Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Folsom. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.
Top 100 in California
Among the top 100 childcare centers statewide — a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of licensed centers across California.
Best Teachers
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Folsom. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.
Most Compassionate
Earned the highest compassion score in Folsom. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.
Best K-Ready
Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in Folsom. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.
Best Management
Earned the highest management score in Folsom. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarepreschoolinfant
Cadence Academy Preschool in Folsom holds a 5.0-star Google rating from 15 reviews and 4.9 stars from 75 reviews across other platforms—among the strongest multi-source ratings in the area. This CCLD-licensed center (capacity 185) serves infants through school-age children Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM–5:30 PM, with an on-site kitchen that parents cite as a distinguishing feature for fresh meal quality. The Ascend curriculum emphasizes literacy, math, science, and nature-based learning through an outdoor classroom; enrichment programs include Spanish, cooking, dance, yoga, karate, and robotics for all ages. Parents describe spacious, clean rooms and attentive, communicative teachers. However, the 5:30 PM close is earlier than most Folsom competitors, and a CCLD complaint investigation is on file—prospective families should verify the nature and resolution at ccld.dss.ca.gov before enrollment.
Safety5.0
Curriculum8.0
Art / Music6.0
Infant care7.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion9.0
Management8.0
Culture9.0
Extracurriculars7.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Uses the Ascend curriculum covering phonics, handwriting, math, science, social studies, kindness curriculum, literature, and baby signs. Emphasizes a family-oriented, homelike environment with nature-based learning via an outdoor classroom (hands-on exploration, seasonal gardening, sensory play).
Programs & activities: Programs for ages 6 weeks to 12 years: infant, toddler, preschool, transitional kindergarten, state-registered private kindergarten, and school-age care. Enrichment includes Spanish for all ages, cooking, dance, yoga, sports, karate, and robotics; also summer camp and before/after school care with transportation.
What sets it apart: Open Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-5:30 PM. Security includes coded front door, staffed front desk, and classroom cameras. Markets long-tenured teachers (combined 226-plus years of experience) and FlexiPass prepaid flexible scheduling; 4.8-star rating from 99 reviews.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
#1 in Folsom
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/sacramento/folsom/cadence-academy-preschool-folsom-willard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-1-city.jpg" alt="#1 in Folsom - Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) - Folsom, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">#1 in Folsom</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked #1 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Folsom. This is the highest recognition we award in the city.</span>
</span>
</a>
Top 100 in California
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/sacramento/folsom/cadence-academy-preschool-folsom-willard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-100-state.jpg" alt="Top 100 in California - Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) - Folsom, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in California</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Among the top 100 childcare centers statewide — a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of licensed centers across California.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teachers
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/sacramento/folsom/cadence-academy-preschool-folsom-willard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg" alt="Best Teachers - Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) - Folsom, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teachers</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Folsom. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Most Compassionate
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/sacramento/folsom/cadence-academy-preschool-folsom-willard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-compassion.jpg" alt="Most Compassionate - Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) - Folsom, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Most Compassionate</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest compassion score in Folsom. This dimension captures how families describe staff empathy, how concerns are handled, and the emotional environment of the center.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best K-Ready
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/sacramento/folsom/cadence-academy-preschool-folsom-willard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-kinder.jpg" alt="Best K-Ready - Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) - Folsom, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best K-Ready</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in Folsom. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Management
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/california/sacramento/folsom/cadence-academy-preschool-folsom-willard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-mgmt.jpg" alt="Best Management - Cadence Academy Preschool -- Folsom (Willard) - Folsom, CA" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Management</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest management score in Folsom. This dimension reflects director responsiveness, communication, operational consistency, and the overall tone families experience from leadership.</span>
</span>
</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
