Our Story

When Heather Malley began Caterpillar Cottage in 2010, it was with a teaching background in preschool classrooms and eight years in research and program evaluation in early education.

Starting the program was a dream Heather had for over a decade, allowing her to combine her education and teaching experience with her years as a researcher and program evaluator. The staff who have joined her in this work have also brought their passion for early education, child development, and play-based learning. Together, they have grown a program full of joy, discovery, and respect for children.

Today, Caterpillar Cottage has become a learning-through-play community where the teachers support the whole child’s development: physical, emotional, creative, social, and cognitive.

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist…”
- Pablo Picasso