Early Learning Institute

08/20/2026

DID YOU KNOW?!
Despite the many benefits of preschool to children under the age of 5, less that 50% of eligible children attend?
While numbers have improved over the last few years, preschool attendance has yet to recover back to pre-pandemic levels, which were estimated to be nearly 60%.

08/18/2026

A huge "Thank You!" to the for hosting our Parents As Teachers program!
Every month, the Parents As Teachers program ventures out into the community for an activity that helps foster not only a rich learning environment, but strong family relationships. If you would like to learn more about this program, visit https://www.earlylearninginstitute.com/parentsasteachers

It will be hard to top being able to pet bunnies.

08/17/2026

Time for another WHAT DOES IT COST!

Whenever records are being set for spending and earning eyebrow-raising amounts of money, we often like to try and conceptualize it through the lens of Early Childhood services. In the past this has been athletic contracts, Government spending, Super Bowl advertising costs, and even one man's astronomical net worth.
Today, we take a look at the big news from last week: The sale of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The California Budget and Policy Center currently estimates that the average cost PER CHILD receiving Early intervention services in California for an entire year is approximately $11,000. That means that for the cost of the Los Angeles Lakers, which was for a whopping 12.5 Billion dollars, you could provide Early intervention services to 1,136,363 children.
To put this into perspective, there are "only" 60,000 to 100,000 children receiving Early Intervention services in California. So you could basically fund all of California's Early Intervention services at it's current level for more than a decade for the price of the Lakers.
Sadly though, babies do not win Championship rings...at least for 20+ years. Longer if you are a fan of the 49ers.

08/14/2026

A very special "Happy Anniversary" to our one and only Evelia!
20 years of serving our community and families at ELI.
Where does the time go!?

08/13/2026

Sometimes, all the tips simply are not enough.
If you find that there is no improvement when it comes to dropping off your little one for school, it might be time to seek professional help...and wouldn't you know it, ELI has a program that can do that!
The Consultation Project, which gives specialized help to the families of children facing challenging behavioral issues, can work with your educators to come up with effective drop off plans and strategies to help ease the home to school transition. As we've said before, all children are different, so why not have a plan customized to fit your need?
To learn more about The Consultation Project, visit https://www.earlylearninginstitute.com/theconsultationproject

08/12/2026

To sneak out...or NOT to sneak out. That is the question.
If you ask 10 parents for advice on how to avoid a meltdown during drop off, you will most likely get 10 different answers.
The truth is that every child is different, and there is no one size fits all solution...BUT that does not mean there is nothing you can do to increase your chances for a smooth escape.
Back in 2022 (where does the time go?), our Ask Nana blog received a question about a similar situation, and the tips shared still ring true today. It all starts with expectations.
You can find it here- https://www.earlylearninginstitute.com/an-3112022

ASK NANAMarch 11th, 2022A Fellow Nana Struggles To Avoid A Goodbye Meltdown Dear Nana,I have a very close relationship with my 3 year old grandson Noah. I watch him on days that both his parents work. My daughter started bringing him to church. We have a problem after church because he pitches a cry...

08/10/2026

The dreaded "goodbye."
Whether it is dropping off your child for the first time for preschool, daycare, or even a weekend with Grandparents, tears are usually inevitable...and NOT just from the child!
With school just around the corner, many parents are going to experience their first goodbye, and the broken heart that comes with it. While we will be sharing strategies this month that help ease the hand off, we want to start out by letting parents know it is normal to feel these feelings. Tears are so common, and we recommend parents read this wonderful letter titled "To the Heartbroken Mom at Her First Daycare Drop-Off" by ParentCo, as it captures so many thoughts perfectly.
https://www.parent.com/blogs/conversations/2023-to-the-heartbroken-mom-at-her-first-daycare-drop-off

08/07/2026

The fight continues...

08/04/2026

As we creep into August, parents begin to panic-I MEAN PREPARE for the first day of school. This month, we will touch on many of the challenges, chief among them the dreaded goodbye!