EDIT: Update July 2024- Stepping Stone School has now won Austin’s Best in Childcare for a 26th year!

What does it take to be voted “The Best Childcare in Austin” for 26 years?  It takes a dedicated, loving, family owned business, that truly cares about the families and children it serves. It takes over 40 years of experience and research into the best early childhood practices, and it takes compassion, nurturance, and commitment to the community we serve! Stepping Stone School has been voted Best in Childcare by Austin Family Magazine once again this year, making it 24 years we have been awarded this prestigious honor by the parents of the Austin Metro Area

Since 1979, Stepping Stone School has been a leader in the early care and education Industry and has developed a national reputation for excellence. Continually advancing and innovating in every aspect of our program from state-of-the-art campuses to ongoing teacher education and training, Stepping Stone School is the leader in early care and education and Austin families agree! This year will mark the 26th year Stepping Stone School has been awarded the Best in Childcare Award from Austin Family Magazine readers and we are so very proud of this achievement! Why do so many Central families choose Stepping Stone School?

1. Dedication to families and children
2. Developmentally appropriate, research-based curriculum
3. Devoted professional faculty
4. A commitment to the community we serve
5. Innovation and forward thinking are at the core of the culture
6. A deep understanding of the importance of early education and care
7. Compassion, love, and empathy for all children and their families
8. A continuous commitment to nurture the whole child through cognitive, physical and social-emotional development.

Stepping Stone School has earned this prestigious honor with community support and a continuous commitment to nurture the whole child through cognitive, physical and social-emotional development.

Stepping Stone School would like to thank our families, friends, and partners for voting our program the Best in Childcare!  The trust and support from our families and community are pivotal in our commitment to deliver the highest level of early care and education possible.  After 40 years of service to the community, we are truly honored to care for the children of the Austin Metro and Bryan/College Station areas and will continue to provide the highest quality early care and education at affordable rates.

“We are excited about the continued support from the local communities we serve. Research has demonstrated that children enrolled in high-quality, early care and education programs continue to reap the benefits long into their educational careers. We look forward to a strong partnership with each family we enroll and will provide the nurturance, love and support each child deserves,” said Rhonda Paver, Stepping Stone School founder and executive director.

Stepping Stone School has a long history of creating innovative, environmentally sound spaces that inspire wonder and learning in the schools’ students. We attribute these amazing campuses and our commitment to the highest quality possible to our continued success. Stepping Stone School campuses feature:

• An overall museum-like environment with naturally lit classrooms that provide a perfect setting where children flourish. A hands-on S.T.E.A.M.. centered curriculum to pique children’s curiosity about how things work and introduce them to the endless possibilities of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
• The award-winning HATCH Technology interactive learning center.
• The Atelier™ at Stepping Stone School which is a unique and innovative concept designed to expand educational opportunities in the fields of art, design, building and architecture.
• Age appropriate playgrounds with exciting play and climbing structures for building large motor skills while exercising and having fun.

About Stepping Stone School:

Stepping Stone School, the largest privately-owned childcare provider in Central Texas and the 30th largest in the nation, has been locally owned and operated since 1979. The Paver family has grown the company from its humble beginnings to the 20 schools it currently operates. The founders and employees apply the principles of the school’s nationally recognized curriculum while providing the highest quality early education and care.  In addition, the founders and organization consistently exercise their philanthropic commitment to their community through donations of time, money, sponsorships and resources to organizations whose missions are to better the lives and education of children and families.

In January 2017, Stepping Stone School was recognized by Child Care Exchange magazine, the leading professional journal for the early education profession, with a cover story featuring Rhonda Paver and how Stepping Stone School is leading the nation in early care and education and the design of state-of-the art campuses.

Stepping Stone School has been named the Best in Childcare by the readers of Austin Family magazine for 22 years, Best of the Brazos Valley over the last three years and Best Austin Preschool by the parents on Nickelodeon’s Parents Connect website in 2010. Stepping Stone School is also the tenth largest provider of corporate child care in the nation.