Little Lupins Preschool

Sowing the Seeds of Community with Little Lupins Preschool

What Is The Need?

For decades, private and public organizations have discussed the dire need for childcare in the Eastern Sierra. Mono County residents, along with half of all Americans, live in “childcare deserts.” According to a 2022 Mono County study, 179 (72%) of children 5 and under in Mammoth Lakes are underserved for childcare.

Mammoth Hospital’s mission is to promote the well-being and improve the health of our residents and guests, and we are unable to accomplish this while the families in our organization struggle to secure childcare. When we support our team, they can support our patients. Providing this service will also help us recruit and retain high-quality talent from top medical schools who wish to bring their skills to our beautiful area.

I moved to Mammoth three years ago, with my husband, daughter Quinn and son Willy. Willy was just a few weeks old when we moved here and looking for reliable childcare for the past 3 years has been a huge financial and emotional stressor for me and my family. This preschool is not only imperative for our hospital but also for our community.” – Mary Bissell, M.D

Features:

  • Licensed by the State of California to serve up to 26 children.
  • Consistent hours and substitute teachers to ensure reliable care.
  • Program manager holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education.
  • Montessori-influenced educational program.
  • Spanish-speaking childcare providers to serve our Spanish-speaking children and expose English-speaking children to a bilingual education.
  • After school care for TK and Kindergarten students.

Future:

  • Expand our services to serve children under age two.
  • Open an on-site childcare facility that would serve children under the age of two as well as an expanded after school program.

Real Impact:

The Little Lupins waitlist filled up within the first month of the daycare announcement. Employees and physicians have reported that they were considering leaving the area due to the stressors of childcare but have decided to stay thanks to the stable and predictable daycare. Little Lupins will also relieve pressure on in-home daycares, opening space for more children and having far-reaching impacts in the community. Our physicians and staff can put their energy toward patient care when they are at work because they know their children are in a loving, secure, reliable and enriching learning environment.

How You Can Help:

Childcare takes up a substantial part of the average family income. And here in Mammoth Lakes, inflation coupled with the high cost of housing puts even greater pressure on our working families.

Mammoth Hospital is committed to providing affordable childcare to employee and physician families that represent the demographics of our Hospital team. Gifts to this program enable us to offer a tiered tuition program based on income, serving our entire workforce. A scholarship for one full-time, low-income student costs $3,825 per year.

The impact of opening Little Lupins daycare in Mammoth Lakes is hard to overstate. This daycare is helping us focus on providing the best patient care possible while making a huge difference in the lives of local families.

If you’d like to support Little Lupins, you can donate online here or send a check to:

The Mammoth Hospital Foundation, PO Box 100 PMB 487, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546