About Us

They say it takes a village to raise a child.

Meet your village!

Tenney Preschool & Childcare was founded by a group of parents who came together in 1979 to form a childcare cooperative in the heart of Madison’s Tenney-Lapham neighborhood.

Our little school on the Isthmus grew from there, but we remain committed to the founding hopes of those Tenney parents - that children have time to follow their curiosity, explore outside, and have loving grown-ups to guide them through learning and play!

Now, Tenney offers 5-star, accredited, full and half-day preschool for children ages 2+ Monday through Friday. Teachers incorporate children’s interests in lesson planning and introduce a range of activities thoughtfully designed to develop social-emotional skills, fine and gross motor skills, and support each child’s growth and development.

We take pride in our small class sizes with mixed-ages that benefit our children and our staff. Our teachers are able to develop important connections with children and their families.

Tenney Preschool and Childcare operates with an Executive Board made up of parents, community members, and staff who are elected to work closely with the Executive Director. This parent-cooperative model is the true hallmark of Tenney’s community-centered mission.