Lil Tots Wonderschool

Our Teachers

Hello! I am Zanita Cato, the founder of Lil Tots Child Care Center which opened March 1, 2000. I graduated with an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education from The Community College of Denver in 1983 and have over 30 years of experience in the child care sector starting out in Denver Public Schools as a paraprofessional. After that I joined Ivy Street Childcare as a director and then served as assistant director at Children’s Castle before starting my own in-home program. I was inspired to start my program by my mother, Evelyn, who was herself a childcare provider.

My daughter, LaToya, is my assistant director. She received her Directors and ECE GL/Preschool certificate from the Community College of Denver in 2009 and a BA in Speech Communications in 2012 from Metro State University. LaToya has over 23 years of experience working with me both at my in-home childcare program and at Lil Tots–she was also a paraprofessional at DPS.

Philosophy

Lil Tots Wonderschool is a childcare center in Denver, CO focused on providing high quality preschool care to children ages two-and-a-half and older. At Lil Tots, we focus on play-based activities that allow children to follow their own curiosities and explore the world around them through art, make believe, and play with materials like blocks and other manipulatives.

Our philosophy is that a truly high quality center provides excellent early childhood care, education a high level of health & safety, as well as opportunities for parent education & involvement.

Warm, supportive, and respectful relationships between adults and children lie at the heart of an effective partnership between parent and school. We believe that early care and education centers can and must be the place where children, parents & caregivers, and teachers alike can feel a sense of belonging and safety. These are the key values of our program.

Location

Lil Tots Wonderschool is located in a large single family home in the Park Hill neighborhood.

We’ve designed our care environment with play and learning areas that allow children to explore various developmentally-appropriate activities based on their interests. Some of our favorite areas include music and movement area (for physical activity and cultural learning), art area (for expressing emotions and ideas), and block area (for gross motor skills and problem solving).

Children will spend about half of their time outdoors in my private yard or outdoor space. Connecting with nature is vital to a child’s happiness and growth.

At Lil Tot’s Wonderschool, I want to provide a loving home away from home.

About our program

Mission: To provide an in-home experience in a structured environment that provides an emphasis around early childhood education for children ages 2.5 to 12.

Vision: To work in partnership with families and our community to provide a developmentally appropriate learning community which promotes and supports the growth of the “whole child” and instills a love of learning.