As working parents, you need more than just childcare—you need a nurturing educational environment that aligns with your work schedule while providing exceptional experiences for your child. At Meadowlark Schools' Brookside campus in Stockton, our full-day preschool program is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of both working families and developing children.
Understanding the Working Parent's Challenge
We recognize the unique challenges working parents face:
- Finding quality care that covers full workdays
- Ensuring children receive meaningful educational experiences, not just supervision
- Managing drop-off and pick-up around work schedules
- Staying connected with your child's development despite busy workdays
- Balancing quality time together with necessary work responsibilities
Our full-day program addresses these challenges while providing the nature-based, play-centered education that distinguishes Meadowlark Schools.
Comprehensive Schedule Options
Our Brookside campus offers flexible scheduling designed specifically for working families:
Full-Day Program Hours
- Standard Full-Day: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday
- Extended Full-Day: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday
Flexible Attendance Options
- 5-Day Program: Monday through Friday attendance
- 3-Day Program: Monday/Wednesday/Friday attendance
- 2-Day Program: Tuesday/Thursday attendance
Extended Care Add-Ons
- Early Morning Care: Available from 7:00 AM (limited spaces)
- Evening Extension: Available until 6:00 PM (limited spaces)
This flexibility allows you to select the schedule that best fits your work requirements while providing consistency for your child.
A Day in Our Full-Day Program
Our daily rhythm provides the perfect balance of active exploration, focused learning, nutrition, and rest—all essential elements for developing children in a full-day setting.
Our thoughtfully designed schedule ensures that children experience a balanced day even when they're with us for extended hours. Each component of our day supports different aspects of development while maintaining an unhurried, joyful atmosphere.
Curriculum Designed for Full-Day Learning
Young children who go to Meadowlark Schools get the tools and support they need for their healthy development. All activities are carefully designed to adequately nurture the emotional, intellectual and physical growth of our kids. Through stimulating situations and hands-on learning opportunities, children are free to develop into bright young minds.
Our curriculum recognizes the unique needs of children in a full-day setting:
Project-Based Learning
Children engage in long-term investigations that span days or weeks, allowing for deep exploration that fits naturally into the full-day rhythm. These projects emerge from children's interests and provide meaningful contexts for developing skills across multiple domains.
Balance of Active and Restful Experiences
Our schedule alternates between active, engaging learning experiences and quieter, more reflective activities. This careful balance ensures children maintain optimal energy and attention throughout their full day with us.
Seamless Indoor/Outdoor Flow
At Meadowlark, children play outside in various weather conditions, connecting with nature's cycles and developing resilience. This approach helps them expend energy in healthy ways, leading to better focus, improved behavior, and more successful rest times.
Emphasis on Social-Emotional Development
Children in full-day programs spend significant time in a peer community. Our curriculum prioritizes developing the skills needed for positive social interaction, emotional regulation, and building meaningful relationships with both peers and teachers.
Read our article, Why Nature-Based Learning Matters: How Outdoor Play Shapes Early Brain Development, for more in depth information on why this is so important.
Nutritional Program Supporting Full-Day Attendance
Proper nutrition is essential for children attending full-day programs. Our Brookside campus provides:
Nutritious Meals and Snacks
When children eat at Meadowlark, they won't find typical "kid food" like chicken nuggets, fish-shaped crackers, or sweet cereals. Instead, our menu features fresh fruits and vegetables, often seasonal; whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread; plant-based proteins including beans, lentils, tofu, and nuts (when age-appropriate); minimally processed dairy products; and natural sweeteners used sparingly.
Family-Style Dining
Meals are served family-style, allowing children to develop independence, practice social skills, and learn about portion awareness. Teachers join children at tables, creating a warm, home-like atmosphere during meal times.
Food as Learning
Mealtimes at Meadowlark are learning opportunities. Children participate in preparing foods when appropriate, setting tables and serving themselves, engaging in conversations about food origins, practicing table manners and social skills, and developing independence through self-help skills.
Dietary Accommodations
We work closely with families to accommodate allergies, sensitivities, and dietary preferences. Our vegetarian menu provides a healthy foundation that can be adapted to meet various dietary needs.
Communication with Working Parents
We understand that working parents need to stay connected with their child's daily experiences and development. Our communication systems include:
Daily Updates
Each family receives a brief daily update about their child's experiences, including meals, rest, and significant moments or discoveries.
Digital Documentation
Our secure online portal provides photos and learning stories that capture key moments in your child's day, allowing you to feel connected even when you can't be present.
Text Message Capability
For time-sensitive communications, our staff can send and receive text messages through our secure platform, ensuring you're always reachable when needed.
Flexible Conference Scheduling
We offer family conferences at times that accommodate working parents' schedules, including early morning, evening, and weekend options.
Weekly Newsletters
Our classroom newsletters provide information about current projects, upcoming events, and ways to extend learning at home during your family time together.
Teacher Consistency and Relationships
Children attending full-day programs benefit from consistent relationships with caregivers. At our Brookside campus:
- Each classroom has a consistent teaching team who know your child deeply
- Low teacher turnover creates stable relationships
- Substitute teachers are familiar faces who regularly work in our program
- Our mixed-age approach means children often stay with the same teaching team for multiple years
These consistent relationships provide the secure foundation children need to thrive in a full-day setting.
Supporting Transitions for Working Families
We recognize that mornings and evenings can be challenging times for working families. Our program supports smooth transitions through:
Morning Transition Support
- Gradual arrival window that accommodates varying work schedules
- Welcoming morning rituals that ease separation
- Comfort items from home that provide emotional security
- Partnership with parents to develop individualized arrival routines
Evening Reunion Support
- Documentation of daily experiences to facilitate parent-child conversation
- Unhurried pickup process that respects parent-child reunion
- Communication about significant moments from the day
- Practical support for gathering belongings and transitioning home
Enrollment and Tuition Information
Full-Day Program Tuition
Our transparent tuition structure includes all aspects of our program, with no hidden fees for meals, materials, or special activities. Please contact our office for current tuition rates, which vary depending on your child's age, schedule, and campus location.
Subsidy Program Acceptance
For program-assisted families, several key programs are available in California: The main programs include CalWORKs Child Care (Stages 1-3), California State Preschool Program (CSPP), and Alternative Payment Programs (APP). Our Brookside campus proudly accepts these subsidy programs, and our administrative team can assist families with application processes.
Enrollment Process
- Schedule a tour of our Brookside campus in Stockton
- Complete application materials
- Family meeting to ensure mutual fit
- Enrollment confirmation and welcome
- Personalized transition plan for your child's start date
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you maintain program quality during extended hours?
Our program is designed from the ground up as a full-day experience, not a half-day program with added hours. We maintain consistent staffing throughout the day, ensure appropriate teacher-to-child ratios at all times, and design our curriculum to flow naturally through the entire day. All teachers receive specific training in supporting children during full-day attendance.
What happens if I'm occasionally late for pickup due to work commitments?
We understand that work emergencies occasionally arise. We have a grace period for pick-up times and maintain staffing to accommodate occasional delays. For families who regularly need later pick-up times, we recommend our extended day option to ensure consistent expectations for your child.
How do you support children who may become tired or overwhelmed during a full day?
Our environment includes quiet spaces where children can take breaks when needed. Teachers are trained to recognize signs of fatigue or overstimulation and help children find appropriate ways to rest and recharge. Our schedule is designed with natural ebbs and flows that respect children's energy levels throughout the day.
Can I visit my child during my lunch break or other free time?
We welcome family visits! Many working parents occasionally join their children for lunch or a special activity when their schedule allows. These visits can be prearranged or spontaneous, and our open-door policy ensures you always feel welcome in your child's learning environment.
How does the rest/nap time work for children who don't nap?
All children participate in a quiet rest period that allows their bodies and minds to recharge. Children who do not sleep are provided with quiet activities after an appropriate rest period, while those who need sleep can nap for the duration of rest time. Our approach is individualized to each child's needs.
What if my work schedule changes? Can I adjust my child's attendance schedule?
We work with families to accommodate schedule changes whenever possible. Permanent schedule changes can typically be arranged with advance notice, and we do our best to accommodate temporary adjustments as needed.
Experience Our Brookside Full-Day Program
We invite working families to visit our Brookside campus and see our full-day program in action. Schedule a tour at a time that works with your work commitments—we offer early morning, evening, and weekend tour options to accommodate busy schedules.
Learn more about our programs and approach to nature-based education.