How We Operate
Licensing, Safety, and Educational Standards at Wild Wander Forest School
At Wild Wander Forest School, your child’s safety, development, and joyful learning experience are at the heart of everything we do. We understand that choosing a nature-based school in California can come with questions about oversight, legality, and quality. This page outlines how we operate within California’s unique regulatory landscape—and the many steps we take to go above and beyond state expectations.
Forest Schools & Licensing in California
Understanding Our Framework
In California, childcare and school licensing regulations are designed primarily for traditional, indoor-based programs. Unfortunately, they don’t yet fully account for outdoor-only, nature-based schools like ours.
As a result, many forest schools—including Wild Wander—operate independently of the state’s standard licensing system. through an exception called Licensed Exempt.
We take this responsibility seriously—and we’ve built a model that prioritizes trust, transparency, and community partnership.
Our Safety & Staffing
Standards
How We Protect and Support Every Child
At Wild Wander Forest School, we maintain rigorous internal safety standards that reflect best practices in early childhood care, even beyond what is typically required by licensed centers. Here's what that looks like:
Hiring & Staff Requirements
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All staff are TrustLine Verified (California’s official background check system for childcare providers).
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Staff members undergo Live Scan fingerprinting and full Department of Justice background checks.
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Every educator is certified in Pediatric CPR and First Aid.
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All team members are certified mandated reporters under California law.
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We prioritize hiring educators with experience in nature-based learning, child-led environments, and early literacy.
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All lead teachers are credentialed and co-teachers are required to complete early childhood education hours.
Educational
Integrity
Nature-Based, Developmentally Informed,
and Academically Grounded
While our classroom may be outdoors, our educational philosophy is rooted in structure, intentionality, and curiosity. Our programs are designed to:
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Support early literacy and storytelling through nature-based learning
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Develop foundational math and science skills through play, patterning, and observation
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Encourage social-emotional growth, independence, and a deep connection to the natural world
We align our curriculum with California’s early learning standards while maintaining the freedom and flexibility of a forest school model.
Legal Standing & Educational Authority
Licensed to Operate and Recognized to Educate
Wild Wander Forest School is a legally operating business in the state of California. Wild Wander Forest School is registered as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in the state of California and remains in good standing with the Secretary of State. You can verify our business status here by searching "Wild Wander Forest School LLC."
We hold current business licenses in both:
In both locations, we obtain permits or pay for access to public parks, trails, and preserves where our programming takes place. We coordinate with local agencies to ensure full compliance and responsible use of shared natural spaces.
We have also filed a Private School Affidavit (PSA) with the California Department of Education, which formally registers us as a private school. This allows us to:
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Educate school-aged children (ages 5 and up)
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Record and report attendance in alignment with state requirements
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Operate legally as an alternative to traditional schooling
Accountability & Community Oversight
Built-in Checks and Transparent Values
We believe that a healthy school community is one that listens, reflects, and stays accountable to the people it serves. To help us stay true to that mission, we’ve established an Accountability Committee made up of:
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Parents of currently enrolled students
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Local community business owners
This board meets regularly to help guide decisions and ensure we are living up to our commitments in areas such as:
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Literacy and educational development
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Community engagement and feedback
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Ethical governance and school culture
It’s one of the many ways we stay connected, transparent, and student-centered.
Trust & transparency in partnership
We understand that forest schools are a relatively new and rapidly growing model here in California—and that current licensing frameworks haven’t yet caught up with this innovative, outdoor-based approach to early education.
Like many forest schools, Wild Wander Forest School operates as a license-exempt program according to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). We have made CDSS aware of our presence, operational status, and locations, and remain committed to full transparency and alignment with the guidelines for license-exempt programs.
Although we operate outside of the traditional licensing system, we hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards for safety, learning, and accountability. We recognize that this requires a high level of trust from families, and we don’t take that lightly.
That’s why we’ve built our program around transparency, rigorous safety practices, and meaningful community oversight—all grounded in a deep commitment to nurturing the whole child in nature. If you have questions about our structure or would like to join an upcoming parent info session, we’d love to connect.
Thank you for considering Wild Wander Forest School—where childhood is rooted in wonder, and trust grows wild.
