Los Altos · Licensed center

Los Altos United Methodist Church Cc.

A play-based center in Los Altos, licensed for 140 children.

How they teach

Play-based and faith-based

“The Children's Center is a play-based preschool where learning through play supports the whole child.”In their words. childrenscenterpreschool.org, July 2026

“Our developmentally appropriate program provides a safe and nurturing Christian environment.”In their words. childrenscenterpreschool.org, July 2026

One of 82 Bay Area providers that describe a play-based approach, out of 164 that describe any approach at all.

Who cares for your child

Ratio not published

Four staff are named on their site, with no start years given.

What it costs

$1,318 to $1,388 a month

Bay Area comparison hidden until they say which age this price is for.

Half-day (morning) $543 to $796 a month. Application fee $175.

What the state has found

Routine visits: 1 of 3 cited something

Across Bay Area centers, the state cites something at about 1 in 4 routine visits (2,260 visits). Three visits are too few to read as a pattern.

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
November 1, 2024
On file
3 visits since September 2022 — 2 cited nothing
Most serious
No finding carrying a severity level in the last 24 months.

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.

Nov 2024 Licensing visit nothing cited
Sep 2023 Licensing visit nothing cited
Sep 2022 Licensing visit 1 finding

Licensing visit · September 30, 2022

CCR 101226(e)(3)(B) · Type B

(3) Prescription medications may be administered if all of the following conditions are met: (B) For each prescription medication, the licensee shall obtain, in writing, approval and instructions from the child's authorized representative for the administration of the medication to the child. This requirement is not met as evidenced by: Based on record review, the licensee did not comply with the section cited above as four children who have medication stored at the facility do not have a signed consent form for the administration of medication which poses/posed a potential health, safety or personal rights risk to persons in care.

State report

A day here

Meals
Peanut-free snack (fruit, crackers/pretzels, water) provided daily; lunch is optional extended care and families bring their own peanut-free lunch
Outdoors
Two outdoor yards with play structures, sand, grass, toys, and a bike path for daily outdoor play
Hours
8:45 AM to 11:45 AM, 5 days a week, school year
Schedule
Half-day morning program (8:45 AM-11:45 AM)
Closed
Closed Labor Day

Policies

When a child is sick
Children must stay home 24 hours after fever, vomiting, or diarrhea has passed
Biting
Biting treated as a serious safety concern; parents are called to take the child home for the rest of the day

Details

Phone
(650) 941-5411
Website
childrenscenterpreschool.org
Address
655 Magdalena Avenue
License
434400470, active
Ages
ages 2-5

Do you run Los Altos United Methodist Church Cc.? Shortlist has no ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.

Sources 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

How they teach

Who cares for your child

What it costs

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

A day here

Policies

Details