FAQs

First School operates four licensed childcare centers and preschools conveniently located throughout the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California. Our campuses are in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, La Quinta, and Palm Desert — making us one of the most accessible preschool and daycare options in the area.

First School is one of the leading private preschool and childcare centers in Riverside County. What sets us apart is our balanced curriculum that blends academic instruction with social-emotional development — all delivered in a safe, fun, and nurturing environment. All staff are certified in Pediatric CPR and California Childcare Preventive Health and Safety. We are also proud to be a bilingual center — Nosotros Hablamos Español.

Yes. All four First School campuses are fully licensed by the State of California and operate in compliance with California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing regulations. Our centers meet all state requirements for early childhood education, teacher qualifications, and child safety standards.

We welcome children starting as young as 18–24 months through pre-kindergarten age (approximately 5 years). Specifically:

• First School Palm Springs and First School Palm Desert enroll children from 24 months through the pre-kindergarten years.
• First School La Quinta accepts children as young as 18 months (full-time enrollment required for 18-month-olds) through the pre-kindergarten years.

You can begin the enrollment process by visiting our website at firstschool.net and clicking Enroll Now, or by calling your nearest campus directly. We also encourage families to schedule an in-person campus tour before enrolling so you can experience our classrooms and meet our teachers firsthand.

Availability varies by campus and age group. We recommend contacting your preferred location as early as possible to check current openings. You can call, email, or book a tour directly through our website to discuss enrollment options with our team.

Yes. All campuses offer part-weekly full-day enrollment, giving families the flexibility to choose 2, 3, 4, or 5 days per week depending on your schedule and your child's needs. Please note that we do not offer morning-only or afternoon-only half-day splits — see the Schedules section for the full explanation.

Yes we do! All four First School of the Desert programs have always accepted children 18–35 months that are not yet potty trained. We have a diaper changing policy that has been reviewed and approved by the State of California and consequently it allows us to provide this service to families. It is our belief that toilet training is a delicate process and must be handled with a great deal of sensitivity. The First School staff has been trained to facilitate and promote successful toilet training.

All four campuses operate Monday through Friday, 12 months a year. Hours by location:

We offer flexible part-weekly and full-time schedules. Here is a summary by campus:

First School does not offer a half-day (morning-only or afternoon-only) split schedule. This is a deliberate choice rooted in our commitment to educational quality. Our reasons include:

• Educational Focus: Our primary aim is to administer a comprehensive curriculum designed to achieve realistic developmental, academic, and social skill goals. Offering full days is the most effective way for us to meet these objectives.
• Curriculum Continuity: Half-day programs introduce awkward breaks in the delivery of our daily curriculum. Managing separate morning and afternoon sessions disrupts the teaching flow and compromises educational quality.
• Logistical Challenges: Having a morning group requires having an afternoon group to maintain income flow. We would also need to repeat educational units or subject full-time students to the same lessons twice to accommodate part-time students.
• Demand and Pricing Issues: Mornings are generally in higher demand than afternoons, presenting fairness and pricing challenges.

Instead, we offer a part-weekly full-day schedule — meaning your child attends full days on the days you choose. This preserves the integrity of our curriculum while giving families the flexibility they need.

Yes — all First School campuses are open 12 months a year, Monday through Friday. We do not close for any extended period of time. We are first and foremost early childhood education specialists, but our program exists to serve your family's childcare needs as well. We do observe select national holidays and close briefly for our annual Pre-K Graduation ceremony. See the holiday schedule below for details.

We follow a developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to help children reach realistic academic, developmental, and social skill goals. Our program balances structured academic instruction — including early literacy, numeracy, and language development — with hands-on play-based learning and social-emotional skill building. Our goal is simple: children learn best when they are happy, engaged, and having fun.

Our preschool program serves children from approximately 18–24 months through age 3, focusing on foundational social, motor, and early language development. Our Pre-K (pre-kindergarten) program is designed for children ages 4–5 and focuses on school-readiness skills including early reading, writing, numbers, and social independence to prepare children for a smooth transition into kindergarten.

Our pre-kindergarten curriculum is specifically designed with kindergarten readiness in mind. By the time children graduate from our Pre-K program, they are equipped with foundational literacy and math skills, strong social-emotional competencies, classroom behavioral habits, and the confidence and independence needed to thrive in a kindergarten environment.

Yes. Our curriculum incorporates a rich variety of enrichment activities including arts and crafts, music, movement, outdoor play, and imaginative learning. These activities are integral to our developmental approach — not optional extras — because we believe a well-rounded early childhood experience produces the most confident and capable young learners.

Our campuses are bilingual environments — Nosotros Hablamos Español. Spanish-speaking staff are available at all locations, and children in our care are exposed to a bilingual setting as part of their daily experience.

We have elected not to provide lunches in our programs. Cost constraints coupled with limited client participation have guided us away from this service. Parents are responsible for packing a nutritious lunch each school day as well as a morning and afternoon snack.

We maintain a 6:1 ratio (six children per teacher) in our toddler classrooms for children 18 months of age. In all preschool classrooms, we maintain a 12:1 ratio (twelve children per teacher). These ratios ensure every child receives appropriate individual attention and supervision throughout the day.

All First School teachers must meet California state licensing requirements, which mandate a minimum of 12 Early Childhood Development (ECD) units recognized by the State of California. Beyond the state minimum, First School requires prior teaching experience in a quality early childhood setting and places strong emphasis on ongoing professional development.

Most of our teachers come from right here in the Coachella Valley. College of the Desert has an excellent Early Childhood Development program that routinely produces educated teachers. When we conduct a teacher search, we interview extensively, conduct careful reference checks, and obtain both Department of Justice and FBI clearances before hiring any staff member.

Child safety is our highest priority. All staff members are certified in Pediatric CPR and California Childcare Preventive Health and Safety. Our facilities are California-licensed and inspected, and we maintain strict drop-off and pick-up security protocols. We adhere to California immunization requirements and maintain health and hygiene standards throughout our classrooms.

Additionally, all First School employees are fingerprinted and must receive clearances from both the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before being permitted to work at any of our facilities.

To protect all children and staff in our care, children who are ill — including those with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or contagious infections — must remain home until they are symptom-free and cleared to return. We follow all California childcare health and safety guidelines regarding illness exclusion and notification. Please contact your campus directly for the full health policy details.

Yes. California law requires all children enrolled in licensed childcare and preschool facilities to be up to date on their immunizations. First School complies fully with California's immunization requirements. You can find the current California immunization schedule on our website under the Resources section.

Tuition varies by campus, age group, and schedule (number of days per week). We encourage you to contact your nearest First School campus directly for current tuition rates. Our team will walk you through all available schedule options and associated costs so you can find the best fit for your family's budget and needs.

Tuition payments are due on the first of each month and must be received on or before the fifth of each month. Accounts not paid by the fifth will be assessed an administration (late) fee. First School will consider special payment plans for families whose personal situations require such an arrangement — all special payment plans are handled on a discreet basis and require approval by the owners of First School of the Desert. This provision applies to both private and subsidized payment programs.

We understand that quality childcare is a significant investment for families. Please contact your nearest campus to discuss available payment options. Families in Riverside County may also be eligible for subsidized childcare assistance through state and county programs. The Riverside County Office of Education administers several programs that may offset childcare costs for qualifying families.

We appreciate this question and are sorry to inform you that there is no multiple-child discount. The reason we do not offer a sibling discount is because we choose not to inflate our base rates in order to offset subsidies. Our tuition rates are kept as fair and low as possible for all families from the outset.

We provide a modest once-a-year vacation credit of 10 percent of one month's tuition for absences of two consecutive weeks or more. This credit is modest due to the fact that our tuition rates are kept low and First School cannot fully recoup income from a student's absence.

First School offers a convenient online payment option. You can pay your tuition securely through our Online Payment Center at firstschool.net. For questions about billing or payment methods, please contact your campus directly.

Absolutely — and we encourage it! Visiting in person is the best way to experience our classrooms, meet our teachers, and see why so many Coachella Valley families choose First School. You can book a campus tour easily at firstschool.tourtheschool.com or by calling your nearest location.

When touring, no documents are required — just come ready with your questions! For enrollment, you will typically need your child's immunization records, birth certificate, and completed enrollment forms. Our administrative team will guide you through the full enrollment checklist when you schedule your visit.

You can reach each of our campuses directly by phone: