Update: I posted this review before everything shut down…read morebecause of COVID. Luckily, we were able to stay with Lia and Apple Cheeks through it all. She did a *fantastic* job of wrangling our social bubble and keeping all of the families safe and feeling confident. I don't know how we would have gotten through the last year without her. We've decided to keep our son at Apple Cheeks another year to reduce our exposure. We feel so lucky that Lia is able to create a custom preschool curriculum for him and that he's continuing to flourish despite the pandemic.

You don't have to look much further than the smiling faces in the pictures above for thorough…read morereviews. Every morning, our daughter walks through the door with a smile on her face ready to play with her friends and to participate in whatever neat activities Lia's got planned for them. From story time to play time with lots of learning sprinkled in between you can tell Lia really connects with the kids. Beyond that, she really loves them and is genuinely interested in helping them grow in every way.

Our daughter attended Tiny Footprints for two years and it was absolutely amazing! From the daily…read morecheck ins, to the weekly field trips and holiday activities, our girl had a great time. Cecy and staff became family and if we could keep our toddler there until college we would lol.

Tiny Footprints Childcare has been such a meaningful part of our family's early years. Both my…read moredaughter and son attended until TK, and we couldn't have asked for a better start to their educational journey. The environment at Tiny Footprints is not only loving and nurturing but also thoughtfully structured to support both academic readiness and emotional growth. Cecy, Olivia, and Consuelo truly pour their hearts into the children. Our daughter transitioned into TK with confidence, and now that our son has just finished his time there, we see the same strong foundation in him--socially, emotionally, and developmentally. Cecy is more than just a caregiver--she's a true community builder. She brings families together, fosters connections, and creates a sense of belonging that extends far beyond the classroom. We always felt supported, informed, and part of something special. Tiny Footprints is more than a childcare center--it's a community, a safe haven, and a place where children (and parents) are truly seen and cared for. We're so grateful for the beautiful start our kids received here.

Our two-year-old attended Albany Sunflower Day Care for over a year, and we truly feel so lucky to…read morehave found this place. From day one, Helen has been an incredibly kind, attentive, and patient caretaker. She brings a calm and nurturing energy that our son responded to immediately. Mornings can be a bit of a challenge for us -- he often resists getting out the door -- but the moment he saw Helen, he would light up and completely settle down. It gave us a lot of peace of mind knowing he was in such loving hands. One of the reasons we gravitated towards Sunflower Day Care is the Mandarin immersion. We don't speak Chinese at home, but after a year, our son developed an impressive understanding of Mandarin and built a solid vocabulary for his age. It's been amazing to see him respond to Mandarin phrases, sing songs, and even surprise us by using words we didn't know he'd learned. The environment at Sunflower Day Care is warm and structured. You can tell Helen genuinely cares about every child and puts so much effort into making sure they're happy, engaged, and learning. We're so grateful for everything Helen and her daycare have done for our family.

We came to know about Sunflower daycare at Totlot playground in Albany when a little boy pointed to…read morean airplane saying "Fei ji" ( meaning airplane in Chinese). His parents highly recommended the daycare. Soon after we found out more about the place, our little one started the program when he was 14 months old. Ms. Helen and her family are wonderful people. A child can feel the loving energy from her right away. Every morning, she welcomes our child and other kids with her positive and caring energy. Our kid has never been sick from going to school and really loved mentioning the names of his friends. Families going to Sunflower show great care about their kids, which makes us feel this is a nice community. We always feel safe leaving our kid in Ms. Helen's care. Her backyard play space is a gem in the city! It never gets too sunny on hot afternoons, and early mornings have lots of sunlight. It would be nice to have more play structures and more naturally padded ground like wood chips or sand like at parks. But still the yard has good air as it is surrounded by big trees. We do not speak Chinese at home but the bilingual experience was valuable. Our kid started to learn and say simple Mandarin words. He will soon forget about Chinese once he stops hearing it but we believe the experience will never leave him. It is a great thing that Sunflower provides lunch. Our kid learned to use utensils very well after attending Sunflower. Ms. Helen can always let us know what was for lunch. In my opinion, if the school can post a lunch menu weekly, moms like me would really appreciate it. Our kid enjoyed his time there every single day! We love Ms. Helen and her little school!

We're in love with Mustard Seed! We can't overstate how grateful we are for this incredible team…read moreand community. It really feels like there's a village helping to raise our family. Our eldest transferred to MSP from another daycare / preschool center during the summer term when she was 2 1/2. It was a difficult decision because there were things we loved about her first school (where she'd spent almost a year), but the switch felt right. We liked that MSP's physical space, level of enrollment, and staffing strategy provided more structure: with same-age classrooms, age-sensitive schedules, age-sensitive teaching approaches, and opportunities for mixed age play outdoors several times a day. We liked that our daughter would always have a primary teacher team focused on her, as well as opportunities throughout the day and week to build relationships with other teachers. We liked that she'd have a dozen peers close to her age, for a nice variety of personalities to befriend and grow with. And we liked that the outdoor space supports a variety of play types under a beautiful leafy canopy. It's all turned out beautifully. Judging by our daughter's energy at drop off and pick up, her transition to MSP was immediately easier than her previous transitions. Even in her first weeks there, it was clear that the structure made it easier for her to get through the day than at her previous school. In the past year and a half it's only gotten better. The vibe is relaxed and confident; they really know what they're doing and everything about the program feels intentional. The teachers are very thoughtful about helping our daughter navigate socio-emotional development and challenging social dynamics, and are happy to discuss strategies with us when we ask how we can support at home. Although her classroom teachers are primary, she has great relationships with all of the teachers in the play yard and they all know her well. She is developing strong social skills and has made wonderful friends. The community of families has been warm and fun for all of us: we regularly meet classmates at King School Park after school, the staff organizes incredibly fun family parties for holidays and more throughout the year--usually featuring Music Man Chano and his band, total celebrities for all ages!--and there's a meal train organized every time a new baby arrives. Lunches by Chef Miguel are expanding our daughter's palette and simplifying our mornings at home. We can't wait to start it all again with our newborn when she turns 18 months old!

Both my children attended Mustard Seed preschool. It's a…read morereally wonderful place run by people who truly care about children. Candace, the director, treats everyone like family. She's also a very insightful and creative educator. The administrative side of the school runs very smoothly and they are very accommodating of different schedules and constraints. My kids, now 10 and 12, still remember Mustard Seed fondly as a place where they were surrounded by loving teachers and great friends.

It might have been the time when we were there, but they kept changing teachers in the span of a…read moremonth. It made our kids feel very unsettled and without having experience at the day care, they felt isolated. The owner does not have as good information or control on what goes on in the day care every day. If there is conflict resolution, the teacher's are first, your kids are second, and you are last. I hope things have changed since we left a couple of years back. Some of the teachers were great. It's a nice spot and the food they had for the kids was good. The kids like to hang out at the park nearby afterwards - a good opportunity for littles to socialize. I would not recommend this day care.

Simply said, Olga and the teachers at Fox & Bear Daycare became an extension of our family. We had…read moreour son start at the daycare when he was 4 months old and he remained there through preschool and even into Kindergarten, due to the pandemic. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to enroll our son at Fox and Bear Daycare and highly recommend them for child care of any age. All pictures included came from the teachers at Fox & Bear. I would get pics daily, so got to see my little one grow even while he was away during my work days. There were so many activities which they adapted for all ages - art, crafts, outdoor play, soccer, dress-up, games, puzzles plus some multi-cultural holiday fun throughout the year. And, when the pandemic hit, they adapted a space to allow for the "bigger" kids to be in virtual class from Fox & Bear (kindergarten for our lil' one), so I could work from home and not be so distracted. That was a massive mental health saver for our family! Beyond all noted above, there's a special touch that Olga provides. Some due to her education in young child development and learning, but more just because of her heart. She loved my boy like a son and truly became a part of our family over the ~5 years she cared for him. She still remembers him on his birthday and, although we've moved away from the Bay Area, she still reaches out to check in. She's simply a beautiful person inside and out who will put her all into ensuring little ones will thrive while in her care, as well as far after they've moved onto to big kid school.

Our daughter arrived at CEC around one year old from another school. She was in infant care at CEC…read moreand we immediately felt at ease. All the teachers were very caring (Luz, Louise, Angelica, Cameron, Aster). Two teachers tag teamed and once our daughter gravitated towards one teacher, that teacher became the primary teacher. There's also a procare app showing when our daughter ate, was changed, and it photos. The app easily allowed for communication between the teacher and parent. When our daughter moved up to the next level (2-3), it took about a week for her to adjust. She bonded with her primary teachers (Huiqui, Maria) and her cohort of friends whom she moved up with. She is thriving and happy to go to school everyday. What our daughter liked best about CEC were her teachers, friends, and fun things (walks, music class, painting). What we liked best was how CEC handled COVID, the generous care hours w/ few holidays, the ease of communication, the child- centric approach, and the kids night out giving parents a break every month. We can't recommend this place highly enough. It's a hidden gem with flexibility and little bureaucracy. Finding good care was such a sigh of relief!

We've had at least one of our children at CEC since 2015 and can't recommend it highly enough! Our…read moreoldest started when he was 1, our middle kid started when he was only six weeks old, and our youngest will be starting soon at four months. Ever since we started, CEC has been a wonderful second home and community for our entire family. Even in the classrooms with the youngest children (0-2), the teachers are attentive, creative, and engaged. Even the smallest kids spend time outside, and even go on "field trips" to the nearby park. There's painting and dress-up and dancing and stories -- all of those fun things you aspire to do with your small children but can't always summon the energy for are a regular part of the day at CEC. Starting in the 2-year-old room, the children take longer field trips, using the bus and BART, or walking. This year my kids have checked out the marina, gone to the library, gone to a play, gone to various parks, as well as the Habitot children's museum, Oakland Museum of California, and the Lawrence Hall of Science! I love how familiar and comfortable they are with using the bus and BART, thanks in part to their field trips. They also start doing cooking activities in the two's room, which has been a great experience for my kids. In the 2-year-old room, the teachers work with parents to tackle potty training, and they have the patience of saints. The program is Reggio-inspired (similar to Montessori, but with a less structured, play-based approach), and it's not uncommon to see kids joyfully running around in their underwear, or proudly covering themselves in mud or paint. It's the closest you can get to experiencing the liberated and liberating school environments of western Europe, as enviously portrayed on NPR and the like -- and also one of the most affordable center-based daycares in Berkeley. The teachers will even occasionally host all-night sleepovers at the school, for kids as young as 2 or 3; my two oldest kids have loved the sleepovers, and come back feeling very grown-up. For a more lightweight experience, most months there's a "parents' night out", where for an extra fee you can pick up your kids up at 9:30 PM, after they've had dinner, done activities, and/or watched a movie with their friends and teachers. Many teachers are open to babysitting outside of school hours, and it's been great having a potential pool of babysitters who the kids already know. Even though the kids are in age-based classrooms, they have a chance to get to know teachers and kids in other rooms. (My 4-year-old went through a period of checking with his 2-year-old brother's teachers every day to make sure his brother was behaving.) The "parent participation hours" requirement (4 hrs/month) are a way to get families involved, doing everything from chaperoning field trips, to doing laundry, to bringing fruit for snacks. (I've done mine by sewing dress-up clothes.) If you really can't make it work, there's a fee you can pay instead. We (and our kids) have made so many friends through CEC; three of our kids' teachers came to visit at the hospital when our youngest was born. We're sad to see our oldest (and his friends, and their families) moving on, but grateful that many of his friends still have younger siblings who will be around for a while yet. We're looking forward to four more years here with our youngest, starting soon!

I waited a couple of months after starting daycare before posting a review, and now that our son…read morehas been at Orkidz for over two months, I truly can't say enough good things about it. There is a reason this place only has 5-star reviews! As a first-time mom, I was extremely anxious about leaving my son with caregivers outside of family. What I didn't expect was that the wonderful teachers at Orkidz would start to feel like extended family to our baby. Before enrolling, I had heard plenty of horror stories about daycares where staff seemed disengaged or unhappy in their jobs. That has absolutely not been our experience here. The women at Orkidz genuinely LOVE children, and it shows every single day in the warmth, patience, and care they bring to the classroom. We toured several daycares before Orkidz, but the moment we walked in for our tour with Ms. Sheila, we were sold because no other place could compare. We were amazed with the facility, their library, their beautiful outdoor space, and the impressive commercial-style kitchen where they make yummy food for the kids. As for our son, I had prepared myself for difficult drop-offs and lots of crying. Instead, after a brief moment of confusion on his very first day (not sadness or separation anxiety because the teachers got to distracting him right away!), he settled in and adjusted to daycare immediately. He loves being around his little friends, is excited to go every morning, and is all smiles every time we come back to pick him up. Our son loves all the teachers, his face lights up when he sees them every morning, and he is especially attached to his primary teacher, Ms. Azadeh. They also have fun and engaging classes and we absolutely love the daily updates and pictures! In just a couple of months, we've already seen our now toddler become more social, curious, and comfortable around other children and adults. He also eats so well there and they have a variety of homecooked meals that I could never replicate. If you see a spot open at Orkidz, consider yourself lucky and save the spot as soon as you can - you will not regret it!

We have had a wonderful experience at Orkidz. My first kid started in 2022 and my second kid…read morestarted earlier this year. The school is very clean and the teachers are thoughtful and kind. They incorporate a lot of fun activities ie art projects, science, yoga, dance, music, walks to jewel terrace park, etc. They serve healthy food and snacks. We are incredibly grateful for Orkidz and all the teachers! My kids are always quickly running inside. I highly recommend!

Duck's Nest has been such a wonderful part of our lives for four years and we are eternally…read moregrateful for the school and the community. We've made great friends through the school and have always felt so confident in the level of care and learning that happens at Duck's Nest. Both my son and daughter went to the school and we had great teachers and a positive experience in all five of the classrooms we were part of. Each teacher brings their own stamp and style, and there is usually a nice mix of personalities and approaches on the teaching team. Some other things to love about the school -- the campus is beautiful and they have special teachers for garden/art and music, which was a big hit for both my kids. The hours are very friendly for working parents. Send your kid to Duck's Nest. It's the best!

Duck's Nest preschool opened in June 1984 and my son attended in the late 1990s. This preschool…read moretries hard to provide an environment to encourage the emotional, social and cognitive development of their students. However, our experience was one of the exceptions. In the end, school staff weren't very honest (or kind) to him or for 2 parents who tried really hard to make the situation work, despite the moving goal posts. However, I continue to recommend Duck's Nest and enjoy describing the engaging indoor and outdoor environment, but with clear caveats regarding their strengths and limitations.

The teachers here are great - very attentive and supportive yet able to foster independence and…read moreimagination. Our son's language and social confidence has absolutely thrived here!! The staff to kiddo ratio is great, no concerns at all about 1-2 teachers watching 20-30 kids which was one of our big anxieties trying to find the right fit. Also the community events are great like garden planting/harvest with coffee and pastries for all, kids and parents alike. Not to mention the parents group chat that is always active with outside park play dates and birthdays and such. So lucky to have found this community!

My daughter started attending BHNS this August, and she absolutely loves it! We -- parents and…read moregrandparents alike -- couldn't be happier. The facilities are wonderful and offer so many engaging activities for the kids. The teachers are warm, dedicated, and truly caring; so far, we have nothing but amazing things to say about them. We're also very pleased with the parent community that's beginning to take shape. BHNS has been a fantastic experience for our family.

Little Beans Preschool was the best choice we made for our 3 year old boy. He loved the school…read moresince Day 1 and was always happy talking about his new friends and teachers. He literally told me when I picked him up after school "Mama I like the beans school. Can we come everyday?" And in the morning when we have breakfast he'd ask me "Mama are we going to school?" If it is a weekday and I say yes, he is so happy "Yayy!" If it is a weekend and I say no we will go on Monday, he is a little bummed. I was joking with his dad that this never happened to us when we were kids because we were always dreading going to school. I am especially thankful to Heather and all the caring teachers who helped our son make such a smooth transition. We love the picture updates showing all the fun activities our son learned at school. The Yoga camp was so fun that our son was teaching (showing off) his yoga poses to his grandma. Other important factors setting Little Beans Preschool apart include plenty of outdoor time, individualized attention, reasonable fees, professionalism in Admin and Management, etc.

Our son will be transitioning to kindergarten this upcoming school year (2025) and he is…read moreemotionally ready because of his time here at Little Beans. He went from not really having much interaction with other kids (prior to preschool) to joining and making a best friend and plenty of other friends. We love the picture and videos of all of his fun and special moments. It's allowed us to feel involved in his day even though he's there all day. The teachers are absolutely wonderful and kind and genuinely loving. I appreciate the continuous updates I receive and the feedback. Any time I have a concern (of my son's behavior), they're always so quick to respond. Their communication has always been wonderful from discussing potty training, greater independence, getting him to eat, delayed language and so on. He comes home so happy (and tired which is a good thing). I love that they spend so much time outside instead of sitting in a sterile classroom environment. Heather has been so easy to work with from the first time we contacted showing interest to the end. I highly recommend Little Beans