We have twin daughters, 1.5 years old, who have gone to both the El Segundo and Hermosa Beach locations (you probably know who I am, Beach Babies staff!). We started taking them there at about 6 months old. Naturally, we were nervous new parents at that time, so we wanted the absolute opposite of the fly-by-night childcare providers that sometimes end up on 20/20 for hitting the kids. We definitely found that in Beach Babies - it is a highly organized, extremely professional love-and-safety machine.
So, first, the good (and it's very good): we trust them with our daughters. We've always been totally comfortable right at that moment when we walk out the door with our girls in their hands - that they are totally safe, well cared for, well fed by remarkably patient people, and both entertained and educated by a continuous stream of toys and activities. That trust is both extremely important and difficult to maintain, and although we've had the occasional irritations that come with doing business with any company, we've never had a single incident that challenged that critical, core element. Wow. They've also managed to assemble an amazingly dedicated and professional staff - the teachers are all certified-this and accredited-that, background-checked, and a lot of them have, or are getting, degrees in child development. These are not hourly temps who are just doing this while they launch their acting careers, but experienced caretakers who are making a long-term career of this field. They're frankly more patient, knowledgeable and focused than a lot of us parents.
As for why I don't give it 5 stars: two main reasons. First: whew, it's expensive. I know, I know, "what's money compared to the safety of my babies?" As it turns out, for two babies/toddlers, it's roughly on par with renting a whole second house. Their competitors are indeed lower-priced, although when we explored those options, we saw that the lower price came with either (1) too big a step down in quality, or (2) no infant and toddler care, so we stuck with Beach Babies.
Second: they're closed a lot. Again, it's enough that it's not just grousing to bring it up. When you total up all the time they're closed, it's about a month out of every year (a week in the summer, two weeks over Christmas, and roughly a day per month otherwise for holidays and staff training). For starters, that's more than the amount of vacation time the average person has, and even more than a lot of couples have combined. Then there's the fact that you still pay for 12 full months. I certainly realize that everyone needs time off, especially with the level of effort they put in each day, but can't we achieve that without making us feel like we're flushing a month's rent down the toilet every year?
Overall, the household will really feel the pinch, but at the end of the day, they're the Apple Computer of the childcare industry, and paying the most to get the best is ultimately worth it. read more