South Minneapolis · MN DHS Licensed · Since 2011

Big first steps deserve a small classroom.

Little Oaks keeps ratios at or below state limits, publishes tuition right on this page, and builds every day around play that quietly does the work of kindergarten prep. Come tour at drop-off time — the mornings tell you everything.

Schedule a Tour See Tuition & Programs
  • MN DHS Licensed · Capacity 96
  • At or Below State Ratios
  • Published Weekly Tuition
  • Secure-Entry Building
Young children playing together outdoors on the grass
Programs

Six rooms, one path — from first steps to kindergarten-ready.

Infant Care (6 wks–16 mos)

A 1:4 teacher-to-infant ratio, individual nap and feeding schedules that follow your lead, and a daily app report with photos — because the first classroom should feel a lot like home.

Toddlers (16 mos–3 yrs)

A 1:7 ratio for the busiest age there is. Sensory tables, first friendships, gentle potty-learning in step with your family, and a fenced toddler-only playground for daily outside time.

Preschool (3–4 yrs)

Play-based learning with a plan: letters and numbers hide inside block corners, dramatic play, and mud-kitchen mornings. A 1:10 ratio, and a portfolio of your child’s work you’ll actually want to keep.

Pre-K (4–5 yrs)

The kindergarten-readiness year: early literacy and math through projects, practicing lines, lunch trays, and raised hands — plus twice-yearly conferences with a written readiness snapshot for your school district.

Before & After School (K–4th)

Breakfast before the bus, homework help and open gym after — with bus service to and from three nearby elementary schools. Full-day coverage on most school-release days.

Summer Program

June through August, ages 3–9: weekly themes, sprinkler days, garden beds the kids plant themselves, and field trips for the school-agers. Enroll by the week — summers here fill by April.

Child stacking colorful building blocks at a classroom table
Why Little Oaks

The teachers stay. That changes everything.

Little Oaks opened in 2011 in a converted South Minneapolis parish school, and the first thing families notice fifteen years later is who’s still here: our average teacher has been with us nine years, and three of our lead teachers have taught siblings of siblings. Kids don’t bond with a curriculum — they bond with a person, and ours don’t disappear at spring break.

We’re licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services for 96 children across six classrooms, and we staff below the state’s required ratios on purpose. The curriculum is play-based and kindergarten-focused: block corners that sneak in early math, garden beds that teach patience, and a Pre-K room that graduates kids who already know how a school day feels.

  • Every staff member background-checked through MN DHS before day one
  • Secure entry: coded doors, camera coverage, and logged visitor check-in
  • Ratios kept below state limits — infant rooms staffed 1:4 or better
  • Tuition published on this page — no "call for pricing" games
15 Years caring for Minneapolis kids
96 Licensed capacity, six classrooms
1:4 Infant teacher-to-child ratio
9 yrs Average teacher tenure
How enrollment works

From first tour to first drop-off, without the mystery.

  1. 1

    Tour the center

    Thirty minutes, kids welcome. See every classroom in session, meet the teacher your child would have, and leave with our full tuition sheet and current openings by room.

  2. 2

    Reserve your spot

    A $95 one-time registration fee holds your start date. If your room is full, our waitlist is free and honest — we tell you your actual position and typical wait, not "soon."

  3. 3

    Ease-in week

    Two short visits with you nearby, then a half day, then a full day. Your child meets the room gradually — and you get photo updates through the app the entire time.

  4. 4

    First drop-off

    Your teacher greets your child by name at the door, and the daily report lands on your phone by nap time. Most tears — parent tears included — are done by Thursday.

From our families

Parents who toured everywhere and landed here.

“We toured six centers with a spreadsheet. Little Oaks was the only one where the director quoted tuition without being asked, showed us the ratio sheet on the wall, and let us stand in the infant room at feeding time. The spreadsheet retired that afternoon.”
Claire & Tomás H. Infant room parents · Kingfield
“Our daughter started at two with maybe ten words and a death grip on my leg. Her teacher — same teacher for two years, which tells you plenty — sent photos every day until the grip let go. She walked into kindergarten this fall like she owned the building.”
Renee J. Pre-K graduate’s mom · Tangletown
“As a nurse on 6:45 shifts, the 6:30 opening isn’t a perk, it’s the whole ballgame. Two years in, drop-off has never once made me late — and my son’s teacher texts through the app if anything is even slightly off.”
Mai V. Toddler room mom · Powderhorn
Questions

What parents ask on every tour.

What does tuition actually cost?

Published, full-time weekly rates: infants $420, toddlers $370, preschool $315, Pre-K $285. Before/after-school care is $120/wk and summer program weeks run $260–290. Part-time (3-day) schedules are available in most rooms, and we accept Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) families.

What are your ratios and class sizes?

Infants 1:4 (max group 8), toddlers 1:7 (max 14), preschool 1:10 (max 20), Pre-K 1:10 (max 20) — all at or below Minnesota DHS requirements, and our floater staffing means rooms usually run better than the posted number. The current ratio sheet hangs by every classroom door; ask to see it on your tour.

How do you handle safety and building access?

The building is designed around layered security: keypad entry codes unique to each family, cameras covering entrances and common areas, visitor sign-in with ID, and monthly fire and lockdown drills. Every staff member — teachers, cooks, substitutes — completes MN DHS background checks before their first shift.

Is "play-based" just playing all day?

It’s playing all day on purpose. The research is clear that young kids learn math, language, and self-regulation fastest through structured play — so our block corner is secretly geometry, the mud kitchen is measurement, and circle time builds the sitting-and-listening muscles kindergarten expects. Pre-K families get a written readiness snapshot twice a year.

Is there a waitlist, and what does it cost to hold a spot?

Infant and toddler rooms usually carry a waitlist of 2–5 months; preschool and Pre-K often have openings at fall and mid-winter. The waitlist itself is free. When a spot opens, a one-time $95 registration fee holds your start date — there’s no deposit and no tuition due until your child’s first week.

Come see a morning in motion.

Tell us your child’s age and the schedule you need, and we’ll get back within a day with current openings, the full tuition sheet, and tour times — mornings are best, and kids are always welcome on the tour.

(612) 555-0127 Mon–Fri 6:30am–6:00pm · Tours weekdays 9–11am & 3–5pm MN DHS Licensed Child Care Center #1078342