Preschool and extended-day childcare in the Casa de Oro area of La Mesa is provided by ABC Barn Children's Place, a community ministry of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church on Fury Lane. The center operates directly across the street from Avocado Elementary School, creating a seamless before-and-after-school care pipeline for families in the Avocado Boulevard corridor. Community Care License 370805454, first issued in August 1985, authorizes a capacity of eighty-seven children ranging from age two through fifth grade across both the preschool and extended-day programs. Curriculum balances cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual enrichment without specific parochial instruction, and the program complements its outdoor play programming with the structured youth athletics at Soccer Shots. Digital check-in through the Brightwheel platform manages attendance records, activity updates, and parent communication. Staff-to-child ratios exceed California Title 22 minimum requirements, with all classroom teachers credentialed through a combination of early-childhood education units and ongoing professional-development training.