About Sunshine House
A Safe Place to Shine
Children thrive when they feel safe, known, and welcomed. That belief has guided Sunshine House Preschools from the beginning and continues to shape the care, learning, and relationships found across our family of schools.
Our Story
Over the years, Sunshine House has grown into a family of schools serving communities throughout Contra Costa County, with our newest school in Solano County. Through that growth, the heart of the program has stayed the same: warm relationships, exceptional care, and meaningful early learning in environments where children feel they belong.
Meet Our Founder
Sunshine House was founded by Paula Bonesteel with a simple idea: preschool could feel warmer, more personal, and more like home.
MISSION AND VALUES
Our Mission
To give children a safe place to shine — where they grow in confidence and independence, build friendships, follow their curiosity, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
What We Value
Relationships First
Strong, caring relationships are the foundation of everything we do. Children learn best when they feel safe, connected, and truly known.
Safety and Trust
Families trust us with what matters most, and we honor that responsibility every day.
Learning Through Exploration and Play
Hands-on play builds language, creativity, problem-solving, early academic skills, and confidence in ways that feel natural to young children.
Partnership with Families
You know your child best. We work alongside families with warmth, honesty, and care.
Respect for Childhood, Choice, and Independence
Children deserve time to play, explore, imagine, move, wonder, and grow at their own pace. Children are capable people. We give them room to make choices, solve problems, follow their interests, and do more for themselves as they grow.
Warm, Welcoming Environments
Our open, mixed-age spaces are designed to feel calm, beautiful, and home-like. Children learn from one another much like siblings do — younger children stretch toward older friends, and older children grow by helping, leading, and showing kindness.
OUR TEACHERS
Experienced Preschool Teachers Who Know and Love Your Child
The difference families notice most is our teachers. They are chosen for their warmth, patience, and genuine love of children — and most stay for years. Our staff gives newer teachers the benefit of close guidance from experienced educators.
Ongoing training helps our teachers continue growing in skill, confidence, and care. And because many of our preschool environments are open and connected, teachers are able to see, support, and learn from one another throughout the day.
Average staff longevity
Seven Neighborhood Preschool Locations, One Standard of Care
Families choose Sunshine House in Brentwood, Oakley, Martinez, and Concord in Contra Costa County, and in Benicia in Solano County. With seven neighborhood schools across Brentwood, Oakley, Martinez, Concord and Benicia, Sunshine House is still intentionally local — and there’s a good chance one of our schools is close to home.
Each school has its own personality and neighborhood feel, while sharing the same commitment to warmth, safety, beautiful environments, and children who are truly known and cared for.
GET IN TOUCH
Come See It for Yourself
You can learn a lot about a preschool from a website. But you’ll know much more when you walk through the door. Come meet our teachers, see children at play, explore the spaces, and get a feel for what makes Sunshine House different.