How a Dream Led to a New Little World: The Story of Mundo Pequeño
Lupita Castillo y Rafaela Gutirrez, de Mundo Pequeño
Photos by Jennifer Marquez for JEFAS Magazine
By Alyssa Gomez, partnership with KCCI
As a legal assistant and a mother, Mundo Pequeño Director Lupita Castillo dreamed of a loving, Spanish-speaking, hands-on childcare center for her special needs son. When she couldn’t find one that felt like home in the Des Moines metro, she and her Mundo Pequeño Co-Director Rafaela Gutierrez ventured out to create their own.
Filled with passion and motivation, Castillo had the drive, but more questions than answers. How does someone start a daycare?
Castillo picked up the phone and in a turn of fate, her very first call transferred her immediately to the chief of the Iowa Division of Family Well-Being and Protection…the first step in her dream becoming reality.
From Humble Beginnings to a Thriving Childcare Center
What started with just six kids in a daycare run out of a room in her home sprouted into a multi-room, Spanish-immersive state-of-the-art facility on Des Moines’ south side that serves nearly five dozen kids a week.
The dream didn’t become a reality overnight. Castillo gradually grew the business from her living room to the larger basement of her mother’s home, to a house purchased solely for childcare. The Mundo Pequeño team sought advice from other local businesses. While the business grew by way of referrals, the women were single-handedly building a curriculum to meet state funding standards, eventually earning their Level 3 IQ4K status and applying for several state-funded grants to get them off the ground. In 2017 those grants led to building their dream facility, the place they call home today.
A Welcoming and Immersive Learning Environment
Stepping into Mundo Pequeño evokes the feeling of diving into a child’s toy box. It’s chock full of handmade art, play kitchens nestled into corners, dress-up gowns and matching plastic heels, and an endless array of toys. It’s bright and beautiful, radiating with sounds of laughter, music and little voices fill the air. The names and faces of students are labeled on cubbies and rugs everywhere you look. This helps give the students a routine and fills them with a sense of belonging.
“Lupita!” a young girl yells, running towards Castillo with a wide smile and open arms. Castillo embraces her in a hug, calling her by name. From the smallest baby curled up in a crib, to the noisier tots learning to read, Castillo knows them all. She acknowledges that when parents say goodbye to their kids in the morning, she and her staff are entrusted with their most precious possessions. It’s a fact that she does not take lightly. “Some families say the other daycares look like a factory, but here, it looks like a family,” says Castillo, “So that’s part of our mission and our goal.”
Seventeen years ago, Castillo and Gutierrez had no idea where to begin. They decided to start with what was most important and build their staff with one requirement taking precedence over all others: ensuring each member treats each child like family. From there, their work spoke for itself. Word of mouth carried Mundo Pequeño’s reputation through the community as local families sought reliable childcare. Now, they have a full roster and a growing waiting list.
The Power of Language Immersion in Early Education
When the kids leave their care, the hope for them is twofold: that they keep using and pursuing the Spanish language and that they fondly remember their time at Mundo Pequeño.
While 80% of the children at Mundo Pequeño are primarily English speakers, when they walk through the doors of the daycare each morning, they’re greeted with “Hola!,” and a smile. They write, sing, and play in Spanish – regardless of the language spoken at home. The directors note that this approach may raise concerns in some parents at first, but their fears melt away when they realize the kids, like sponges, can soak in so much knowledge.
“Their kids are so, so smart!” says Castillo. “They understand us very well. When they start, they’re six months old, when they leave, they’re five years old.”
Castillo, Gutierrez, and the entire Mundo Pequeño staff take a hands-on approach to teaching the language and caring for the kids. Each staff member is dedicated to one age group. They agree the most rewarding part of the job is watching each child reach new milestones, both big and small. “That’s why I love my job because I like to see how they grow, how they learn, how they do things, like when they start walking. Those are the amazing things,” says Castillo. During this crucial period, the students at Mundo Pequeño are immersed in a language that they may not hear otherwise. By the time they leave, they have a greater understanding of language as a whole. It’s a skill she knows can benefit them for decades.
Inspiring Others to Follow Their Dreams
For anyone with hopes of starting a business but doesn’t know where to start, Castillo’s advice is simple. “Do it. Follow your dreams. Everything is there; you just have to look for it.”
She knows that one simple phone call can be the first step to creating your own little world.
