We are excited to present our readers with ABQ Mom’s Guide to Preschools and Childcare. This guide aims to be a one-stop shop for families looking for the perfect preschool or childcare center for their little ones.
Check out the info below and make sure to stop by one of the open houses for a more in-depth look at your school of choice.
Hope Christian Preschool
Parenting is heart work! And entrusting your precious little ones to someone else all day can be a daunting concept. Spacious, natural light-filled learning spaces with in-class bathrooms, a separate preschool playground, loving teachers, and armed security are all reasons our families love HOPE as a safe, nurturing place for their children to begin a lifelong love of learning!
With a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, their 3 and 4 year olds receive the attention they need to develop academically, socially, and spiritually. Hands-on learning centers develop both fine and gross motor skills. Daily reading time, singing songs, and interactive lessons help students develop critical thinking and social skills all in a Christ-centered, values-driven environment.
They offer full-day 3 and 5 day per week options for their three year old students. Their four year old program is full time, 5 days per week. Both offer extended care before and after school on a secure campus.
HOPE Christian Preschool is located inside their beautiful Elementary facility, where preschool graduates may continue their grade school years and move on to the neighboring HOPE Christian Middle, and High School campuses for 6th – 12th grades. HOPE is currently ranked the #1 Best Private K-12 School in Albuquerque.
Escuela del Sol Montessori
Every day is a discovery at Escuela del Sol Montessori! Escuela nurtures an enthusiasm for lifelong learning, building a foundation of purposeful work and independence. Their toddler through jr. high program fosters fundamental emotional and academic skills as part of an interdisciplinary curriculum that cultivates creativity, collaboration, and ingenuity while developing critical thinking, communication, and social responsibility. Studio classes in art, music, gardening, and Spanish inspire exploration and expression while encouraging students to take age-appropriate risks in a safe, supportive environment.
Escuela del Sol Montessori’s culture of kindness, courtesy, self-respect, and consideration for others is crucial to moral development and fosters a sense of dignity as well as academic success. Escuela del Sol, New Mexico’s first accredited Montessori school, has a 55+ year history of providing solid education that will last a lifetime.
Escuela is accepting applications for Toddler, Primary, Elementary, and Jr. High, ages 18 months to 14 years. Limited spaces are available. Escuela del Sol Montessori, an independent not-for-profit school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, provides the best educational conditions to engage and nurture every child’s innate passion to learn. Escuela shares a lush urban campus with its community outreach arm of the organization.
Manzano Day School
Manzano Day School, founded in 1938, is an independent nonprofit elementary school for pre-k through fifth-grade students. The school aims to develop the whole child, emphasizing a curriculum that inspires lifelong learning. The dedicated faculty and staff and a warm and nurturing academic environment form the foundation for students’ growth.
The school prides itself on striking a balance between tradition and innovation. It offers a well-rounded education that includes co-curriculars like art, library, music, PE, Spanish, and technology. Core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, and striving for excellence are woven into the school’s ethos.
Manzano Day School distinguishes itself by providing unique experiences for students. Outdoor environmental education at Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains contributes to a holistic learning experience. Additionally, each grade engages in service learning projects.
The average class size at Manzano Day School is around 18 students. The school promotes accessibility by providing two school buses, serving the city’s west side and northeast heights.
Prospective families are encouraged to schedule campus tours. The Admission Office can be contacted at 505-243-6659 or [email protected]
Joy in Learning® is not just a motto at Manzano Day School; it’s the way of life!
Montessori ONE Academy
Founded in 2007, Montessori ONE Academy is the only AMI-recognized (Association Montessori International/USA), authentic Montessori school in New Mexico. With programs serving infant, preschool, and elementary students, children at Montessori ONE Academy are encouraged to explore, investigate, and fulfill their natural curiosity about the world around them.
The Montessori Method—an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child (physical, social, emotional, and cognitive)—approaches education from a global and subject-integrated perspective. Montessori ONE students progress through the programs at their own pace–unhindered by grade-level curriculum. Here, children learn that school can be a fun and exciting adventure . . . thus creating lifelong learners.
Parents of Montessori ONE students appreciate the diverse community, intergenerational and summer programs, on-site before and after-care, on-campus extracurricular programs, rich curriculum, and the nurturing and empowering atmosphere afforded their children. You are invited to schedule a tour and discover more about the globally-celebrated Montessori Method and how Montessori ONE Academy is helping students discover the joy of learning.
1st Class Learning Center
1st Class Learning Center believes in their curriculum, where each child develops according to age and capacity, having the freedom to develop physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually without any pressure. They also believe children learn best when rules and limits are clear and consistent. Most importantly, they believe that children learn best from staff members who create an atmosphere that is loving, warm, caring, and friendly. This ensures that all children feel accepted, safe, and a part of 1st Class Learning Center.
Mission Statement: “To provide a learning environment that is safe, enjoyable, interesting, and peaceful for all children, their families, and community.”
St. Luke Preschool
St. Luke Preschool is a faith-based, 5-star, NAEYC-accredited school serving the Albuquerque community for over 60 years. They provide high-quality, joyful, and engaging programs where their days are filled with the love of God and being in community with one another. Serving children ages 2 through 6 throughout the school year, they partner with families to meet each child’s needs and foster a life-long love of learning. Their creative staff design welcoming, supportive, and nurturing learning environments and opportunities that enable and encourage young children to learn through developmentally appropriate play experiences. Please contact them to schedule a tour and see their classes in action, meet their amazing staff, ask questions, and learn about options for preschool.
Paradise Hills United Methodist Church Preschool
PHUMC Preschool has been faithfully serving the community since 1999. They are a licensed, faith-based, non-denominational Christian preschool that serves children ages 2-5. Their staff members are mature, fully trained, and dedicated moms who have a heart for children. They believe each child is an individual created by God.
Their program combines social interaction and free play with planned learning time that encourages developmentally appropriate learning. Their curriculum helps each child develop emotionally, spiritually, physically, and intellectually while building their self-confidence in safe, clean, and loving classrooms with low teacher/student ratios. Their two-year-old program allows children to start preschool without being potty trained. Their three-year-old program develops social and emotional skills. Their Pre-K program fully equips children for kindergarten.
The Preschool and Church offer two summer sessions for children aged 2 years through Kindergarten and 1st grade through 5th grade. Please contact them for information on their low rates and their summer dates.
Cross of Hope Lutheran Preschool
Cross of Hope Preschool is a Christian Preschool located on the Westside of Albuquerque, serving children ages 3-5 years old. They are a 5-Star Nationally Accredited preschool and strive to be the best in teaching basic skills and meeting developmental milestones in a loving, Christian environment!
Albuquerque Christian School
This is the first experience for many children in a Christian academic community. They will experience a loving, safe environment while learning about God’s love. ACS students experience a variety of different fun days including Western Day, Safari Day, and Hawaiian Day. They venture out on fun field trips to the pumpkin patch, an aquarium, and the zoo. They also include many different cooking activities where the students help make pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, gingerbread men, pizza, pancakes, and more. Their time in ACS’s Early Childhood Development focused preschool continually provides amazing stories of growth and elementary readiness.
Congregation Albert Early Childhood Center
Earning the distinction as one of the “Top 3 Preschools in Albuquerque” in the Abq Journal Reader’s Choice Awards in 2022, they welcome you to Congregation Albert’s Early Childhood Center, established in 1982. Their 5-Star FOCUS preschool/kindergarten strives to make your child’s first school experience a happy and secure one. Offering a positive foundation for all future learning, they help in creating that joyful, lifelong learner, where their students learn that education is both fun and important. They believe in sustaining a culture of inquiry, with licensed early childhood educators who partner with families and children, and where together they listen, wonder, and reflect. They are committed to providing an emergent and inspiring learning environment for a diverse population of young learners, with classes for two through five year olds and an accredited kindergarten, where they gently integrate Jewish values, culture, and holidays.
They are play-based and child-centered in their approach, supporting the uniqueness of their students and families. Joyfully, they welcome all families and all faiths. Call and inquire about full or part-time choices. Limited scholarships may be available. Come learn, play, and grow with them!
Albuquerque Preschool Cooperative
Join APSC in creating a supportive community where your child’s early education becomes a memorable journey filled with fun, learning, and exploration. They plan and implement a wide variety of developmentally appropriate learning experiences to enhance your child’s physical, motor, language, literacy, social, emotional, and creative development. APSC offers a unique opportunity for families to contribute to the development of the policies and programs of the school. They have created an environment where peers, teachers, and family all play an important role. What sets them apart from the rest? Parents are encouraged to contribute to students’ learning experience by sharing their cultural traditions through music, art, and cooking. They offer a weekly Spanish curriculum. APSC provides services for income-eligible families through cooperation with state agencies and in-house scholarships. They have been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children since 1995. APSC holds a five-star license from the state of New Mexico.
Sandia Presbyterian Preschool
Sandia Presbyterian Preschool is a 5-star FOCUS program dedicated to instilling in their children a life-long joy of learning as well as a positive sense of self. Sandia Presbyterian Preschool is a play-based traditional preschool that serves young children as they grow and develop. They provide an environment in which children are guided with love and compassion. Children are offered numerous learning opportunities through functional play. They embrace every child for his or her unique qualities and promote the individual growth and success of each child. For more information or to schedule a tour, please use the links below. They look forward to welcoming you and your family!
Parent Preschool Recommendations
Manzano Day School is a kind, compassionate, close-knit community that truly fosters Joy in Learning®. I love the balance in celebrating the school’s rich New Mexico culture with a focus on cutting-edge technology and innovation. I could not imagine our family anywhere else.
– Sara M., parent at Manzano Day School
Thank you [Ms. Hardisty] for loving our girl when we can’t be with her. You truly are an answered prayer and I hope on the hard days you remember how important and valuable your work is. The time, effort, energy and heart you pour into each day matters and is making a difference, not only in the lives of your students, but also the homes they go back to. Thank you for creating a place where [our daughter] wants to go every morning, loves to learn, and feels safe to be herself.
– Amanda V., Parent at Hope Christian Preschool
Our son has grown in all facets of his development, physically, socially, academically and spiritually. His teachers are amazing! He is excited to attend each day and find out what new things he is going to learn. His faith has deepened and become much more personal. He talks about school constantly and we are grateful for how positive his first education experience has been.
– AM., parent at Cross of Hope Preschool
We have sent both of our preschoolers to APSC and plan to send our youngest as well. The co-op does a phenomenal job preparing our children to be successful students moving forward. The teachers and staff have created a learning environment that allows students to learn and grow while having fun and making friends! We love that family participation has such an emphasis in their preschool cooperative model. We are so lucky to have found APSC!
– Xavier M., parent at Albuquerque Preschool Cooperative
Since the first day I walked through the doors of ECC, I knew I had found a “home” for A and B. A place where individuality is encouraged but with a constant view of how our lives weave into others and what that means. Patience and kindness but with expectations. You and all the teachers have shown such deep connections with the kids . . . they are part of our “village,” which I so believe in.
– Ida K., parent at Congregation Albert Early Childhood Center
Additional Preschools & Childcare Options
Click on the plus sign to see all the preschools and childcare options in each location.
Asbury United Methodist Church -PDO
Bright Minds Infant and Children’s Academy
City of Albuquerque Child Development
Early Childhood Center at Congregation Albert
Eastern Child Development Center
Eastern Hills Christian Academy
Heights Christian Preschool & Day Care
Jeanie’s Child Development Center
Little Blessings Child Development Center
Monte Vista Day Nursery School
Southwest Child Care Early Learning Centers
St. Mark’s in the Valley Day School
St Paul’s Precious Possibilities
Albuquerque Preschool Cooperative
First Baptist Church First Years Foundations
All Angels Episcopal Day School
All Saints Lutheran Church Preschool
Building Bridges Child Development Center
City of Albuquerque Child Development Centers
Christina Kent Early Childhood Center
Kids Planet Child Development Center
La Esperanza Child Development Center
Magic Moments Child Care Center
Montessori of the Rio Grande Charter School
Paradise Hills Community Preschool
Paradise Hills Methodist Church Preschool
Parkside Child Development Center – South
Our family has been at Albuquerque Preschool Cooperative for many years, and we adore it! I highly recommend it to anyone looking.