Boulevard Little People Academy
Community SubscriberOakland, CA
- Prior to 2021, Boulevard Academy was a large home daycare. It is now licensed as two preschools at the same site: Boulevard Academy at 468 Boulevard Way (license # 013423117 capacity=14) and Boulevard Little People Preschool Academy at 470 Boulevard Way (license # 013423124 capacity=14)
- Other locations operated by Johnny and Deltrina Johnson of Little People Academies.: Oak Center Little People Academy & Little Sunflowers Preschool
Boulevard Little People Academy is affiliated with Boulevard Babies and Pre-K Academy, along with family-owned Little People Academy's throughout Oakland. This family-owned business thrives to provide quality child care, in a safe and nurturing atmosphere. BLPA operates year-round, providing organic meals throughout the day, emergent curriculum, are play-based, with spacious indoor and outdoor grounds.
Our teachers are experienced and highly qualified, providing growth and development, supporting each child's specific needs. Families that come on board with us share in our community, providing productive futures for all our little people. We look forward to hearing from your family!
Thank you,
Deltrina Johnson
Our son loves Boulevard Little People Academy! He started at 22 months old and has been there almost two years now, in the downstairs classroom. The teachers are really kind and there is staff support to create a fun lesson plan with activities everyday and varied meals for breakfast and lunch also. The school encourages community among families and teachers through events which is really great. We wish we could been more involved but the school is very understanding if it doesn't work with your schedule. The school uses the Brightwheel app and posts pictures of your child from time to time. It is so great to see what your kid is doing during the day and the photos provide a jumping off point for conversations about what is going on during the day.
I highly recommend Boulevard Little People Academy. My son attended the downstairs classroom for 6 months and spent another year in the upstairs classroom once he turned 3. We had intended for our daughter to also attend, but we're sadly moving out of town.
We have been so happy with Boulevard as a preschool for our son. The teachers and staff have all been there between 15-20yrs, each! This type of retention absolutely reflects the respectful and loving environment the school provides not only for the students but everyone in their community (including parents!). The teachers offer a tailored approach to each child. They seem to really understand what will help a child feel at ease, help motivate them, and help them become thoughtful and kind individuals. The school provides organic meals for the kids, breakfast, lunch, and snacks, which is so helpful for a busy working family. My biggest recommendation comes from how well I saw my son be treated. Miles has loved the school since the beginning. I also appreciated the patience and understanding the teachers had for the transition times of adjusting to a new routine. Feeling confident that Miles was with loving and respectful teachers meant the world to me as we navigated work/life balance during the pandemic.
I would be happy to answer any questions from curious parents. We have felt incredibly grateful to have Boulevard in our kid-raising community, and would love for other families to experience the same for their children!
We highly recommend Boulevard Little People Academy! We have two boys who attended the downstairs from 2019 to 2021. The staff and teachers have been so welcoming and patient with our boys (and our boys are sometimes not easy!). Boulevard improved their social skills, language skills, and it's amazing to see all the things they've learned at school (letters, colors, songs, explaining why or what they want). They absolutely adore Ms. Betty and Ms. Wendy (their primary teachers). The teachers are communicative whether it's in person or over phone/text. The downstairs space has a large indoor area with plenty of windows and sunlight. It's connected to a large play area with playground, grass, tables, and plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. They get ample learning and play time. As an added bonus, Boulevard feeds the kids breakfast, lunch, and snacks which seems to be uncommon (but is very nice!).
If you are looking for a school for your little one, I highly recommend checking out Boulevard! And, if you have any questions, please feel free to message me!
My daughter has been enrolled at BLPA since she was 1 year old. She has some developmental issues and they welcomed her with open arms. She adores her teachers and feels safe and loved. Please feel free to contact me for more information.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Sept 2013
Re: I've got the Preschool shopping Blues ...
I have two boys at Boulevard Little People Academy. It fits what you're looking for- the right balance of play and structure, healthy food (not all organic though), mixed ages, etc. It's near the Oakland/Piedmont border off Grand Ave. I'm not sure if there is an opening now but we have been very happy there. Check out www.blvdacademy.com Lisa
Sept 2013
I want to write in and recommend Boulevard Little People's Academy from the bottom of my heart. Both my girls went there, and I just couldn't ask for a warmer, more loving place. My younger daughter was very clingy and Ms. Alem was so nurturing and loving toward her, she became like a second mom. And my older daughter did great: learned her letters, went on a ton of enriching field trips, and made great friends, to name only a few examples. They provide two meals a day and snacks, and dropoff and pickup are flexible - what a relief! Also the fact that they take mixed ages is wonderful, because my girls (2 years apart) got to interact with each other periodically throughout the day, yet each was able to have her own age-appropriate activities as well. Del, the director, is so knowledgable and warm, and her whole family gets involved to offer enrichment activities. They truly became like a family to me.
Anne
Jan 2013
Re: Childcare for ages *0-6 YEARS* in/near Oakland?
Try Boulevard Little People Academy off of Grand Avenue right on the Piedmont border. My son was there from about ages 1.5 to 2.5 and loved it. We left only because I wanted the convenience of having one drop off and my daughter attended preschool somewhere else. They have an upstairs and a downstairs facility, and I think the youngest kids are downstairs. The facility is clean and the staff is great with the kids. Depending on availability, they would be able to take both your kids. Good luck! former boulevard parent
Aug 2012
We sent our son to Boulevard starting when he was 17 months until his 2nd birthday. Unfortunately, we moved out of state and have not been able to find anything like it now and miss it dearly. The staff there is so warm and take you in like a family. The students get a wonderful balance of academic work, art, free play, outside play in their wonderful spaces, and enrichment activities. There is a theme each week/month, such a seeds and gardening, and the students take field trips, such as to the hardware store to build and plant a garden. They are often out and about in the community, which we loved. They make healthy, often organic meals and snacks as well. We were constantly amazed at what our son was learning there- it far exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend sending an infant, toddler or preschool child there. lmk
Dec 2011
Re: Preschools in Oakland/Berkeley for 2-year olds?
Our 2.5 year old goes to Boulevard Little People's Academy, off Grand Ave. in Oakland. We love it there! It has the advantages of both a daycare and a preschool, with kids of lots of different ages. They go on field trips, they have a great outdoor space, they do art projects almost every day, and she's even beginning to learn how to write her letters! Deltrina, the director, has been doing this for 35 years and she's amazing. Here's their website: http://www.blvdacademy.com/ Love Boulevard!
Oct 2010
Hi, I am looking for opinions on the Boulevard Little People Academy in Oakland near Piedmont Lake Merritt. I can't find much info on the place. We toured it last week, but have mixed feelings and had some trouble getting all our questioned answered. If you have a child who attends we would love to hear what you think about the school. Thanks!!
We really like Boulevard Little People Academy. I will start my response with what I see as the ''downsides'' and then say what we love.
They do not teach Spanish. The food is not as organic/low-sugar/etc. as I would prefer (however, my two boys eat very heartily while there). While the staff is warm, loving, and ''gets'' children, they are not always as outgoing as I would like (this is not something my children seem to notice).
Now for our much longer list of positives (my husband is writing this with me): Both of our boys attend Little People. Our elder son (almost 5) has been there for three years this month and the little one (3) for two years, and they really enjoy their time at day care. They like going. They like the activities. They like their teachers. Little Peoples does what my husband and I deem as a very good job finding activities and outings for the children. They offer instruction for the 3+ year olds that seems quite consistent with a pre-school curriculum. Our very favorite attribute of Little People is their commitment to take each child where he or she is and work with that. They are not interested in cookie cutter children, and as a parent sending my children away from me for a good portion of the week, this feels vitally important. I want to know that my children are embraced with their strengths and foibles as the distinct individuals they are. Also, the staff works to respect my preferences as a parent with regards to food, activities, medical treatment (ie: they will administer homeopathic medicines at my written request, not just ''mainstream'' remedies), and clothes (ie: number of layers or lack thereof).
One of the mottos of the school is about making good citizens of the future. I see Boulevard's success with that in the way the children interact with each other and in how much my children like the other children. We regularly socialize with other families we have met through Little Peoples. The school fosters this by having a number of family activities throughout the year.
Deltrina Johnson, the head of Little People, is one of the finest people you will meet. She is phenomenal with children, loves feedback, and has a boundless capacity for loving kindness and joy. She is the head honcho and you should direct any questions to her.
The Boulevard Academies maintains an environment filled with love, understanding, good humor, structure, adventure, a good balance of play and age-appropriate academics, and the love of a good time. Jennifer
August 2010
I highly recommend this childcare center. The teachers are warm and loving and keep me informed about new developments or any discipline issues we can work on at home. They were supportive and flexible during potty training and even helped out by picking up my older daughter (age 4) from a neighbor's house to get her to school on the day her little sister was born last summer.
We are a family with two working parents, and we were looking for a safe and warm place for our girls to play, learn and grow, while developing close relationships with other children and adult caregivers. We have definitely found this at Boulevard. They provide exceptional learning experiences through their regular daily activities, plus summer sports and dance classes, weekly walks to the library and special fieldtrips for the pre-schoolers that I can't offer as a working mom.
Yes, there are typos in written communications, but to me, the best indication that this school is doing something right is the fact that my girls are happy to go each and every morning.
shelly
August 2009
Looking for reviews and experiences with Boulevard Little People Academy, the preschool on Boulevard off of Grand Avenue in Oakland. I have toured the school and have mixed feelings, liking some aspects and not so much others. Would love to hear from anyone who has or had a child here, positive or negative experiences.
A close friend of mine has had her children with Boulevard Little People Academy for a few years and seems to like it a lot. She has her 2 year old son there full-time, I believe. Her daughter is now 8 about to enter 2nd grade but she still goes back there sometimes and during the summer.
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.