Happy Lil' Campers

Our Teachers

Hi, my name Desiree Carbajal, founder of Happy Lil’ Campers daycare Wonderschool. As a mother of 3 children, understanding the importance of quality childcare is my specialty.  

The inspiration to start my own childcare, stems from the love of working with young children and having studied child development extensively. I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development, with a concentration in early childhood education from Pacific Oaks College and a Master of Science degree in Child Development from the University of La Verne in 2021.  Along with my education, is the 10 + years of professional experience working in a classroom with young children.  I’ve taken bits and pieces from each setting I’ve worked in, and combined it with my education to create an environment that is rich in fostering the learning style and needs of the children in my care. 

Testimonials

“Miss Desiree goes above and beyond what you would hope to get from a daycare teacher. As parents of five children, we have had our fair share of experience with different facilities, daycare centers, Montessori’s, private schools, and different teaching methods. Miss Desiree truly encompasses the whole-child development approach, which is so important to us. She emphasizes learning through play with structure. But her best quality is that she truly and wholeheartedly cares for all children she works with. Our daughter has special needs and Miss Desiree went beyond anything we could have ever imagined when caring for her. When you leave your child with Miss Desiree, you know you’re leaving them with someone who TRULY understands and cares about the individual needs of each and every child.” - The Medrano Family

“We are so grateful for the time our daughter spent with Desiree as a caregiver. From an infant to a toddler, she was with us every “baby step” of the way, always bringing us thoughtful developmental exercises and new ways to help our child expand her creativity.”-Stacey

“Before starting her own daycare, Ms. Desiree was our daughter’s teacher from 2-4 years old at a preschool in Los Angeles. She has a passion for children’s education, not only taking great care of the kid’s basic needs, but also going above and beyond to make sure that children are thriving in a fun, safe, and enriching environment. We were so excited to hear that she is now running her own daycare!”- Emily E., Encino

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Philosophy

Our onboarding philosophy is RIE inspired for infants, while our additional philosophy emphasizes creating a safe and caring community of young explorers in a play-based environment. We believe in allowing children to learn through doing, invent through making, and solve problems together, fostering engagement and magic through a space driven by their interests and ideas.

About our program

Here at Happy Lil’ Campers childcare, we believe that the first years of a child’s life are the most important to establish their social-emotional and intellectual development. We believe in treating children with the utmost respect and nurturing the whole child. We value play and believe that the environment becomes another teacher and strive to cultivate an environment that is filled with provocations that will entice inquiry and innovation. We incorporate the concepts of math, science, engineering, art, social sciences and early literacy through our play-based, child-led curriculum. We use the interests and ideas of the children as a jumping off place. The materials are open-ended and invite discovery. Children make their own investigations and draw their own conclusions whenever possible.

Admissions

Join the Happy Lil’ Campers community in three easy steps:

1. Explore our website

We’ve provided information about our philosophies and offerings to help you decide if our program may be right for your family.

2. Tour our program

Come see what makes Happy lil’ Campers unique. If we are currently hosting tours, you can request or schedule a tour at the top of this page. If we are not currently hosting tours, you’ll see a “Request Info” button at the top of this page; if you submit your information using this button, we will notify you when we start host tours again in the future.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application at www.wonderschool.com/happy-lil’-campers-8788/apply – note that we require tours for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not visited the program.

4. Enroll

Upon reviewing your application, we will send an invitation for enrollment where you will be able to pay the enrollment fee, fill out documents, and read the parent handbook.