A place where every child is known and every family feels at home.

A small center in Auburn, owned and run by one family since 2002 and trusted by working parents for more than twenty years. Drop your child off in the morning and go to work with peace of mind: they are safe, happy and with people who know and care about them.

Book a tour Call (253) 333-8224

A quiet preschool room with small wooden tables and chairs and a play kitchen

Open Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM, for children from six weeks to school age. Trusted by Auburn families since 2002, and rated Early Achievers Quality Level 3 by the state.

A room for every stage

Every age is different, so each room is built around what children need most at that stage: a safe place to explore, plenty of play, people who care about them, and the steady attention of teachers who know them well. As children grow, the rooms grow with them. Many arrive as babies and stay until kindergarten, so we get to watch them grow up.

6 weeks to 12 months
Infant
Feeding, napping and holding follow your baby’s own schedule, not ours. In between, teachers get down on the floor with them: tummy time, songs, board books and things to reach for. You want to be part of their day, so every day you get a note and a photo with a little of what they did while you were away.
1 to 3 years
Toddler
Between one and three, children change every day. They stop being carried everywhere and start doing things themselves, and they learn by doing: music, sensory play, stories and plenty of running around outside. Teachers work on the first routines a child can own, like washing hands and finding their own cubby, and they celebrate every new word and every “I did it” along the way. Potty training happens here too, at each child’s pace, and we work on it with you.
3 years
Preschool
A three-year-old here spends the morning with busy hands and a head full of questions: building something, painting something, counting out crackers at snack, spotting the first letter of their name, or stopping everything to ask why. We think that is where the best learning happens, so teachers follow the curiosity and bring in letters, numbers, new words and problem solving along the way. This is also where children learn to take turns and to use words when something goes wrong.
4 to 5 years
Pre-kindergarten
At four and five, children find their voices and start putting the pieces together: letters and their sounds, simple words, writing their own names, and numbers with real things to count and sort. Children get up in front of the group to say what they think, and the others practice listening, taking turns and working together. By the time they leave for kindergarten they are not walking into a classroom wondering what to do. They know how a classroom works, how to make friends, how to ask for help and how to take care of themselves. They are ready to learn, and they feel ready.
Before and after school
School age
Care around the school day for children who have moved on to kindergarten and beyond. Quiet mornings before school, and afternoons with homework help and room to unwind. Many of them grew up in our rooms, so the faces are familiar when they walk in.

What you’ll notice

Small rooms

We keep our rooms small on purpose: enough children for a lively room, and not so many that your child becomes another face in it. Their teacher knows their routines, their friends and what makes them smile.

At pickup you hear more than “good day”: what they played, what they discovered, who they sat next to, and the small moments that made their day. When your child spends the day with us, you should feel connected to it too.

Secure entry

Keeping children safe is part of caring for them. The building is clean, supervised and secured with controlled entry. The familiar faces at the door know the children and the families who walk through it, so the building feels safe and welcoming at the same time.

Reading first

Language grows with your child. Reading, talking, listening and sharing ideas are part of every day in every room, from board books and songs with the babies to stories, conversations and first sentences in pre-kindergarten.

At every age, children learn that their words matter, their questions are welcome, and books are a good way into the world.

How we teach

What looks like play has a plan behind it. Every room follows the same curriculum, teachers keep track of how each child is coming along, and you sit down with your child’s teacher three times a year.

Curriculum

Every room follows Teaching Strategies, a curriculum built around how young children actually learn: through play, routines and conversation. Teachers plan each week from it, so what looks like play has a purpose behind it.

Screenings and assessments

Every child has developmental screenings, and teachers complete formal assessments through the year. They show us what a child can do now, so teachers can plan the next step and tell you what they see. Nobody is graded.

Conferences

Three times a year you sit down with your child’s teacher, go through what they have been learning and set goals for the months ahead. You never have to wait for one to ask; teachers talk with you at pickup.

A bright classroom with low shelves of books and a reading nook

Built by parents who had been there

Before Tender Years, our founders were working parents of four, handing their own children to someone else each morning and carrying the same quiet questions on the drive to work.

Are they safe? Are they happy? Are they learning? Are they getting what they need?

In 2002 they built the place they wanted for their own children: small and welcoming, where every child is known, cared for and given the attention they deserve, and gets a strong start for school.

More than two decades later, that same feeling of family is still at the heart of the place. Some of the parents dropping off their little ones were once children here themselves. We can’t think of a better compliment.

Our teachers

Every teacher finishes the state’s required training, and ours, before they are in a room with children. The learning carries on every year after.

Before day one

Before day one, every teacher completes CPR and first aid, safe sleep, emergency preparedness, and child protective services and mandated reporter training. They also complete positive guidance, child development and family communication, along with the education Washington requires of early learning teachers.

Every year after

Our teachers keep learning through the year: classroom practice, health and safety, positive guidance, inclusion, and how to keep a room a calm, positive place to learn.

Read about our staff and what we ask of them

Our director

If you tour, this is who walks you through. They run the center day to day: which rooms are open, who is teaching where, every family’s questions and every form the state asks for.

Our assistant director

The person you will see most at drop-off and pickup, and the one who picks up the phone when you call. They keep the day moving: covering rooms and checking in with teachers.

What families say

Through the year

A few of the things on the calendar every year for families, and there are more.

Open house
Come see the rooms, meet the teachers your child will have next, and ask the questions you have been saving.
Family barbecue
One afternoon a year, everyone outside, teachers and families at the same tables.
Craft nights
An evening of making things together. The children run it, and everyone goes home with something.
Parents’ night out
We keep the children for an evening so you can have one to yourselves.

Trays of red and green paint with rollers on a low table

Meals

We take part in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the USDA program that sets what a balanced meal for a young child looks like. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack are served here and planned to that pattern. This is a sample week; the menu changes weekly, and infants follow their own feeding plan.

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Snack
Monday	Oatmeal with sliced banana, milk	Baked chicken, brown rice, green beans, orange wedges, milk	Apple slices and cheese
Tuesday	Whole-grain pancakes with strawberries, milk	Turkey and cheese on whole-wheat, carrot sticks, pear slices, milk	Yogurt and graham crackers
Wednesday	Whole-grain cereal with peaches, milk	Spaghetti with meat sauce, steamed broccoli, apple slices, milk	Whole-grain crackers and hummus
Thursday	Whole-grain waffle with blueberries, milk	Rice and beans, corn, melon, milk	String cheese and orange wedges
Friday	Scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast, orange slices, milk	Baked fish, mashed potatoes, peas, pineapple, milk	Banana and a whole-grain muffin

Forms

Choosing a center comes with a lot to think about, so we keep the paperwork short: one packet from us and one immunization form from the state, with help on immunizations and costs below. Fill the forms in at home, bring them to your tour, and we’ll walk you through the rest and answer any questions along the way.

Enrollment and consent packet
Everything we need before your child’s first day, in one fillable PDF. It covers:
- Child and guardian information
- Emergency contacts
- Health and care information
- Who may pick up your child
- Photo and media permissions
Prefer another way? Call and we’ll email it to you, or pick one up at your tour.
Call for the packet
Certificate of Immunization Status
The state form that records your child’s immunizations. Washington requires it on file on or before your child’s first day, along with a Certificate of Exemption if one applies. Your child’s doctor can print one from the state registry, or you can print it yourself from MyIR Mobile (myirmobile.com).

Get the CIS form
Immunization help and exemptions
Not sure how to get your child’s CIS, or need an exemption form? Washington allows medical, religious and personal exemptions, each with its own form and limits. Personal exemptions do not cover measles, mumps and rubella. The Washington Department of Health explains every option, and you can ask us if your child has one.

Visit WA DOH
Help with child care costs
Working Connections Child Care is Washington’s subsidy for families who need help paying for care while they work or go to school. You can check whether you qualify and apply through the Department of Children, Youth and Families. If you are not sure where to start, call us and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Apply through DCYF

A question about enrollment, forms, immunizations or subsidies? Call us and we’ll help you take the next step.

Good to know

Do you have openings?

Openings change by room and by season. Call and tell us a little about your child, and we’ll let you know what is open now, what may open soon and how the waitlist works.

Thinking about joining the Tender Years family? We’d love to hear from you and talk about what would be right for your child.

What does a day look like?

Every room has its own rhythm, shaped around the children who spend their days in it. Meals, play, learning, time outside and rest are woven through the day in the way that suits each age. Some days are busy with exploring and making things; others leave more room for cuddles, quiet play and rest.

On your tour we’ll walk you through a typical day in the room your child would join, so you can picture what their days here would really look like.

Do you serve meals?

Yes. We are part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, so breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack follow the USDA meal pattern for young children. There is a sample week under Meals. Tell us about any allergy and we plan around it.

Do you work with Working Connections Child Care?

Yes. Working Connections Child Care is Washington’s subsidy for families who need help paying for care while they work or go to school. How to check whether you qualify and apply is under Forms, and if you’re not sure where to start, call us and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Are you licensed and rated?

Yes. Our licensed name is Tender Years Academy Center. We are a Washington State licensed child care center and an Early Achievers Quality Level 3 program, the state’s quality rating for early learning.

We believe families deserve to know who is caring for their children and what standards a program follows. You can look us up on Washington’s Child Care Check, which shows our license, our inspections from the last three years and our Early Achievers rating. Ask us about any of it on your tour.

Come and see it for yourself

Look around, see the rooms, meet the teachers who may be caring for your child, and ask us anything on your mind. Tours take about half an hour and there is no pressure, just a chance to get to know us and picture your child here. Children are welcome to come along. We’d love to meet you and your family.

Book a tour or call (253) 333-8224

Getting here

Address: 2406 A St SE, Auburn, WA 98002
Phone: (253) 333-8224
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Serving: Auburn, Kent, Federal Way, Puyallup and the greater South King and Pierce County area