My family had the pleasure of having our three girls attend A Happy Daycare spanning over the last 10 years, beginning with the oldest who is now almost 11 and ending with our youngest who just started kindergarten. Barbara and Heather are simply amazing, from the love and care they give the children to the wonderful program they run, we always knew our girls were taken care of and in good hands. All three of our daughters were more than prepared to enter kindergarten and always enjoyed the daily lessons put together by Barbara and Heather. They did so many fun activities and art projects that fostered creativity and curiosity while also learning academic fundamentals, and often participated in gardening and outdoor activities. Having a dependable, safe, and nurturing environment to leave your child is what every parent is looking for and we found that with A Happy Daycare. In the 10 years we spent with them, not once did they close their doors for a personal "sick day" or change their hours. All holidays were clearly communicated in their contract and minimal, which was extremely helpful for our family's needs. Each of our daughters developed a loving and close bond with Barbara and Heather and it was evident how well they were cared for during their time at A Happy Daycare. Their dedication to their daycare children and families is unwavering and we were truly blessed to have them be part of raising our daughters. read more

We have been at A Happy Daycare for 3 and half years now. Our oldest started there in 2021 when she was 2 years old. She loved going and came back every day very excited and happy. Heather creates fun age related educational activities for the kids and by the time she went to TK she already had such great letter and number recognition that it helped her to thrive and adapt very well to a bigger school and she was well on her way to reading and writing. She still talks about her friends and the fun she had from her time there. They also do fun themes for every season and do arts and crafts and stories around those themes, keeping the kids engaged so every day is not the same. Both my kids have loved when they do garden themed activities, planting sunflowers or pumpkins that they watch grow) Our youngest started when she was under a year old. She is still really enjoying her time there and did from the start. She never seemed upset to be dropped off when she was very little and was very happy every day at pick up. She is almost 3 now and loves it so much that she wants to go even on weekends. They are very convenient for year round working parents as they are rarely closed outside of public holidays(they take only a few days off a year and give very advance notice so you can plan ahead if you need find other care). They also don't have a strict drop off time which I really appreciate for the days I need to bring my kids in around 10 instead of early morning. My kids have always felt safe and comfortable there. I highly recommend them and I am so happy we ended up here when we initially started search for childcare 3 years ago. Our time so far has been amazing! read more

I have a million terrible things to say about this place. And while I could, I will only say this. Barbara cancelled my childcare with less than a weeks notice. She said she was no longer watching infants, but my child is 18 months old and is a toddler. She closes MANY days and even takes a vacation and requires you to pay. When the school districts close for weather she closed with little to no notice, despite not being anywhere near flooding or having any loss of electricity. Don't send your children here. She is rude and condescending. Heather her adult daughter was always sweet and my daughter will miss her. I will gladly never see Barbara's bitter scowl again. read more

A Happy Day Care - Very unprofessional and tasteless. Horrendous people. - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Salinas, California

Do not trust this place with your children! My daughter was 2 years old when I had her in daycare she is now 7 and remembers how bad they would mistreat her! She started telling me they would pinch her arm & grab her with their long nails & would make her sit outside! I was potty training my daughter at the time she was in daycare and at home she would do so good but as soon as she would get to daycare they would say she had accidents and she still needed pull ups! As soon as I took her out of daycare she NEVER used a pull up again! I am furious and upset that my daughter still remembers the torture she went through as a baby! I trusted this place because they were licensed & it was two females but they are evil & mean! read more

My son's been going to happy day care since he was 18mos and now he's 4 1/2 yrs old. A happy day care was the best thing happened to our family!!! After weeks of research, we found the perfect place for him :) Not only the safest and CLEANEST environment that they provide, but also academically they are always helping kids learning something. Everyday, my son brings home at least one project whether it's art or math and he's so much more advance than other 4yr old. Barbara and Heather helped my son through during his difficult behavior problem, eating habit, potty train, whatever you name it, with lots of patience:) They provide nutritious meal at the breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack everyday. Thanks to them, my son eats everything not like my other two older kids who went to different daycare unfortunately. Considering all the amazing care they provide, the price is unheard of!!! No wonder they have such a long waiting list!!! No wonder the other mom who wrote the 1 star review was upset. She didn't wanna lose this unbelievable opportunity despite her son's bad behavior which was danger to other kids. Any school will do the same thing that they did. To protect children's safety!!!! We are very fortunate to found my son's second home!! Thank you Barbara and Heather for being a huge part of our life!!! read more

I feel so lucky that both my boys are cared for here. This mother/daughter team is as good as it gets. There is always activities happening teaching them about our world, other cultures, science, ABCs, reading, writing and math. I have 100% trust that they are getting love and attention here that they need and learning more than I could ever teach them at home, along with learning social skills and kindergarten readiness. They are even helping with potty training. I recommend them often to others looking for childcare so I thought I should also recommend them here. read more

Barbara and Heather are a mother and daughter who run this day care in Salinas. We picked A Happy Day Care after interviewing a few others in the area when we learned of their school focus. Our son is only 19 months old, but is exposed to daily school actives including, art, ABCs, the world, reading, numbers and a long list of other activities they put into lesson plans. They are flexible and loving and only allow TV on Fridays! Amazing after checking out other day cares that plop the kids in front of the TV sometimes three times a day! I would highly recommend this day care/school for your child from 18 months up to 4 years old. read more

My son was here between 2-3 years old. I looked for reviews from other parents, I found out why there wasn't anything negative when I left. My son is not perfect, but he is also a child. Barbara & Heather are not clinically trained, she might've taken a few entry level psychology classes at a junior college, but constantly told me that I should get my child checked, there was something wrong with him. The house is dirty & cluttered. When I was threatened for the second time that they might let my son go, sheer panic came over me as I depended on them as care providers. I wish I had left sooner. My privacy was violated when she talked about personal information to other parents. My son was constantly sitting alone and excluded from the table with other children. The icing on the cake, a check that I wrote to them 5 months ago, was cashed 2 days ago. Pay a little extra and get higher quality care for your most prized possession. Other parents have came to me in the community and asked where my son went and agreed that they are extremely inappropriate with their comments. When I left, she threatened me, if I say anything bad about her daycare she will ruin me. I hope my warning to you on my experience is worth however she is going to ruin me. read more

I was so happy to find such a wonderful and caring Mother/Daughter Duo to look after my daughter. My daughter attended this fantastic Daycare for around 2 years. While my daughter was under their supervision she not only flourished socially but academically. I was welcome to stop by anytime and visit while my daughter was there since I worked so close. They provided nutritional meals while teaching the children healthy eating habits and about food groups. It was very structured with consistant routines that the children loved. The home, always clean and organized. Artwork and projects displayed. The children had regular nap times. The school room was stocked with amazing curriculum that the children loved. The holidays were always wonderful. Heather and Barbara were always great about communication with my child. Other parents were pleased as well. My daughter loves to stop by and say hello. These two ladies are very talented and amazing. Highly educated and knowledgeable about child care, child development, child safety, first aide, nutrition and so much more. Everyday my daughter came home with a different art project or writing sample. She learned many valuable skills and was top of her class and well exceeded kinder expectations. I can't thank these two enough. Well deserved 5 stars and highly recommend. read more

My daughter is 2.5 and has been going to this daycare for about 2 years now......we love it. She is excited to get up and go every morning and I am at peace knowing that she is so well taken care of while she is with Barbara and Heather. She is always learning something new and they even potty train which is amazing! If anyone is looking for a daycare, I highly suggest you look into this place, you will not be disappointed. read more

My daughter attended daycare here for about a year, up until she started kindergarten with a mother and daughter duo Heather and Barbara aka Bubby (as all the kids call her) :). They have a well established and very friendly environment for all involved. Very structured, welcoming, the kids are always happy and having a great time, healthy meals supplied everyday, etc. My daughter loved going to daycare every day even when I had the day off, she'd still want to go. Bubby and Heather were always very open about what they have to offer at daycare and what their expectations were and if there were any issues that arose they'd talk with the parents right away in a very mature manner. My daughter as well as other children who've come out of there have exceeded kindergarten expectations, they truly know how to get the kids ready to join the world of school! I'd bring my child back to them any day, they're amazing daycare providers! read more

Barbara and Heather cared for our Son for 5 years and our daughter for 5 additional years. This is by far the best, most caring, professional, imaginative, safe, respectful day care. For a very short period of time we had our son and daughter at other places and did not even come close to comparing to A Happy Day Care. They are very particular about what children they allow in to insure that all the kids play well together and get along together. They feed them nutritious meals, often which go along with a theme that they are studying for the week or the month. Heather is very talented and imaginative and is always coming up with fantastic lesson plans and activities for the kids. The children are taught to sing, dance, read, write etc. They are well prepared for kindergarten. They never are sick or take any excessive time off, They are very reliable which is important for working parents! We were so blessed to have been able to have both of our children cared for by Bubby and Heather! You will not be disappointed taking your most prized possession to them! read more