Welcome to Wonderland Family Homestead
Our Mission
At Wonderland Family Homestead, we strive to create a nurturing and educational environment for children and their families. Our goal is to learn how to do life together, embrace diversity, and foster a sense of community.
Welcome to Wonderland Family Homestead, a multigenerational, multicultural home in the heart of Lakewood CA serving children and their families as we learn how to do life together. Our focus is on providing a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment for children to learn, grow, and play. We believe in the importance of building strong relationships with both children and their families, and we strive to create a sense of community within our homestead. Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how we can support your family.
Program Offerings
We tailor our curriculum around the child's individual needs and their current developmental stage using infant/toddler Learning and Developmental Foundations or the Preschool Learning Foundations. We prepare our curriculum by looking at current research for how children learn best. An astounding amount of research supports that Play is the best way children learn. We are inspired by Reggio Emilia and use a combination of Emergent, Constructivist, Montessori, and Waldorf curriculums to ensure our methods are indivdualized to each child's needs.
Our Curriculum
Healthy Eating Habits
We understand the importance of healthy eating habits and provide nutritious meals for children. Our meals are prepared on-site using fresh and locally sourced ingredients. We provide two healthy snacks and lunch. If your child is here for extended hours, we also offer breakfast.
Our Philosophy
At Wonderland Family Homestead, we believe in sustainability and taking care of the environment. That's why we use organic compost in our garden and teach our children the importance of taking care of our planet. We believe children are capable and competent.
Multiage Education
It is our pedagogical belief that children learn best surround by other children of varying ages. It gives the children and the families we serve a strong sense of community. It also allows the staff to individualize curriculum to meet each child's individual needs. This type of individualized curriculum allows each child to move at their own pace to reach their developmental milestones. It has also been shown that such a caring, individual-emphasized, project-based community can improve student attitudes toward school and school work, decrease discipline referrals, increase attendance, and improve peer relations among students (Veeman, 1995)
Our Story
My name is Casey and I began my career at Cerritos College Child Development Center back in 2009. I received hands on
experience in an environment that viewed children as competent and capable individuals of society. Inspired by Reggio Emilia,
I quickly became intrigued by this concept of child lead and teacher facilitated play. In 2016, I had the honor of working with a
Reggio Inspired preschool in Long Beach where I consulted with different sites. I conducted Parent Education workshops on
current research behind Play as children's work. I then moved to the Los Alamitos School District and worked at McGaugh
Preschool where I developed a truer Emergent Curriculum inspired by Reggio Emilia as well as consulting with other sites in
the district and continuing to offer Education Workshops to the community. In 2021, my partners and I had triplets essentially
(Thats a whole other story on its own) Realizing we couldn't afford 3 infant tuitions, I made the decision to quit my job and
develop a home-based childcare.
I wanted to create a safe space for children to explore and discover the world around them. As money was tight, we began
cutting costs which lead to us building a garden, a compost, and attempting to live at a zero-waste lifestyle. In turn, these
have been huge proponents of our program. We recognize the importance of diversity and wanted to give families a safe place
to be themselves. My partners, Avery and Jessica, work as our Spanish immersion Teachers. Both my parents live with us and
assist as well. My mother ran a successful daycare in this same home for 10 years. She is our main sub and helps during nap
time and with meals. My dad is retired and helps out with groceries and cooking. This has been an exciting new journey for us
and we are honored to serve our community with high quality childcare.
Director/Owner
Casey Camberos-Tharp
I am deeply passionate about
teaching young children
because I believe that play is the
most natural and effective way
for them to learn. Watching
children discover new things,
reach new milestones, and
accomplish goals is incredibly
rewarding. There’s something
magical about seeing their faces
light up when they grasp a new
concept or solve a problem on
their own. I love creating an
environment where they feel
safe to explore, ask questions,
and grow at their own pace.
Being a part of their early
learning journey is a privilege,
and I’m committed to fostering
curiosity, creativity, and a love
for learning in every child I teach
2024 MS Human Development:
Leadership in Education and Human
Services
Certified Echo Trauma-Informed Non-
Violent Parent Educator
Certified Outdoor Classroom Specialist
Expeirence presenting in workshops
and conferences
Exchange Leader with Exchange Press
10 years' experience mentoring and
coaching
4 years' experience as a California State
Teacher Mentor
Meet The Team
Owner and Director
Casey
She/her
Avery
They/them
Spanish Immersion Teacher
Jessica
She/Her
Spanish Immersion Teacher
Teacher
Carolyn (Mimi)
She/Her
Steve (Papa)
He/Him
On Call Substitute
Schedule and Hours of Operation
Wonderland follows the Long
Beach Unified School District
Calendar Year.
- 2024-2025 Calendar year runs
from August 26th 2024-June
13th 2025
September - Labor Day
November - Veteran's Day
November - Fall Recess
December-January - Winter Recess
January - MLK day
February- Lincoln Day
February - Washington Day
April - Admissions Day
April - Spring Recess
May- Memorial Day
June 19 - Juneteenth
Please see Family Handbook for specific Dates
off
Our operating hours are 8:00am
- 4:30pm
We accept 5 days per week, 3
days per week, and 2 days per
week schedule.
- CHS funding accepted
Holidays ,
Special Dates Recognized
The #1 childcare software
Meet brightwheel, a window into your
child’s day
My son just started daycare and I was so nervous, but being able to see the pictures and
different notes about him from the teacher and being able to message them back gives me
peace of mind. I love it!
Our center has partnered with brightwheel, the leading early education app, to help us deliver an enriching childcare experience for your family.
Greater visibility into your child’s day with photos, videos, and progress updates
An easier way to stay connected to your child’s
learning and development
A safer environment for your child through
contactless check-in/check-out and health screens
Convenient online tuition payments and easy
access to your statements
brightwheel is trusted by millions of educators and families
Six things that make us different than your
average Family Childcare provider
- We believe anything that can
be done inside, can also be
done outside. Our main
classroom is outside.
- Outdoor Clasroom
- We have expanded our garden
and practice year round garden
to table meals.
- Garden to Table
- All children develop at their
own pace and no family should
pay financially to respect their
child’s biological development
- No diaper fees
- We believe learning takes place everywhere and taking the kids on weekly trips to the park, library, community gardens, or nature center is a part of that.
- Weekly Outings
- We don’t require your kiddo to
attend year-round. Even if you
don’t attend summer camp,
your school year spot is still
saved.
- Summer Camp is Optional
- Raising children takes a
villiage. We will always be
apart of your extended tribe.
- More than childcare...We are
your Tribe for life
Calendar
Weekly
Meal Menu
Tuition
Wonderland Family Homestead
follows the LBUSD calendar year. We
are closed for two weeks in the
summer. Summer Camp is optional
and not mandatory to save your
child’s fall spot for the following year.
- Federal and State Holidays (Please
see calendar) are not included in
tutition price.
- We work hard to respect all families
different pay schedules. Some families are
paid once a month, bi-monthly, or every
week. We will work individually with each
family to set a tuition schedule that is
optimal for your family and Wonderland.
- Tuition is based on your child’s saved spot in our program and not based on child’s attendance. If your child is ill or you take them on vacation, their spot still remains saved for them. Tuition covers your child’s spot in our ratio and not their actually days of attendance.
Availalbe
Tuition Payment Options
Tuition Rates
6 weeks - 24 months old
Infant
Tuition
Weekly Tuition Fees*
5 Days per Week: $450
3 Days per Week: $285
2 Days per Week: $200
Preschool
Tuition
24 months - 5 years old
Weekly Tuition Fees*
5 Days per Week: $400
3 Days per Week: $255
2 Days per Week: $180
*Fees subject to change
Includes:
- Care 8am-4:30pm
- Wipes
- Healthy Meals & Snack
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito Spray
- Water Bottle
- Daily pictures/video
- Low ratio of 1:4
- We don’t envision any openings until Summer 2025. If you
are interested in joining our waitlist, please complete the
following google form and we will reach out to set up a tour.
Join Our Waitlist