Over the Rainbow Childcare

Our Teachers

Scarlett Flores-Davila, Director & Head Teacher

Scarlett was born in Managua, Nicaragua. She emigrated to the United States at an early age to be reunited with her mother, who owned a home-based childcare. Scarlett grew up in the program and loved helping her mother during the summer and winter breaks. Scarlett’s mother decided to retire after 23 years of working in the community and passed on her knowledge to Scarlett.

Before starting Over the Rainbow Childcare, Scarlett worked as a Medical Assistant at a pediatric clinic and held a position in Family Children Services. She was inspired by her own children (who are now 15- and 10-years-old) to open her own childcare and support her community just like her mother did.

Scarlett is currently earning her Associate’s degree in Child Development and studying Child Development at San Francisco City College. She also has some early childhood education credits.

She is eager and passionate to help the community through her childcare. She believes it is vital for children to grow in a fun, fulfilling, and enriching environment.

Zero the Hero, Class Pet

We are joined in the classroom by Zero the Hero, our gentle pup. Zero is a hypoallergenic dog and loves playing with the children. He is a member of the classroom, although most of the time he enjoys sleeping in his nest upstairs.

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Testimonials

“From our first visit, it was obvious that Scarlett was warm, loving, and invested in the happiness and well-being of the kids in her care. Her space is open and welcoming, with room to crawl, play, do art, etc. The mixed-age aspect has also been really nice. While at first we were nervous about having our baby be the youngest there, it turns out that has learned a lot from the “big girls” (2-3 years old), who are so sweet with her.  I feel so lucky to have found Scarlett. I know that our daughter is so well taken care of, safe, and loved” -Nicole A.

“She uses a play based model, which works so well with the smaller kids, and incorporates some light academic work and outdoor activities like gardening and community outings. She is straight forward and genuinely cares about the kids and their families. If you are looking for a nurturing, clean and easy going environment Over The Rainbow is worth looking into” -Luba B.

“Scarlett just loves children and truly takes care of all the children in her program like they were her own. Our little girl was not only well taken care of, but learned many skills in Scarlett’s care. Scarlett worked with her on tummy time, sitting, and holding her bottle to drink. Our baby also developed her social skills thanks to Scarlett, the older kids in the program, and daily activities such as singing, going on neighborhood walks, and spending time in the garden. I highly recommend this program for even the littlest babies!” Helena J.

Philosophy

At Over the Rainbow Childcare, I am committed to providing the best quality care possible. I feel the family home environment fosters love and acceptance and is an extension of the family unit. I want children to feel at home when they are in my care. I believe children need to be treated as individuals and feel safe and secure, with opportunities for learning through play, interacting with others, and being involved in making decisions.

Play enables children to learn, so I strive to have play-based, stimulating, hands-on environment that offers opportunities to explore, discover, create, and promote positive self-esteem. Play fosters qualities such as curiosity, perseverance, and risk-taking, to name a few. It is believed these qualities motivate lifelong learners but are difficult to invoke if not self-discovered when young.

Language at Over the Rainbow:

Children are like little sponges when it comes to absorbing a foreign language. Speaking a second language is beneficial for them in many ways in the present and future.

We are a bilingual Spanish speaking school. We practice Spanish through reading, singing, and speaking to provide fluency in both English and Spanish.

Mixed-Age Education

Over the Rainbow Childcare is a small school with no more than 6 students in attendance. We believe a mixed age group is beneficial to both ‘little caterpillars’ and ‘big butterflies’: little caterpillars take cues from their older counterparts and big butterflies love the responsibility of leading by example. We also take steps to make sure that both groups are receiving all the support they need.

Location

Over the Rainbow is located in the beautiful town homes at Parkmerced with a private entrance to our home and access to a back patio.

The community is nestled on more than 152 acres complete with beautiful tree lined streets, lush lawns, and abundant gardens. Parkmerced is surrounded by Lake Merced to the West, San Francisco State University to the North, the San Francisco Golf Club to the South and the Oceanview and Ingleside neighborhoods to the East.

Children venture out at least once a week to explore the beauty of nature and community of our neighborhood. Our back patio designed for children to connect with nature so they can enjoy all its offerings.

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About our program

At Over the Rainbow our goal is to provide a “Home Away From Home” for all children in our care. We are play-based partial Spanish immersion. Our mission is to provide a place where kids love to spend time learning, growing, and exploring. A place where parents feel great about leaving their child while they are away from them.

I am dedicated to creating a warm and nurturing atmosphere that allows children to develop at their own unique rate. Children need to feel safe and confident in order to learn and grow. At Over the Rainbow I work towards cultivating a positive, fun environment by treating each child with respect and providing lots of loving individual attention.

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Admissions

Join the Over the Rainbow Childcare community in four 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 school

Come see what makes Over the Rainbow Childcare unique. Please schedule a tour by filling out the “Schedule Tour” form.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application. Please note that we require tours for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not toured.

4. Enroll

After reviewing your application, we’ll send an enrollment invitation. Upon accepting your invitation, you’ll pay your deposit (usually equal to one month’s tuition), fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.

Tuition rate remains the same and does not change when a child gets older.