Frequently Asked Questions

In NY we offer programs for students 3 months to 5 years old ● Infant Program: 3 months to 1 year old ● Toddler Program: 1 year to 2 years old ● Preschool Program: 2 years to 5 years old In Santa Monica we offer programs for students 18 months to 5 years old ● Toddler Program: 18 months to 2.5 years old ● Preschool Program: 2.5 years to 5 years old

Our programs start in September each year and families are welcome to pre-register starting in January to reserve their spots. Due to limited capacity, we recommend reserving your spot as soon as you are able to. Our programs operate on a September to June school year (10 months) schedule and enrollments are accepted on a rolling basis, subject to availability. Programs run 5 days a week (Monday to Friday), 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and 2 days a week (Tuesday and Thursday). Half day and full day schedules available and additional options for early drop-off at 8am and late pick-up.

At Big and Tiny, we accept applications and offer admission decisions on a rolling basis for all programs upon availability. ​ To learn more about our programs, team and facilities, please submit an inquiry form on our website and schedule an in-person or virtual tour. After the tour, you will receive a link to apply to our programs and pay a $50 non-refundable fee. If accepted, families will receive an enrollment agreement. You then have two weeks to review, ask questions and sign the document in order to enroll your child. Payment of 10% of tuition must be paid at the time you submit the contract. ​ ​​ Big and Tiny is an inclusive program that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender identification, religion, sexual orientation, disability, cultural heritage, political beliefs, marital status, or ethnic origin.

Please fill out an inquiry form so that we may send you additional information about the program, pricing, and registration/enrollment process.

A 10% of the full year tuition is due upon registration (this is equivalent to one month's tuition). This deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Tuition payments can be made in one, two or nine installments. If a child is enrolled after the beginning of the school year (September), the year tuition will be prorated according to the months left for the school year. ​ When enrolling siblings, Big and Tiny applies a 10% discount to each additional sibling’s tuition only for the duration of siblings’ concurrent enrollment. Tuition is due in advance with no deductions for any absences, travel, holidays, illness or closures due to inclement weather, power outages, or other situations beyond our control. We also don’t allow any holds on tuition for these circumstances.

Yes, it is possible that some programs are unavailable at some of our locations. To learn what programs are available at the location nearest to you visit our locations tabs.

Separation is undoubtedly one of the most important and difficult developmental processes for both children and parents, and can take anywhere from one day to several weeks to overcome. While some children experience an easy transition, others have a much harder time adjusting. The majority of children fall somewhere in between. Prior to your tiny one’s start with our program, our educators will create a personalized plan with your family to identify which best practices are most appropriate for your unique situation to ensure a successful separation process where both parent and child feel comfortable.

Our classes have the following compositions: ● Infant Program: 4 infants per teacher (offered in NY only) ● Toddler Program: 6 toddlers per teacher ● Twos Program: 8 twos per teacher ● Preschool Program: 12 preschoolers per teacher ● Summer Camp: 12 campers per teacher The composition can be slightly different for each location depending on the regulations set by the state the studio is located in.

Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm in Santa Monica and until 6 pm in NY. Weekend programs change by session. Check our Weekends page to learn more. Timings at individual studios may be different. For timings at the location nearest to you visit our studios page

We have a team of expert educators and master teaching artists hand-picked by our Founder, Keltse. They all are trained in First Aid and CPR and have extensive experience in early childhood education. Every educator who interacts with your child is required to pass a background check.

Your child will be assigned an experienced teacher who will create a learning environment where children will be allowed to explore their passions. Students at Big and Tiny learn by doing, carrying out questions, investigations, and finding solutions. Our emergent Reggio Emilia curriculum is based on the interests of the children and positions the child as an active participant. Students construct their own knowledge through a carefully planned curriculum that engages and builds upon the child's current knowledge.

Big and Tiny seeks to promote positive behavior in children by teaching self-control and informed choice-making. Teachers will try to anticipate and minimize situations of conflict, and they are given the discretion to handle each situation that arises through positive strategies including: ● Redirecting the children’s behavior ● Giving acceptable and appropriate choices ● Giving verbal warnings to the child that a behavior is not acceptable ● Explaining to the child why a behavior is not appropriate ● Using positive language ● Looking for any underlying problems or sources of upset ● Depending on the case and age of the children involved, the child may be removed from the area and given the opportunity to exercise self-control If the unacceptable behavior continues, parents may receive a note about the child’s behavior in order to work together on a plan. Any form of corporal punishment, methods that incorporate shaming, humiliation, or withholding of services or care are strictly prohibited. If the child’s behavior becomes threatening to other children or staff members, or when implemented strategies have failed to work, Big and Tiny may recommend the family consult a behavioral therapist.

Yes, weather permitting, we take children outside daily. Children should be dressed appropriately for playing on our playground or taking group walks.

Any personal belongings must be labeled with your child’s full name. Here is a list of personal items you are allowed to bring to the center: ● Extra clothing. Children have accidents and their clothes become dirty. Please make sure to include an additional set or two with each article labeled with your child’s name. ● Breast milk or baby formula, snacks, and lunch should be sent with the child unless you have purchased a food package from Little Spoon (NY only). ● Diapers and wipes. ● Diaper cream, if applicable. ● Sunscreen. ● Comforting toy for nap-time (e.g. blanket or pacifier, etc.). ● Medications, if applicable. Please make sure you do not bring any of the following: ● Toys. Children should not bring personal toys, books, or stuffed animals. We cannot ensure that these items will not be lost. ● Large backpacks or bags. Our cubbies are small and storage space is limited, so please do not bring more than is necessary. ● Car seats cannot be left at the center. There is very limited stroller parking available and is subject to availability.

During extended hours children engage with multiple age-appropriate enrichment classes, art, yoga, cooking, languages, etc all led by our educators or visiting specialists. The same quality of care is extended to attend to infants’ needs regardless of the time of day (infant program currently available only in NY).

We love birthdays and celebrating! Please notify the teachers of your child’s special day in advance. Although parties are not allowed during the program, you are welcome to bring some favors for the kids such as stickers, books, or healthy treats. At Big and Tiny we organize unforgettable parties on the weekends. Please contact us at info@bigandtiny.com or visit our birthday page for more information

Yes! Our educators and staff document program activities daily, summarized by a collection of photos and descriptions at the end of each day. Educators also include individualized notes specific to your child. Daily reports are shared with you privately and securely via the Brightwheel app. There you will also be able to save photos, comment, or reply to reports received.

At Big and Tiny we believe documentation of experiences and growth is crucial; therefore we take photographs and videos on a regular basis. These photos may be shared with other families, posted on the website, classroom, or newsletter. If you don’t want your child’s picture to be used or shared please talk to the Studio Director or email us at info@bigandtiny.com.

Security cameras are strategically located and visible throughout the school. These cameras are preventative measures to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and guests.

During the enrollment process, you must complete forms regarding your child’s health and development. These forms include family and emergency information, health history, and parent on-site acknowledgment. An updated physical and immunization record is required for your child prior to enrollment. The information in your child’s record is considered privileged and confidential. Only those persons directly related to the care of your child, center management, or regulatory agencies will have access to the record unless your written permission is given.

Our weekday programs offered Monday - Friday are drop-off. Weekend classes are often Parent & Me style and require a guardian present.

Big and Tiny Battery Park is a New York City licensed child care facility. The NY studio is licensed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Our permit number for the infant/toddler program is 105859 & DCID is DC40148. Our permit number for the Preschool program is 105828 and DCID is DC40724. Big and Tiny 10th Street in Santa Monica is a licensed child care facility (updated license pending). Facility number 197495451.

All Big and Tiny teachers must meet or exceed the state requirements for child care providers and receive ongoing professional training. We also require background checks through local, county, state, and/or federal agencies prior to employment.

Staff members undergo a thorough screening and hiring process, including a state-required background check. Staff members who are certified in first-aid and CPR are present in the studio at all times. Comprehensive health and safety checklists are completed and routine fire and emergency drills are conducted on a regular basis.

Food and snacks (including some baby food options) are add-ons that can be purchased separately and are provided fresh daily by Little Spoon (NY only). If you have not purchased an add-on, you will need to send snacks and lunch with your child. We do provide lunch at our Battery Park, New York studio. For more details contact ny@bigandtiny.com Lunch and snacks are not currently provided at our Santa Monica location.

Please bring a snack and lunch and water for your child. Please note, Big and Tiny has a “peanut sensitive” environment approach, so please be aware that all nuts, nut milks, nut oils, and nut butters are prohibited. This applies to all food including snacks and lunch. Please make sure all lunch boxes, bags, and containers are labeled with your child’s full name. If you provide infant formula or breast milk, we have a refrigerator and bottle warmer for your convenience. We use filtered bottled water dispensers for our students and take water breaks throughout the day. Our meal schedule is: ● 10:00 am: Snack ● 11:30 pm: Lunch ● 2:00 pm: Snack

We ask that parents provide formula or breast milk for their infants. Please provide us with freshly prepared bottles daily until your child is ready to begin eating. Always label bottles and food containers with your child’s first and last name and the date. We’ll get your infant’s feeding schedule from you to maintain consistency with the feeding routine you’re establishing at home.

Yes, a designated nap time for students is scheduled during the day.

Nap time is integrated within the daily schedule for our toddler and preschool programs. For the infant program currently only offered in NY and in order to maintain consistency between your home and Big and Tiny – and to meet the individual needs of each child – infants at Big and Tiny are put to sleep according to their own unique schedules. Infants are put to sleep on their backs. For children who are not able to climb out of a crib, we provide dedicated cribs with organic cotton sheets for the maximum comfort of the child. For children with the capacity to climb out of a crib, cots or mats with cotton bedding will be provided. Although we understand that many children require comforting items when sleeping in a crib, it is at the sole discretion of the educator team to determine whether a comfort item may put the child’s safety at risk.

In order to protect the health of all children and to satisfy childcare regulations, current medical information for each child is required prior to enrollment. These records need to be updated annually.

In accordance with California Health & Safety Code Sections 120325-120380, Big and Tiny requires all standard immunizations to be up-to-date for all children. Please provide immunization records prior to your child’s first day.

Big and Tiny is a well-child facility. Please keep children home if they are exhibiting any signs of illness. Signs include but are not limited to runny nose, a temperature of 101° F or higher, diarrhea, vomiting, severe cough, pinkeye, sore throat, headaches, rashes, and earaches. Big and Tiny reserves the right to ask any parent to pick up a child who is ill, feeling under the weather, or just not themselves. If your child becomes sick while at Big and Tiny, we will separate him/her from the other children and one of our staff will keep them comfortable while we notify the parent or guardian. We ask that the person responsible for pick up arrives within 30 minutes.

Infant’s diapers will be checked at least every two hours and upon waking, and will be changed promptly when soiled or wet. Please note that Big and Tiny educators do not apply baby powder for safety and health reasons. Parents are to supply diapers and any diaper cream for their children. Diaper cream must be labeled with the child’s name and is for individual use only. A form must be completed by the parent granting permission to our staff to apply diaper cream.

We ask parents to provide disposable or cloth diapers, wipes, and ointments, for their children. We maintain a small supply of diapers that can be used if your personal supply runs out.

Our teachers and staff work diligently to prevent accidents. However, despite our best efforts accidents do happen. Our staff is Red Cross CPR and first aid certified and properly trained to react to these situations. Teachers for each age group are responsible for daily safety inspections of their assigned area and equipment. Defective equipment will be removed or repaired as soon as possible to prevent injury. Small toy pieces or other objects that could pose a choking hazard to infants and toddlers will not be allowed in areas designated for children. Bibs will not be left on babies when they are placed in cribs or while mobile due to the potential strangulation hazard. If your child uses a pacifier, you will need to provide at least two pacifiers and instructions for use. You are required to have a medical insurance policy covering your child. If your child sustains a minor injury while at the studio (e.g., scraped knee), you will receive an Incident Report outlining the incident and course of action taken by the staff member. Minor wounds, such as cuts, scrapes, or bites, will be washed with liquid soap and cool, running water followed by rinsing. A dry bandage may be applied as appropriate. You will be contacted immediately if the injury produces any type of swelling, is on the face or head, or needs medical attention. If a serious medical emergency occurs, the child will be taken to the hospital immediately by ambulance, and a staff member will contact you (or a designated emergency contact if you cannot be reached).

We are unable to administer medications, with the exception of Epi-Pens and inhalers in an emergency. Please contact us to discuss any special circumstances. Medications will only be given with written permission from the parent and detailed instructions from the physician.

Our facilities and outdoor play areas have secure entries and exits that are maintained by an electronic entry system. Only individuals authorized by you are allowed to pick up your child from our schools. All employees are required to have undergone background checks prior to employment.

Big and Tiny follows our health essentials guidelines, a set of standard operating procedures that can help mitigate the spread of potential infection throughout our schools. This includes precautions and recommendations for COVID-19 which are specifically focused on social distancing, disinfection, wellness education, and symptom monitoring. These protocols may vary based on region and the level of outbreak in the area. The goal of health essentials is to uphold the highest level of health precautions and cleanliness for proper child care safety.

Screening Procedure upon arrival: Clients may be asked to do a daily health screening of their child upon check in. All staff are trained to perform visual health inspections. Clients will be sent home immediately at first signs of illness. Personal Protective Equipment: All Big and Tiny staff are fully vaccinated and will wear face masks for ten days if a case of COVID-19 is reported in the school. Gloves will be used to prepare meals and during snacks as well as toileting. All other non-vaccinated adults entering the premises must wear a face-covering mask at all times. Coronavirus Vaccination and Testing: All Big and Tiny staff members are vaccinated from COVID-19 and are tested regularly. New families are required to get tested prior to enrolling unless they are vaccinated. Cleanliness & Hygiene: Staff, parents, and children are required to thoroughly wash hands throughout the day and disinfect upon entry. Hand sanitizing stations are conveniently provided. All toys, materials, and surfaces are disinfected after every use. A deep clean of the premises is performed every evening and additional cleaning throughout the day. COVID-19 waiver: All families are required to sign a COVID-19 waiver before the first day of school.

No, your little one does not need to be potty trained to be enrolled in the Big and Tiny Toddler Program.

Toilet training is a combined family-teacher effort. It is important that teachers and parents agree to the same toilet training plan in order to make the experience successful and as easy as possible. At Big and Tiny we are committed to working with you to make sure that toilet training is carried out in a manner that is consistent with your child’s physical and emotional abilities and needs.