About Creative Minds Child Development Center · San Jose
Creative Minds Child Development Center is a locally owned, Reggio-inspired early-childhood program in San Jose, California, serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers (3 months through 5 years). Founded in 2009 by Richa Dham Kapur, the center operates from a large, light-filled campus at 4977 Dent Avenue in the Cambrian Park area, near Highways 85 and 17. The school blends the Reggio Emilia project-based approach with RIE methods for its youngest learners and emphasizes low teacher-to-child ratios (1:3, 1:5, 1:8) in small-group settings.
Creative Minds Child Development Center has been serving San Jose families since 2009 with year-round infant, toddler, and preschool programs. Founder and on-site Director Richa Dham Kapur holds a Master's in Psychology (Play Therapy emphasis) from Connecticut and a Bachelor's in Child Development from Delhi, and brings more than 30 years of experience leading early-childhood centers, including work with San Mateo County Head Start and the founding of a Reggio/RIE program in Beaverton, Oregon. She is a member of the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) and has been a member of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) for over 20 years. The school combines the emergent, hands-on, project-based curriculum of the Italian Reggio Emilia approach with RIE-inspired caregiving for infants and toddlers, focusing on language acquisition, self-help skills, motor development, art, and play. Programs include Infants & Toddlers (3 months–2 years), Young Preschool (2–3 years), and Preschool (3–5 years), plus a Pre-Kindergarten Readiness component for children heading into kindergarten the following fall. Graduates are described as academically, socially, and emotionally prepared for kindergarten. The center serves families in San Jose, Almaden, Campbell, and Los Gatos, with full-day and extended-care scheduling, an on-site admissions process, and a published parent handbook and school calendar.
- In business
- Since 2009 (approximately 16 years)
- Owner
- Richa Dham Kapur (Founder/Director)
- Serves
- San Jose (Cambrian Park area), Almaden, Campbell, Los Gatos, and surrounding South Bay communities near Hwy 85 & 17
- Rating
- Approximately 4.2/5 from 5 verified reviews on Daycares.co; MapQuest aggregates 33 reviews pulled from Yelp/Google. Yelp listing shows 26 reviews.
About Creative Minds Child Development Center
Creative Minds CDC was founded in 2009 by Richa Dham Kapur after she relocated to San Jose in 2008 and could not find an early-childhood program that matched her standards for child-centered, developmentally appropriate care. Drawing on more than a decade of prior experience — including leading the San Mateo County Head Start education component across eight sites and establishing a Reggio/RIE program in Beaverton, Oregon — Richa built the school from scratch around the Italian Reggio Emilia approach and RIE methods for infants. Today the center operates year-round from a large, light-filled campus at 4977 Dent Avenue, serving families in San Jose, Almaden, Campbell, and Los Gatos.
- Founded 2009 in San Jose, CA
- Founder/Director: Richa Dham Kapur
- Locally owned and operated
- Located near Hwy 85 & 17 in Cambrian Park
Programs Offered
The center divides its care into three age-based programs, each with a published teacher-to-child ratio so children can be known well and supported in small groups. Curriculum is emergent: teachers design projects around the interests and needs of the current group of children, integrating language, science, math, music, and art into daily life.
- Infants & Toddlers (3 months – 2 years): RIE-inspired respectful caregiving, ratio 1:3
- Young Preschool (2 – 3 years): language acquisition, self-help and motor skills, ratio 1:5
- Preschool (3 – 5 years): Reggio-inspired project-based learning, ratio 1:8
- Pre-Kindergarten Readiness morning program for children entering kindergarten the following fall
Curriculum & Teaching Approach
Creative Minds combines the emergent curriculum and hands-on creative approaches of Reggio Emilia schools in Italy with the relationship-based caregiving principles of RIE for infants and toddlers. The Reggio Emilia approach — named in 1991 by Newsweek as an exemplary model of early-childhood education — enables children to think outside the box, build on their interests, and work in teams to discuss and innovate. In the preschool classrooms, learning is integrated across language, science, art, and math, with morning and afternoon meetings that make children collaborators responsible for their own learning. Journal writing is a frequent activity, and the program also exposes children to science, music, drama, art, organic gardening, and physical education.
- Reggio Emilia-inspired project approach
- RIE methods for infant and toddler caregiving
- Journal writing in preschool classes
- Integrated language, science, math, music, and art
- Organic gardening, drama, and physical education exposure
Daily Schedule (Preschool Example)
A typical preschool day at Creative Minds balances free play, small-group learning, outdoor time, meals, and rest. The published schedule on the school's website gives parents a clear picture of how the day flows.
- 8:15 – 9:30: Free play / breakfast
- 9:45 – 10:15: Pre-K unit / preschool activities (Sept–March)
- 10:15 – 10:30: Morning circle time / music & movement
- 10:30 – 11:00: Learning centres / small-group activities
- 11:00 – 12:15: Outdoor play
- 12:15 – 12:45: Lunch
- 12:45 – 1:00: Wind-down & prepare for nap
- 1:00 – 3:00: Nap / rest / books / quiet activities
- 3:00 – 3:30: Wake-up & sunscreen
- 3:30 – 4:00: Afternoon snack / free play
- 4:00 – 5:00: Outdoor play / pick-up time
Hours, Scheduling & Tuition
Creative Minds is open year-round and offers both full-day and extended-care scheduling to meet working families' needs. Full-day programming starts at 8:15 AM and ends at 4:30 PM for infants and 5:00 PM for Young Preschool and Preschool. Extended care covers 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Care.com lists general hours of 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday. Tuition is not posted online; the school asks families to call for current rates.
- Full Day: 8:15 AM – 4:30/5:00 PM
- Extended Care: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Care.com listed hours: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday–Friday
- Year-round programs (no summer closure)
- Full-time and part-time scheduling
- Tuition: call 408-445-0101 for current rates
Admissions, Forms & Calendar
Families are encouraged to tour the school and then use the school's online forms to either get on the waiting list or reserve a space (reserving requires a registration fee and often a deposit; the waiting list is free and gets second priority). All required paperwork is available as fillable PDFs, including California-licensed child care forms (LIC 700, LIC 627, LIC 995, LIC 613A, LIC 701, LIC 702, etc.), the Parent Handbook, and the 2025–2026 school calendar.
- Tour first, then apply
- Admission Contract and Emergency Information forms
- Physician's Report with immunization records
- Parent Handbook with policies and first-day checklist
- 2025–2026 Calendar of holidays and closures (PDF)
- Special-needs documentation accepted (IFSP, IEP, 504 plans)
- Individual Infant Sleeping Plan for infants under 12 months
Team & Leadership
The school's website emphasizes that its degreed, long-tenured teachers provide the stability children need. The on-site Founder/Director, Richa Dham Kapur, holds a Master's in Psychology with a Play Therapy emphasis and brings more than 30 years of experience leading child development centers and Head Start programs. She is professionally affiliated with the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA) and NAEYC.
- Founder/Director: Richa Dham Kapur
- Master's in Psychology, Play Therapy emphasis (Connecticut)
- Bachelor's in Child Development (Delhi, India)
- Member, NAREA (North American Reggio Emilia Alliance)
- Member, NAEYC (20+ years)
- Prior Head Start and Beaverton, OR program leadership
Facility & Location
The school occupies a purpose-built early-childhood campus at 4977 Dent Avenue in San Jose's Cambrian Park neighborhood, convenient to Highway 85 and Highway 17. Families from Almaden, Campbell, and Los Gatos are within easy reach. The school's own marketing highlights large, light-filled classrooms and multiple outdoor play areas that provide a secure space for year-round exploration.
- Address: 4977 Dent Avenue, San Jose, CA 95118
- Neighborhood: Cambrian Park
- Near Hwy 85 and Hwy 17
- Large, light-filled classrooms
- Multiple outdoor play areas
Reviews & Reputation
Creative Minds maintains a presence on Yelp (26 reviews), Google (linked from the school's homepage), Facebook, and Care.com, and is aggregated by MapQuest (33 reviews) and Daycares.co. The school's homepage links directly to Yelp Reviews, Google Reviews, and its Facebook page. Testimonials highlight the warm community feel, communication from teachers, and children's growth across infant, toddler, and preschool years. Daycares.co lists the center at 4.2/5 across 5 verified reviews. Note: Care.com states it has not independently verified the business's license, though the provider page shows CA licensing requirements have been met.
- Yelp: 26 reviews (linked from official site)
- Google Reviews: linked from official site
- Facebook: facebook.com/creativemindscdc.org
- Daycares.co: 4.2/5 from 5 verified reviews
- MapQuest: 33 aggregated reviews
Contact Information
Families interested in tours, enrollment, or tuition information can reach Creative Minds by phone, fax, email, or in person at the Dent Avenue campus.
- Phone: 408-445-0101
- Fax: 408-445-0122
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 4977 Dent Avenue, San Jose, CA 95118
- Website: https://www.creativemindscdc.org/