Who We Are
Parents ask us all the time: "How will I know if this is the right place for my child?" It is one of the most honest questions a family can ask, and you deserve an equally honest answer. At Parker Landing Child Development Center, the answer reveals itself the moment you walk through our doors. You will feel the calm in our classrooms. You will notice how our teachers greet each child by name before they even reach the hall. You will see your little one's face light up, saying good morning to Nemo and Dory in our fish tank on the way to class. This quiet warmth is what 21 years of caring for families in Parker, Colorado, looks like in practice. We understand that you are not simply looking for a safe place for your child to spend the day. You are looking for a place where your family is truly known, where the people caring for your little one feel like an extension of your own circle of trust.
Parent Reviews
Samantha W.
February 18, 2025
We have been with PL for nearly 3 years and both of my kids love going to school there. The program is evidence based and keeps school fun and age appropriate. Everyone is friendly and truly works as a team.
Aarti S.
February 11, 2025
Amazing experience with very well behaved respectful staff and the management is great .
Ana G.
November 12, 2024
I love the care my son is getting and communication with his teacher is great! She truly has a passion for teaching the explorers class. My son loves Ms. Arti!
Jeanine M.
August 20, 2024
Our family loves this school and have been going here for a couple of years now. We highly recommend Parker Landing to anyone looking for a kind and happy place for their kids. They will learn, love, laugh, and thrive here at Parker Landing.
Our Story
Parker Landing Child Development Center has been part of the Parker community since 2004. From the very beginning, our purpose was clear, to create a place where children feel genuinely safe, deeply cared for, and excited to learn. More than 21 years later, that purpose still shapes every decision we make, from how we design our classrooms to how our teachers start each morning, greeting each child at eye level.
We have grown and evolved alongside the families we serve. We are proud to be part of the Endeavor Schools family today, a network of more than 100 schools united by a shared commitment to exceptional early childhood education. This connection gives our team access to deeper professional development, richer resources, and a broader community of educators dedicated to the same mission. But the soul of Parker Landing, the warmth, the relationships, and the everyday magic of watching children grow, has never changed.
We have watched babies take their first steps in our hallways. We celebrated preschoolers who have finally mastered the skill of writing their own names. We cheered on pre-kindergarteners as they stepped onto school buses for the very first time, beaming with the kind of confidence that takes years to build. Those milestones are our story, written by your family alongside ours.
Katrina Willingham, School Leader at Parker Landing, captures the spirit of what we do: "Early education is all about shaping the foundation of a child's confidence, curiosity, and sense of belonging." With 12 years in education and nearly a decade leading this school, Katrina brings expertise, deep community roots, and a genuine love for this work to everything she oversees. "I love the community we have built," she shares. "Everyone is thoughtful and kind."
Our mission is to build strong foundations, academically, socially, and emotionally, while partnering with your family to help your child reach their full potential. We believe that every experience in these early years matters deeply, and we approach each day with the intention, warmth, and professional excellence that belief demands.
We want every child who walks into Parker Landing to feel welcomed, respected, and capable. When your little one knows they are valued and supported, they naturally begin to take healthy learning risks, build meaningful friendships, and develop a genuine sense of confidence that grows with them for years to come. Our vision is a school community where your child flourishes, and your family feels like you truly belong.
Our research-based, age-appropriate curriculum is designed to support physical development, emotional growth, and strong academic preparation. Every day at Parker Landing, your child engages in play-based, child-centered learning through guided exploration, intentional small group activities, and warm interactions with educators who understand exactly how children develop at each stage. We do not take a one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Our teachers take the time to understand how your child absorbs information, what makes them curious, and what kind of support helps them thrive. Through early literacy, mathematics, creative expression, sensory exploration, physical movement, and social-emotional learning, your young learner builds skills that feel exciting to practice and meaningful to carry forward.
What Makes Our Early Childhood Center Different?
Families searching for early childhood programs near Parker, Colorado, often tell us they are not just comparing credentials or classroom setups. The deeper question most parents carry is, "Will my child actually be happy here? Will they be known?" We want to address that question directly, because it is the right one to ask.
What sets Parker Landing Child Development Center apart is our commitment to seeing each child as a whole person, not simply a student progressing through a checklist of milestones. We balance academic preparation with social-emotional development and individualized support. We pay close attention to how your child learns, what lights them up, and what kind of encouragement helps them take their next confident step.
Katrina Willingham describes our teaching approach this way: "Our school's teaching pedagogy is rooted in play-based, child-centered learning that supports the whole child. Each day, children learn through exploration, guided activities, and intentional interactions with our teachers that help build confidence, independence, and the love of learning." That philosophy shows up in the small, beautiful moments that define a typical day here.
Early Childhood Leadership & Staff
Before enrolling your child at any school, you deserve to know exactly who will be caring for them every day. At Parker Landing Child Development Center, our teachers are experienced, thoroughly trained, and deeply committed to knowing each child as an individual. Our educators hold credentials, including Child Development Associate (CDA) certifications, EQIT training, Pyramid Plus, and Early Childhood Education coursework for Colorado. Every team member completes the 15 annual professional development hours required by the state of Colorado, and every staff member is certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED, meeting Colorado state's health and safety requirements. We conduct thorough background checks for everyone who works in our building because we take the trust you place in us seriously every day.
Katrina Willingham
School Leader, Parker Landing Child Development Center
Katrina Willingham has spent 12 years in education and has dedicated nearly a decade of that career to leading Parker Landing. She is passionate about building a school culture where children feel valued, teachers feel supported, and families feel like genuine partners in their child's growth. "We strive to create a safe and nurturing environment where children feel valued and supported as they begin to learn the world around them," she says. Under Katrina's leadership, Parker Landing has become a school known not only for strong academic outcomes but for the unmistakable sense of belonging that families feel from their very first visit.
Achievements & Accreditations
Parker Landing Child Development Center, proudly part of the Endeavor Schools family, has spent more than 21 years creating a nurturing environment where children feel safe, understood, and genuinely cared for. With loving teachers, a supportive school director, and an attentive assistant director, all CPR and First Aid certified, families can feel confident knowing their child is receiving exceptional early education every single day. Our research-based, age-appropriate curriculum supports physical development, emotional growth, and strong academic foundations. This is reflected in the 96% of Parker Landing students who meet or exceed every GOLD Readiness Benchmark for national kindergarten-readiness, based on internal assessments aligned with national standards, which is a testament to the deep experience and commitment that defines our school community.
"The core purpose of our school's mission is to focus on building strong foundations, academically, socially, and emotionally, while partnering with families to help each child reach their full potential."
- Katrina Willingham, School Leader, Parker Landing Child Development Center
Endeavor Schools is a community of more than 100 schools across the country, brought together by a shared commitment to caring for children during the most important years of their lives. Each school is thoughtfully connected to its local community, creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to grow. Behind every classroom is a team of educators and parents who understand how much these early experiences matter, and who are dedicated to helping children build confidence, develop essential skills, and find a genuine love for learning. At the heart of Endeavor Schools is a focus on one simple goal: to give every child the support and foundation they need to thrive, both in school and in life.