
Routine visits: 3 of 8 cited something
Bay Area centers: the state cites something at about 1 in 4 routine visits.
From California CDSS Community Care Licensing’s published reports, last checked September 25, 2026.
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — California CDSS Community Care Licensing
- Last visit
- June 3, 2026
- On file
- 8 visits since February 2022 — 5 cited nothing · 3 complaint investigations
- Most serious
- Type A —
Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision 101229(a)(1) No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time... Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: Based on observation and interview, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as a child was left unsupervised in the classroom, which posed an immediate threat to the health and safety of the child in care.
· September 26, 2024
California CDSS publishes the full investigation narrative for a complaint, including its disposition, and classifies a citation Type A — an immediate risk to a child — or Type B.
Feb 2026 Complaint Unsubstantiated
Complaint · February 12, 2026
Unsubstantiated
ALLEGATION(S): One (1) Physical Plant allegation: 1. Staff do not ensure the facility is free of rodents INVESTIGATION FINDINGS: On 03/11/2026 at 11:30am, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Jialing “Julianne” Zhu conducted an UNANNOUNCED COMPLAINT SITE INSPECTION. LPA met with Director M.H. LPA advised director the nature of the inspection is to follow up on a complaint that was filed against the facility and to deliver the findings. Present during the inspection were 9 fingerprint-cleared staff and 15 infants. Throughout the course of the inspection, LPA requested and obtained a copy of the Facility Roster and the current Personnel Report. LPA toured the facility inside and outside. LPA interviewed the administrative team: Director, Assistant Director, and Program Coordinator. LPA also interviewed staff and a random sampling of parents. LPA obtained the most recent service reports from the pest control company from January and February 2026. Although the above allegations may have happened or are valid, there is not a preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violations did or did not occur, therefore the allegations are UNSUBSTANTIATED. A Notice of Site Visit was given and must remain posted for 30 days. Exit interview was conducted, report was reviewed, and Appeal Rights were provided to Director M.H. Unsubstantiated Estimated Days of Completion:
Individual employees are shown by initials. The state’s report, linked above, names them in full.
Aug 2025 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · August 28, 2025
CCR 101415.1(a) · Type B
101415.1(a) In addition to the director, an assistant director shall be present and on duty if the center has 25 or more infants in attendance. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: Based on observation and interview, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as 25 infants were in care with no assistant director on site, which poses a potential health, safety, and/or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Jul 2025 Complaint
Complaint · July 23, 2025
CCR 101238(a)(1) · Type B
CCR 101238(a)(1) Buildings and Grounds: The licensee shall take measures to keep the center free of flies, other insects, and rodents. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on observation and interview, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as there were presence of pests in the facility but measures have been increased in the past month, which poses a potential health, safety, and/or personal rights risk to persons in care.
Sep 2024 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · September 26, 2024
CCR 101229(a)(1) · Type A
Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision 101229(a)(1) No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time... Supervision shall include visual observation. This requirement was not met as evidenced by: Based on observation and interview, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as a child was left unsupervised in the classroom, which posed an immediate threat to the health and safety of the child in care.
Jan 2023 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · January 24, 2023
HSC 1596.8662(b)(1) · Type B
(1) On or before March 30, 2018, a person who, on January 1, 2018, is a licensed child day care provider, administrator, or employee of a licensed child day care facility shall complete the mandated reporter training provided pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a), and shall complete renewal mandated reporter training every two years following the date on which he or she completed the initial mandated reporter training. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on observation and record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above in which poses a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care. LPA observed 4 staff members have an expired mandated dated reporter certificate. Director stated that staff members forgot that it needed to be renewed.
How the comparison is built
Routine visits: across Bay Area centers, the state cites something at about 1 in 4 routine visits (2,260 visits).
A day here
- Meals
- Two snacks provided daily; lunch is parent-brought from home or optional catered delivery (Taste Nutrition) for an additional fee; center is strictly nut-free
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 5:45 PM, 5 days a week
Details
- Website
- cpsccares.org
- Address
- 4000 Middlefield Road T-1
- License
- 434400297, active
- Ages they serve
- 3 months to 6 years
Do you run Children's Pre-School Center, the? Shortlist has no tuition, ratios or policies for it, because the state does not publish that. Adding it is free and takes about ten minutes.
Add what is missingSources and dates
Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.
How they teach
- Approach — Checked July 2026 cpsccares.org
How they teach
- Approach — Checked July 2026 cpsccares.org
State record
Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.
The state’s licensing transparency data reports 3 complaint-related visit(s) to this facility, while 2 complaint investigation report(s) are published on the transparency portal. State complaint counts: substantiated=2, inconclusive=0, unsubstantiated=1, unfounded=CONFIDENTIAL, Type A citations=0, Type B citations=2. The state publishes no further detail for the difference.
A day here
- Meals — Checked July 2026 cpsccares.org
- Hours — Checked July 2026 cpsccares.org
Details
- Phone, Address, License — Checked July 2026 ccld.dss.ca.gov
- Website — Checked July 2026 cpsccares.org
- Ages they serve — Checked July 2026 cpsccares.org
- Who runs it — Checked September 2026 ccld.dss.ca.gov