If you’ve tried finding infant care in Venice, you already know it’s not easy.
Between long waitlists, limited spots, and a shrinking number of preschools, a new option just opened in a familiar location:
Located right at Lincoln & Venice (near Club Joyful!), this space has quietly been home to multiple preschools over the years. Now it’s been taken over by Maple Tree Academy, a Westside early education group expanding to its fourth campus.
A new option for infant care (starting at 3 months)
Maple Tree Academy serves children from infants through preschool (3 months to 5.5 years) which is a big deal in a neighborhood where care for the youngest kids can be especially hard to find.
Programs are:
Year-round
Full-time and part-time options
Designed to grow with your child from infancy through pre-K
Tuition ranges from roughly $1,100 to $2,900/month, depending on age and schedule.
For families searching “infant daycare near me” or “baby care Venice CA”, this is one of the few new openings we’ve seen locally in a while.
Maple Tree’s Vibe
Maple Tree blends several well known early education approaches, including:
RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers)
Reggio Emilia
Montessori-inspired learning
Soka (value creation philosophy)
That’s a lot of labels but the takeaway is simpler: child-led, play-based learning with a focus on independence and confidence
Their goal (in their words) is to create:
“a nurturing environment where children build a strong foundation as happy, curious, and confident learners.”
Why infant care is getting harder to find
Even though California has expanded free public preschool (TK) for 4-year-olds, it’s actually made care for younger kids more limited.
Across Los Angeles:
Hundreds of preschool programs have closed in recent years
Many lost their 4-year-old classrooms (now filled by TK)
And some couldn’t stay open without that age group
The result: fewer spots for infants, toddlers, and 3-year-olds
So while TK helps at age 4, it’s made the earlier years more competitive.
A familiar location, new chapter
If the Lincoln & Venice address sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it.
The building has previously housed:
Chalk Preschool of Venice
A Bright Horizons program (“The Academy at Venice”)
So while Maple Tree is new, the space has long been part of Venice’s early childhood ecosystem.
Tour now if you’re:
expecting (don’t be like us, plan ahead)
looking for infant care now
or trying to secure a preschool spot before TK
Maple Tree is currently offering group tours through their website.
2201 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
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