Testimonials

My son had previously attended an in home daycare and I transferred him to Lilliput because I had stopped feeling comfortable with his care there and hoped that I could find someone who would both give my son loving care and challenge him to reach his potential. Vicky, Gloria, Erika, and eventually JR and Jacqueline, have exceeded my expectations for what a daycare experience can be like. Basically, Lilliput is an AMAZING program for 2-24 months run by Vicky Heler Ed.D. since the mid-eighties in a house that has been converted into a school (no one lives there and it is regulated like a center but feels like a home). One of the things that I like best about Lilliput is that Vicky has a ton of experience (both in terms of formal training and decades on the job) so she has a lot of knowledge and confidence about what babies and little kids can do, so she really pushes the kids to reach their full potential, all while having a ton of fun. She uses the peer group to teach important lessons like taking turns, playing carefully with other kids, eating manners etc., so the kids tend to be really well behaved after being at Lilliput. Vicky also does a great job in recruiting amazing helpers; Dylan adored Erika and Gloria and they really made him feel at home from the start. I think it is an amazing opportunity to have your child benefit from the structure of Lilliput, Vicky's experience, the low teacher-child ratio, and the mixed age setting.  In Dylan's last year at Lilliput, Vicky and her daughter Jacqueline and son-in-law JR opened the preschool program for kids 2+ in a new space behind the main house. I toured 10+ preschools in the area and eventually decided to keep my son at Lilliput for preschool; he loves Jacqueline and JR, the projects they had planned were really cool, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for him to stay in a smaller setting for at least another year. The preschool opened before we moved out of town and Dylan had a great experience there. I think it is going to develop into a very special program and I'm so glad that we decided to wait for the preschool to open.

-Martha K.

The school is located in a house on Park street but is only a school. No one lives in the house and it is completely dedicated to the children. If you believe in your child being educated & loved early on then this is the place for you. They have a great mix of play and education where your child will thrive. The low ratio makes this place amazing. Every day the teachers will have a unique story about your child's development. Which is not the case at the larger centers. All the teachers tell the kids how much they love them, hold them, hug them and make sure everyone feels welcomed. Both my kids were counting, identifying shapes, letters, numbers before the typical age. There is no TV/technology allowed just pure kids play with toys, outside activities, and art. The Lilliput kids are well disciplined and respectful of other kids due to the fact they have grown up at Lilliput. They all say excuse me before they leave the table and manners are really emphasized. They opened the preschool after high demand from the infant parents and the kids have been thriving. At the preschool they have a big emphasis on movement and integrating physical activity into their daily curriculum. There pricing is actually very low compared to most places. They do this out of love not for the money, which always helps parents like me with two kids under 4 needing full time care. The parents at Lilliput are also very sweet. It is a big family. We have potlucks, park dates and of course birthday parties. On some occasions we have moms night out without the kids. The other nice thing about Lilliput is the diversity, you will see every nationality and language being spoken. The center is fluent in Spanish, French, Tagalog, and some Mandarin. Overall you can tell that I am very happy with Lilliput. If you are a nice family looking for a loving environment call fast as openings don't last long. We will always keep in touch with our extended family at Lilliput and know they have made a huge different in loving our kids.

because it's technically an independent center with no one living in the house. (Vicky and her family live elsewhere in Palo Alto.) Vicky and her staff care deeply about the children and their health, safety, social/physical/intellectual development, and overall well-being. They provide plenty of fun and educational activities (e.g., art projects, music, story time, and free indoor/outdoor play), healthy snacks, and lots of love. Lilliput will be expanding at the end of the summer to open up a newly built, separate preschool area for older toddlers (probably aged 2-4 years). I think her daughter Jacqueline, who now works with the infants and young toddlers and is wonderful with the children, will be running the preschool.     

-E. Chang

The daycare is named Lilliput, it is not known, as the owner never advertises, kids go there by word of mouth. They draw, play playdough, sing (my daughter is not 2 yet and she sings the "ABC" song). Vicky is so nice that she is now a friend. The kids are really loved there and that builds their self-esteem.

-C.P.

Both our  kids were at Lilliput until kindergarten- the oldest from age two, the second from birth. Both have grown up in that time  to be thoughtful , curious, creative, confident,  and —most importantly—independent thinkers, guided by consistent teachers who know them personally and treat them as individuals whose  voices and ideas matter. I had infinite trust in JR and Vicky- I felt like I was leaving my kids with family. We found that at Lilliput, the adults modeled behavior that our kids have gone on to value on their own- almost as if by osmosis: a love of reading, attention to detail, appreciation for writing and critical thinking, an interest in and sensitivity to languages, a respect for others. As a result, reading  and writing were skills my kids acquired organically, alongside a willingness to try new things, and a curiosity about the world around them. The fact that they left  prepared for kindergarten was a side benefit of the many other values and sensitivities they picked up in this intimate mixed age environment. We couldn’t  have asked for more. 

Karen R.

Dear Parents,

I am writing to express my thanks to and strong recommendation of Lilliput Infant Center and Preschool in Palo Alto, CA. My two sons attended Lilliput for years (Chase for 3.5 years and Kelly for 2 years) and both received wonderful, loving care throughout the years.

As a first mother, I was nervous and anxious about finding care for my first baby. I visited several daycares of varying sizes around Palo Alto and Stanford but only felt truly comfortable after meeting Vicky and her caretakers at Lilliput. Vicky demonstrated form the start that she had extensive experience with many, many children over the years and understood the delicate balance between providing a loving environment in which the children could grow and the structure and boundaries that young children need in order the thrive. Chase started attending when he was 9 months old and Vicky dedicated much of her time during first few weeks with him so that she could get to know his personality. As he settled in, learning the routines and familiarizing himself with the caretakers and other children, Vicky would often share stories with me about his transition. It was helpful for me to hear about his day so that I knew he was comfortable (napping, eating, and playing), and that I didn’t need to worry about him while I worked.

When Chase turned two, we welcomed our second son, Kelly to the world. Vicky, Jacqueline and JR all played critical roles in our lives as they provided a stable and loving daily environment for Chase while everything at home changed with the arrival of Kelly. Everyone at Lilliput took special care to give Chase a little extra attention and help us out during this transition period (they even opened early the day that Kelly was born so that my husband and I could drop Chase off together on our way to the hospital – that was very special to us).

Kelly started to attend Lilliput when he was about 6 months old, and by this time, Chase had graduated to the newly opened preschool at Lilliput. Both boys were very happy with Vicky and her team. I could tell because when I would pick them up, they would sometimes insist on playing longer instead to head home. At this time, I started to travel about once a month for business. Vicky, Jacqueline and JR would always take care to know when I was traveling, and would be extra sensitive to Chanse and Kelly’s needs during these times. Again, this made me feel at ease about working a full-time job while having two young children.

Lilliput has been an invaluable resource for us for the last several years, and we truly think of Vicky, JR, and Jacqueline as extensions of our family. We are lucky to have found them.

Sincerely,

Lyssa Vanderbeek