Situated in a small free-standing studio in a shady suburban Cedar Park, Texas, neighborhood,
Heart and Hands Family Center, LLC, is owned and operated by Leslie Castaneda. Leslie is the mother of four children, and has been married to her husband Jesse for over 25 years. Leslie has worked as a teacher, program coordinator, assistant director, director and owner of early childhood programs in Virginia and Texas for nearly the entirety of her career, most recently Good Earth Day School/Good Earth Farm School for 15 years. In addition to years of direct experience and continuing education hours, Leslie possesses:
Bachelor of Arts, Secondary Education (English and Science), West Virginia Wesleyan College
LifeWays North America Early Childhood Certificate
CPR/First Aid Certified
Williamson County Food Handlers Card
2024 Graduate, Pastry and Boulangerie, Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, France
Leslie loves time in nature, travel, and cooking as well as time spent with her family. Heart and Hands Family Center is a relaxed space to nurture young children and their families, drawing from her professional and personal experience as a mother and early childhood professional.
Olivia Castaneda and Iris Castaneda are Leslie’s daughters and assistant teachers at Heart and Hands. They grew up and have assisted in the family’s nature-based preschool setting their entire lives, from feeding animals on the weekends to assisting in classrooms and preparing lunch for 50-70+ students.
Olivia
Besides her years in restaurant management, she is adept at handwork including crochet, knitting and painting. She loves weight training and running.
CPR/First Aid Certified
Williamson County Food Handlers Card
Restaurant Manager/Beverage and Front of House
Student, Austin Community College (Business)
Iris
Besides her cooking/baking skills, she is adept at flower arranging, crafting, crochet, knitting and other artistic pursuits.
CPR/First Aid Certified
Williamson County Food Handlers Card
Human Development Coursework, Leander ISD
Barista, Shift Lead, Assistant Manager - local coffee shop
Server - local brewery
Certificate, Floral Design
