FAQs

Most of our schools are open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Our Richcreek and Northcross campuses are open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Of course, a teacher will always stay until the last child is picked up, but late fees apply for late pickups.

Our Employer ID Number (sometimes called a tax ID number) is 74-2731457.

You are always welcome to drop by any of our schools – with or without your child – during our hours of operation for a visit. We recommend you call or schedule online for a tour. This allows the campus principal to provide her undivided attention and take time to answer all of your questions.

The Justin Lane location is our administrative office, but we do have three schools within the same 78757 ZIP code. Crestview, Northcross and Shoal Creek.

Absolutely! For children 18 months and older, we offer part-time care depending upon availability at each campus and flexible care options for school-age students (Ages 5+). Please contact your campus Principal to discuss your tailored childcare needs.

Stepping Stone School is committed to the convenience of our families. We are closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day,Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve Day (typically, we close at noon), and Christmas Day

Absolutely! Each campus is designed to educate our students aged 6 weeks to 13 years old. As a result of our progressive curriculum, they will learn and grow cognitively, linguistically, physically and socially/emotionally. For more information about our proprietary curriculum and how it’s tailored for each age group, visit our Platinum Learning for Life™ page.

Platinum Learning for Life™ is Stepping Stone School’s unique curriculum, based on seven key learning areas and tailored according to age group, as well as to each individual child. With a strong concentration on writing, literacy, reading and language development, our Platinum Learning for Life™ curriculum also covers math concepts, science, technology, cultural awareness, physical, social/emotional, character development and creative expression. For more information visit our Platinum Learning for Life™ page.

Many of our campuses hold national accreditation and all locations follow the same high standards required by NAEYC and NAC. Additionally, Stepping Stone School's exclusive and rigorous VerifiED™ Quality Assurance Program ensures the highest quality standards. For more information, visit our VerifiED™ Quality page.

Our ratios always comply with Texas State Minimum Standards and are typically lower, but vary by campus and age. For a specific school’s ratio, please ask the campus principal.

Providing a learning environment that promotes a sense of cleanliness, wellness and security is our number-one priority. We employ dozens of hygienic practices and safety measures, including 24-hour video surveillance, employee background and criminal-history checks, and stringent name-to-face transition procedures. Click here for more information about our Safety and Security protocol.

Of course! We always welcome visits from parents and encourage your participation in their day whenever possible.

Our faculty are required to maintain and renew their CPR and first-aid training every two years which is provided by our certified CPR and first-aid trainers to ensure compliance.

We are pleased to serve a nutritious hot lunch and three daily snacks for all students who eat table food. Lunch is served family-style to help children learn good table manners, healthy eating habits and how to serve themselves.

Stepping Stone School provides well-balanced, nutritious and health-conscious meals and three snacks daily. Vegetarian and vegan meal options are available on request. Please contact your principal to substitute an item on the menu and we will happily accommodate.

All Stepping Stone School locations are peanut-free campuses. You are always welcome to bring dairy substitutes or other special food items for your child, and we will happily accommodate. If your child has a diagnosed food allergy, the State of Texas requires a letter from your doctor confirming the specific allergy and how to address an allergic reaction if one should occur.

Due to the wide variety of individual infant needs and the potential for early food-allergy development, parents will provide prepared bottles of formula, breast milk or other foods.

Of course! We fully support breastfeeding, and equip our infant rooms with refrigerators for you to store your infant's prepared and labeled bottles.

Parents will provide their child's diapers and any required ointments. Stepping Stone School provides hypo-allergenic diaper wipes. Additionally, our teachers use changing table liners and latex-free gloves for each diaper change.

Of course! You may bring your cloth diapers and a bag for spent diapers. Health Department policies require us to wrap each spent diaper in its own bag.

All Stepping Stone School faculty undergo extensive training on best practices to help students transition to a classroom setting. Most of our campuses feature a video monitor that allows parents to see a live video feed of their child successfully transitioning. Based on our many years of experience, Stepping Stone School has helped families make this adjustment comfortably. Additionally, parents are always welcome to drop by and visit their children.

Weather permitting, all students enjoy daily outside playtime on our age-appropriate playgrounds. When temperatures are above 97° F or below 45° F (including heat index or wind chill), the children enjoy planned physical activity and gross motor play indoors.

We believe in positive redirection and one-on-one problem-solving to develop your child’s ability to self-regulate. Our teachers never berate, embarrass, punish, or withhold food or activities in order to discipline children.

Stepping Stone School provides transportation to over 80 local elementary schools. For details please visit the Find a School tab above or contact the campus principal.

Corporate partner benefits vary depending upon the agreement we have with your employer. You can check your company’s intranet website for employee benefits, or you can ask your company’s benefits coordinator, HR representative or the campus principal for details about your benefit eligibility.

Stepping Stone School owner and executive director Rhonda Paver is devoted to keeping high-quality early care and education affordable – after all, it was her search for affordable, high-quality care for her own young children which led to the founding of Stepping Stone School! Tuition at Stepping Stone School varies by age and campus, but rest assured, our pricing is extremely competitive. Please ask the campus principal for specific rates.

We offer a sibling discount of 5% off each child's tuition for families with two or more children, enrolled at the same time with at least one child enrolled full-time. Only one discount of any type may be applied at any time.

Scholarships or sliding-scale pricing are not available.

We offer you the flexibility of paying your tuition either monthly or bimonthly. We currently accept payment by check, money order, or electronic funds transfer (EFT) through Tuition Express®.

At this time there are no CCS or CCMS openings available.

The length of our wait list varies by campus and age; please ask the campus principal. Our wait-list policy is fundamentally first-come, first-serve.

We require a non-refundable enrollment fee of $100 per family to process your enrollment application or put you on a waiting list.

You can pick up an application at any Stepping Stone School or click here to enroll today. Simply complete the application and submit it to us with your non-refundable enrollment fee.

We accept the military Child Care Aware assistance program at many locations. Call for more information to see if you qualify.

Essential items that are needed will ultimately vary by age group. Your principal will discuss those necessary items with you during your orientation. For more information on how to prepare for your child’s first day at Stepping Stone School, we have a helpful "child's first day in preschool guide"

You can find your child’s daily schedule by selecting your child’s age group in the Platinum Learning for Life^TM drop down menu on the home page of our website.

Yes! Stepping Stone School offers fun and innovative Spring, Summer and Winter break camps for School-Age children. Themes and projects are tailored to your child’s interests, interwoven with our progressive Platinum Learning for Life^TM and S.T.R.E.A.M curriculum. Learn more about our current preschool camp programs here: https://www.steppingstoneschool.com/platinum-learning-for-life/school- age/

Stepping Stone School offers healthy meals daily that are made from scratch with fresh ingredients and prepared in each school’s open, gourmet kitchen. You can learn more on our nutrition page: https://www.steppingstoneschool.com/healthy-nutrition/ However, parents are welcome to bring their child’s own lunch and snacks to school if they wish. Please speak with your campus principal at orientation regarding any food allergies, or dietary restrictions.