The Little Mud Puddles Learning Center

How 1Core Helped a Visionary Educator Streamline Operations and

Stay Full Year-Round

How 1Core Helped a Visionary Educator Streamline Operations and Stay Full Year-Round

How 1Core Solution Helped a Passionate Educator Build a Thriving Preschool from the Ground Up

Location

Fremont, California

Director

Darlene Johnston

Serving

Multilingual families, ages 2–5

Working families with

young children

Working families with

young children

Working families wit

young children

Using 1Core Since:

April 2008

My vision was for all children to receive the highest quality early education that would prepare them for kindergarten and lay strong foundations for the love of learning.

- Darlene

Meet Darlene Johnston

For Darlene Johnston, education has always been a calling. Her dream of opening a quality childcare center became a reality on June 9, 1986 with the founding of The Little Mud Puddles Learning Center in Fremont, California.

When former elementary school teacher Sonya Sunny Gonzales transitioned into early childhood leadership, she had a bold vision: create a nurturing space that supports young families and builds strong community ties. In March 2025, that vision came to life with the launch of Thrive Preschool in Daphne, Alabama - a rapidly growing Gulf Coast town full of working families in need of quality child care.

Now celebrating nearly 40 years of nurturing young minds, Little Mud Puddles continues to thrive as a vibrant, multicultural learning space serving children ages 2–5 and their families.

The Challenge

a system that could support her operations, improve communication, and help her adapt to modern demands.

Darlene always believed in being part of professional networks and staying informed through organizations like California's Professional Association for Childhood Education. But as her center grew, she needed something more - a system that could support her operations, improve communication, and help her adapt to modern demands.

That’s when she was introduced to Simon Ho, Founder of OnCare (now 1Core Solution), and discovered the first cloud-based childcare management system.

What made 1Core stand out was that it was the first family management system that was cloud-based. It gave me a safe feeling knowing I wouldn’t lose any important information.

- Darlene

With 1Core, It Just Works

With 1Core Solution, The Little Mud Puddles has been able to:

Enable online tuition payments for

parents

Enable online tuition payments for

parents

Give staff easy access to needed information through the center’s website

Improved parent engagement and

transparency

Give staff easy access to needed information through the center’s website

Streamline family communication via

email and text

Quick staff onboarding with minimal learning curve

Maintain accurate records for children,

staff, and tuition

Quick staff onboarding with minimal learning curve

Keep children safe with quick emergency alerts

Improved parent engagement and

transparency

Keep children safe with quick emergency alerts

Stay fully enrolled year-round thanks to

digital waitlist tools

Improved parent engagement and

transparency

Stay fully enrolled year-round thanks to

digital waitlist tools

Families can go online and make tuition payments, and my staff can access important information through our website. This keeps everything current and payments on time.

Standout Features

One of the most impactful tools has been the online waitlist and enrollment system. With over 300-400 children joining the waitlist every year, 1Core has made it easy to manage and convert inquiries into enrollments.

Another favorite feature? The personalized customer service.

We’re licensed for 84 children, and our waitlist keeps growing. Thanks to 1Core, we can send blast emails for open houses and offer online enrollment when families are ready.

Anytime we have a concern or question, I can reach out through the system or directly to Debbie Landthorn or her team. They are always patient, informative, and open to suggestions.

Our Best Fit: 1Core

For Darlene, success in today’s childcare industry is about staying adaptable and embracing the right tools.

When colleagues ask how I’ve stayed successful - especially over the past few years - I always say: you need to be flexible. 1Core helps me save time so I can give more of it to the children, families, and staff.

- Darlene

The Results

Today, The Little Mud Puddles Learning Center stands as a model of quality, continuity, and innovation. Backed by 1Core Solution, Darlene and her team have created a system where operations run smoothly, families stay connected, and classrooms stay full.

10080 North Wolfe Road, Suite SW3-200

Cupertino, CA 95014

Phone: 1-833-33-1CORE (2673)