At Bend Relocation Services, we are used to handling questions from young families about child-friendly activities, education, and entertainment in the area. If you’re going to move your growing family to a new city, it’s important to make sure your young one(s) will thrive there. And while Bend has plenty to offer families of all kinds, for this guide we wanted to focus specifically on care and education for the little ones.
Let’s take a look at the best daycare and preschool options in Bend, what to look for, and what you can expect when it comes to costs, age ranges, and more.
What to Look for in a Preschool or Daycare
- Always try to see a daycare or preschool in action before making any decisions. Watch how adults interact with kids, how kids are disciplined, and the general vibe of the rooms when children are there. Harvard has an in-depth guide on what to look for when touring places like preschools, and it’s well worth a read. You can also ask for references or look for testimonials if you want to gather a bit more information.
- The wait lists for the popular daycares and preschools can be long, often months and even years in advance. That’s why it’s important to start doing research very early on if you are planning on moving here and try to get on the wait lists of the centers that are on the top of your own list.
- Think about location – not just from your home or work, but also the distance from parks, paths, and other places for activities. Depending on your schedule, you may also want your facility to be near a grocery store, a dog park, or more.
- Bend Parks & Recreation does have a certain number of activities for small children, and places like Mt. Bachelor may also offer classes or events designed for younger kids. Other organizations in the area may offer camps or sports tailored to preschool ages. Once again, spots in these programs tend to fill up immediately and wait lists can be long, so it’s important to get online and start signing up ASAP.
- Keep in mind the major educational philosophies of preschools, like Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, play-based, and so on. If one of these is important to you, look for a center that specializes in this approach. Even if you don’t have a particular philosophy in mind, it’s a good idea to ask about how any preschool treats education, and what their goals are for attendees.
- Other popular questions parents like to ask include reading goals (if any), how much play time is provided, and how teachers deal with discipline issues and social or emotional challenges. You may also want to ask about things like sickness policies and turnover rate among the staff. The best schools are used to fielding questions like these from parents!
- While the best daycares in the city typically have this covered, parents should also check that all caregivers are certified, that spaces are fully child-proofed, and that there’s a low child-to-caregiver ratio at the daycare. Parents may also want to ask about daycare schedules and how the day is structured for children, since different centers have different approaches.
- If you’re looking for a specialized type of care, don’t hesitate to ask around and do a more in-depth search. For just one example, Bend Immersion Preschool is a sign language-based option designed for kids who may have speech difficulties or will need to start learning sign language to communicate.
- While our list is a great place to start, you can find other listings for even more comprehensive options on sites like Winnie or Wonderschool. These are good places to look for additional daycare options to fit your specific needs. It’s also a good idea to look at local listings, which is where many nannies and at-home babysitters will advertise their services.
- Bend is an incredibly pet-friendly city, but we know that young ones are still developing relationships with pets and can have varying levels of excitement – or fear. If other people’s pets are a concern when you’re looking for a daycare, make sure to mention it and ask about pet policies, if other parents bring their pets to the daycare, and so on.
Daycares & Preschools in Bend, Oregon
Toddle’s Preschool
Type: Preschool
About: A preschool focused on learning through play and hands-on experiences with a 3,500-square-foot schoolhouse. It recently was a top pick in Bend Source’s reader poll.
Age range: 2 to 6 years old
Location: 19530 Amber Meadow Drive, Suite 100 Bend, OR 97702
Pricing info: One day a week at $340, five days a week at $1,020, with half day options available
Cottage Day Care
Type: Daycare, preschool, kindergarten
About: An affordable daycare option located near Central Oregon Pediatrics with a range of services, and one of the top picks for preschool from Bend Source Weekly’s latest polling.
Age range: 30 months to 5 years old
Location: 1415 NE Williamson Blvd. Bend, OR 97701
Pricing info: $10 hourly, $900 per month
Bloom Children’s Center
Type: Preschool and childcare
About: Bloom focuses on multi-year advancement through their classes, and caregivers typically move along with their cohorts, so kids continue to see a friendly face and make friends.
Age range: Infants to 12 years old, although cohorts are generally available from infants to 5 years
Location: 63455 N Hwy 97 #29, Bend, OR 97702
Pricing info: Rates vary based on cohort and days per week. Two days a week is around $1,000, five days a week is around $2,000.
Growing Tree Children’s Center
Type: Preschool
About: A non-profit childhood education center with a variety of programs for different ages, with a focus on socio-emotional, cognitive, and physical growth.
Age range: Infant to 4 years old
Location: 1080 NE 4th Street Bend Oregon 97701
Pricing info: Varies by cohort age, around $1,000 for five days a week, $600 for one day a week.
Seven Peaks School Preschool
Type: Preschool
About: A inquiry-based program for young children with plenty of attention to detail, and exposure to a variety of student ages around the school.
Age range: 3+ years old
Location: 19660 Mountaineer Way Bend, OR 97702
Pricing info: $11,346 annually
NeighborImpact Head Start
Type: Preschool
About: A program designed for vulnerable and at-risk children that includes critical services like health checks, meals, and family advocacy.
Age range: 3 to 5 years old
Location: Multiple locations in Bend, Redmond, Prineville, and La Pine
Pricing info: N/A – Apply for eligibility
School of Enrichment
Type: Preschool
About: A multi-sensory approach to education that includes learning readiness and individualized child development with a 5-star rating from the Oregon Quality Rating and Improvement System for childcare.
Age range: 2.5 to 6 years old
Location: 1880 NE Butler Market Rd. Bend, Oregon 97701
Pricing info: $783 monthly for two days a week, $1189 monthly for four days a week
Mama Bear Oden’s Eco Kidz
Type: Preschool/Kindergarten
About: A nature-based, hands-on preschool option with techniques inspired by a variety of approaches, including Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emelia, with monthly themes and a wide variety of activity options.
Age range: 3 to 6 years old
Location: 105 SW Hayes Ave., Suite B, Bend, Oregon
Pricing info: Contact for more information.
Rainbow Express
Type: Preschool
About: A preschool program that blends Learning With Tears and Zoo-phonics approaches to introduce children to a variety of activities and groups, with a focus on keeping class sizes under 12 students.
Age range: 3 to 4 years old
Location: 21300 Bear Creek Road Bend, OR 97701
Pricing info: Contact for more information.
Sunrise Preschool
Type: Preschool
About: A preschool with an emphasis on parent participation and a structured beginning school experience that works to balance freedom and guidance within a daily schedule. While located at a Presbyterian Church, the preschool is secular and independent.
Age range: 3 to 5 years old
Location: 230 NE 9th Street Bend, OR 97702
Pricing info: Apply for more information
Red Wagon
Type: Preschool
About: A preschool focused on a research-based program called Mother Goose Time with inspirations from Montessori.
Age range: 3 to 5 years old
Location: 352 NE Kearney Bend, Or 97701
Pricing info: Two days per week at $600, five days per week at $1,000
Cobblestone Children’s Center
Type: Preschool
About: A combination of learning and an active, social environment that includes a full meal plan.
Age range: 3 to 12 years old
Location: 63176 Watercress Way, Bend, OR 97701
Pricing info: Contact for more information
Bend Preschool
Type: Preschool and childcare center
About: A holistic preschool option with plenty of focus on social emotional development, as well as Kindergarten prep and group playtime.
Age range: 24 months to 5 years
Location: Two locations near Pilot Butte and Galveston
Pricing info: Contact to learn more, programs available for low-income families
Get In-Depth Help with Bend Relocation Services
Are you interested in learning more? Whether you want to look at school options for older kids, find a kid-friendly rental, or even look into services like corporate team relocation, we can help! Take a look at what we offer, and drop us a message to ask any questions that you want about Bend and how we can make your move easier.
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