At Casa de Corazón, located on Hudson Road, children are immersed in Spanish culture, including art, food, music and symbols of each country. Photos: Casa de Corazón
When Natalie Standridge couldn’t find childcare that met her needs and values after the birth of her daughter, she did what any natural entrepreneur would do—she started her own. “I had specific requirements,” she says. “I wanted a Spanish immersion environment with a wholesome approach to care. No one was doing that in the Twin Cities.”
After running a home daycare for four years, Standridge opened Casa de Corazón in South Minneapolis in 2006. The intercultural early learning center serves infants through preschool-aged children and features a bilingual program, cloth diapers and freshly prepared meals. “We focus on nurturing your child’s mind, body and heart,” Standridge says. “It’s an extremely well-rounded education.”
Twenty years after opening the South Minneapolis location, Casa de Corazón now has 10 locations across Minnesota and Wisconsin, including its newest entry to the family in Woodbury.
Children attending Casa de Corazón range in age from infants to preschoolers.
Steady Growth
Standridge says Casa de Corazón took off quickly after doors opened. “We had an awesome response from the community,” she says. “We had doubled in size by 2007 and opened our second location in 2009. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, so many people need and want this.’”
In 2017, Casa de Corazón continued its evolution, opening the door to franchise opportunities. In Woodbury, Jansel Hernandez is the franchise owner. Hernandez has a Ph.D. in education and has worked with Casa de Corazón for the last 10 years. “He helped me build the program,” Standridge says. Hernandez adds, “I love to create new ideas, innovate.”
Opening the Woodbury location is the culmination of his work with Casa de Corazón to date. “The children are part of the family,” he says. “I know their names. It’s not just a business to me. I love my job.”
“I feel so blessed, and I’m so grateful for all the others who have been passionate about it,” Standridge says.
Fun Curriculum, Tasty Food
Left: Casa de Corazón works with local co-ops, farms and family-owned food vendors to provide freshly made snacks and meals to the children.
The Hudson Road facility, with its eight classrooms, kitchen and both indoor and outdoor play spaces, opened in July. Like other Casa de Corazón locations, Woodbury celebrates Latin culture in all aspects of its programming. “We implement The Creative Curriculum by Teaching Strategies—one of the most respected early childhood education frameworks in the United States—together with Casa’s own intercultural curriculum,” Hernandez says.
This comprehensive program promotes cultural immersion with a different theme and focus country each month, fostering language development, global awareness and meaningful connections for children. Children are introduced to the art, food, music and symbols of each country.
Each Casa de Corazón location features a commercial kitchen where snacks and meals are made on site each day. “We make food very fresh with local products,” Hernandez says. Casa de Corazón works with local co-ops, farms and family-owned food vendors to source organic ingredients for their meals. “It’s such a robust meal program,” Standridge says. Hernandez says among the crowd favorites prepared in their kitchen are flautas (rolled tacos), huevos rancheros (fried eggs and salsa on corn tortillas) and a Costa Rican beans and rice dish known as gallo pinto. “Parents ask for that recipe,” Hernandez says. “Everyone loves the food program.”
Casa de Corazón boasts more than 900 graduates. “Some come to us for the Spanish, some for the health,” Standridge says. Whatever the reason, “Everyone is welcome here,” Hernandez says.
Casa de Corazón
Instagram: @casa.woodbury
