No — not at Sierra Preschool & After School. We enroll children from 18 months, which means diapering and toilet learning are part of the normal day, not a barrier to starting. California child care licensing does not require a child to be toilet trained to attend a licensed center; individual programs set their own policies, and ours is that children start where they are and we teach from there.
Key takeaways
- •Our campus serves children from 18 months, so diapering is standard practice, not an exception.
- •State licensing does not require toilet training for enrollment — that rule is set school by school.
- •Toilet learning happens on your child's timeline, coordinated with what you're doing at home.
- •Pack extra clothes; accidents during the learning stage are expected and handled without fuss.
- •Regression during a transition — a new sibling, a move, a new classroom — is normal and temporary.
Why do some preschools require it and others don't?
It usually comes down to license type and staffing. A program licensed only for older preschoolers may have no diapering station and no staffing built for it, so training becomes an entry requirement. Centers licensed to take toddlers — ours starts at 18 months — already have the changing areas, the sanitation routine, and the ratios that toilet learning needs. So the requirement tells you more about the building than about your child's readiness.
What are the real signs of readiness?
Age is the weakest predictor. The signals teachers watch for are staying dry for around two hours, showing awareness before or during a diaper change, being able to pull pants up and down, and — the big one — showing interest in the bathroom instead of resisting it. Children hit that cluster anywhere between about 18 months and 3 and a half years, and hitting it late says nothing about intelligence or anything else.
How does toilet learning work during the school day?
Predictably, which is most of the trick. Children in the learning stage are offered the bathroom on a regular rhythm — after arrival, before and after outdoor time, before nap, mid-afternoon — rather than only when they ask. Successes get a calm acknowledgment, accidents get a clean change and no commentary. We tell you what happened each day so the weekend continues the same plan.
a day in our junior pre-K room
see the facility and classrooms
What if my child was trained and starts having accidents again?
Expect it around transitions. A new classroom, a new sibling, a move across Riverside, or the first week at a new school will often cost you a week or two of progress. It resolves on its own when the routine steadies. What doesn't help is pressure — regression driven by anxiety gets worse when it becomes the main topic of the day.
Frequently asked questions
What age do you start accepting children?
18 months. From there children move through toddler, junior pre-K, pre-K, and transitional kindergarten on our campus, and school-age care continues through age 12.
What should I pack?
Two to three full changes of clothes during the learning stage, plus diapers or pull-ups and wipes if your child still uses them. Label everything — identical toddler leggings are the most contested item in any classroom.
Will my child be moved up a class once they're trained?
Class placement follows age and developmental readiness overall, not toilet training alone. Toilet learning is one part of a bigger picture that includes language, social skills, and how a child handles the routine.
Do you use pull-ups or underwear during training?
We follow your lead so home and school stay consistent. Many families use underwear during the day with a pull-up at nap; tell us your plan and we'll run it the same way.
Have a toddler and no idea when to start? Call (951) 689-9492 — ask for a tour of the toddler room and see how the day is structured before you commit to anything.