Our son attended Chatham for two years, from 2 to 4 years old, until we moved. Chatham and more importantly Maureen, Michael and the teachers had a huge impact in his positive development. They always have the kids best interests at heart, are honest and straightforward with the parents (because sometimes all parents are a little much, ourselves included!). There was community at Chatham, which we miss greatly. Events, education and most importantly play. Certainly superior to the other 2 daycares our son attended. read more

Extremely great school, I tried many nannies off the well known/expensive sites like care.com and then thoroughly checked all the local daycares, but where I truly felt I could leave my 15 month old rest assured and know she was being cared for a learn more than she would if she was at home was Chatham. I could talk about the staff but I think enough people have expressed how amazing Maureen, Michael and all the staff are, my daughters teacher is Christy, she is so so kind. Even though we've only been there for a few months now I feel already part of a great community/family. read more

I am one of Chatham's Book Fair consultants and due to my recent teaming up with Chatham I decided I wanted to write about my own great personal experience and disagree with a poor review I read that almost tainted my decision to work with them. I was asked by a consultant who had moved out of the area if I would be interested in hosting a book fair with her children's old preschool. Being new in business with the book company - I thought it would be a great networking opportunity and agreed. I read the reviews of the school after agreeing and was a little worried after reading one that accused the director of being both sexist and racist. Thankfully, I saw NO EVIDENCE of this. I am personally mixed and also found out that Michael & Maureen have the last name Vazquez... not that this means being racist is impossible... but... come on... Vazquez. Interesting hm? I also interacted with the beautifully DIVERSE group of children (and parents!) at this school. I didn't realize this walking in, but Michael and I actually went to the same high school in Berkeley. If you know Berkeley, you know that it's chalk full of every race, sex, gender, language, FOOD and it would be pretty difficult to graduate HS there without falling in love with the diversity that can be found there. I had no clue what I would be walking in to initially... but this school really did blow me away! Maureen and Michael impressed me with their kindness and passion for interactive learning- I was given a full tour at both campuses and shown just how much they loved their schools, curriculum, and the children in it. Oh. and you should see their Library. My book fair at this campus was on Mother's day - and I was invited to their Mother's day breakfast as well. They set up a generous amount of delicious fresh fruit and bites to eat while having the children class by class sing lovely songs for their visiting mamas. It was so cute and distracting! LOL. There is a lot of emphasis on learning and being outside as well as interacting with animals & others. I loved both of the campuses. If I needed to place my daughter in a daycare I would not hesitate to call them up. Maureen also displayed a great love of her school's infants and toddlers. (She loves buying them the interactive teething books. lol) read more

My husband and I are searching for preeschools for our 4 year old daughter for this fall. We have left emails to different preeschools and get responses right away. Weather they are full, have spots available or can be added to a waitlist. We requested info to Chatham via email last week and decided to give them a call for information since we did not get an email response. My husband calls to get info and as he's explaining that we are searching for preeschools the person that picked up the phone cuts him off and tells him they are full. My husband tries to ask if come fall and CDC guidelines change will there be more spots available...again she cuts him off before he finshes his question. At this point I say "Oh no, she is rude and does not want our business, my child will not be going there, hang up!" But my husband being the respecful person he is, again tries to communicate with her. He tells her he understands all spots are full but asks if there a wait list. That's when she shares the waitlist is also full. That information could have been helpful in the beginning of the call. If she was busy, we would understand and ask if there is a better time to call back. We have toured schools that have no spots open and where wait list are also full. Yet they still take the time to give us a tour and explain how everything is so uncertain given the CDC guidelines but would love to stay connected. read more

Chatham school on Redwood is GREAT. More importantly, my daughter LOVES it. She's been there since she was 8mos old (started in the infant room). She is currently in the 2 year old room and loves going to school. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this place. I looked at 4 other schools before ultimately choosing this one. I like the large facility, great outdoor space with plenty of things for the kids to do. I also wanted a place where my daughter could attend up until Kindergarten came around. Great hours for working parents and very easily accessible. I am so glad we chose Chatham. ***P.S they have two campuses, the other is on 39th ave however my review is based solely on the Redwood campus read more

I'm sure this school is probably great but the owner/director is a total effing liar. If she doesn't like your kid or his/her sex or race, she WILL tell you that there are NO SPOTS for you and you are on the waiting list! How do I know this?? Because I was on tour with another family and she told them there was no room for their kid at the end of the tour. When I was leaving, she told me that my daughter could attend. When I asked her about what she said to the other kid's parents, she admitted that she lied because she didn't want their boy attending. She said my kid was smart. I wanted to tell the other parents, but they had already left. This woman is hella shiesty. Stay away! read more

My sons, now 4 and 1, both started at Chatham at 16 weeks. We've been thrilled with Chatham at each stage of their development. The facility is large and has a huge outdoor space. The kids spend 3-4 hours total outside throughout the day, weather allowing, and rotate though the different outdoor experiences throughout the day and week. The infants and toddler curriculums are focused on socialization and basic vocabulary and concept/pattern/theme acquisition. The pre-school program, beginning at age three, is a comprehensive school readiness program. The staff is warm, well-trained and committed to the school and our kids. There's low levels of staff turnover, and we've been thrilled with the level of support, communication, and collaboration we've enjoyed with both boys' teachers throughout our experience. The owner/director Maureen is a gem. She's not awesome at communicating with parents, but she magic with the kids. They love her, and she loves them. She has a background in early childhood development, and has been an invaluable partner for us as we've navigated parenting a smart, incredibly active and sensitive kid. She the life-blood of Chatham. I encourage you to explore Chatham; it's been a phenomenal experience for us! read more

I hear it's great there... if they don't totally screw you out of a spot after promising you that they will have room. I got on their waitlist with a spot promised in June 2017 back in August 2016 because I know how this process goes and really wanted to think ahead. Just like the reviews on Yelp suggested, I was emailed today to say they won't have a spot until October 2017. Fortunately, I went with my gut on this one and booked another preschool as a back-up. How they can continue to pull this SH** on pregnant women and still get glowing reviews is beyond my comprehension. Best of luck to you with their promises if you choose to try and get in. Also, they feed your kids total garbage. I was planning on packing my kids lunches to avoid them eating crap like "chicken tenders" and being unable to get them to eat real food at home. read more

This school has a great location and serves middle to upper middle class families. The people politics, however, is toxic. Whether the constant backstabbing, juvenile antics, general unprofessionalism amongst the workers affect the child care shouldn't be hard to figure out. Update: I left out a lot of details in my initial review. My child went to that school for a whole year last year 2014-2015. I have made friends with a couple of the teachers/caretakers there. There are a couple of things that I thought was pretty disturbing while picking up my son. 1.) There was a tub of murky water in the room. I didn't really think much of it until someone revealed to me it was for teachers to wash their hands in. Now I'm all for conserving water, but the teachers' hands goes through a lot of things throughout the day! 2.) Many of the staff barely speaks English. There's nothing wrong with accents and even thick broken English, but I feel uncomfortable leaving my kid there under the care of something that cannot express themselves. There's a lot of chatter amongst the staff, but only a select few would take the initiative to speak with me. After taking to staffers, I found out there is a lot of teacher turnover in the school. I heard a lot of good things from them about the 39th ave campus and less than good reviews about this one. I decided to enroll my son at another preschool across town this year. read more

My son is 3,5 and is now in the Bumble Bees classroom three days a week. He was 2 when he started in this daycare. Chatham preschool is great and very professional in many aspects. -the teachers and the director are pro and kind (a lot of stability - they really care for my son and do what is necessary to help him and teach him everyday) -the location (a large outdoor space under the trees) -the curriculum (circle time, manipulations, songs, art craft, English immersion, outdoor play, sharing days...) We are a French family and the team at Chatham was always very good at speaking and explaining everything to my son. Last but not least Chatham is equipped with a science room and for example at this time of the year, the kids are learning a lot about silkworms and how they eat mulberry tree leaves... Hands zone practice ; kids love it. Thanks Chatham. read more

I cannot say enough positive things about Chatham. We have 3 young children who all have attended this daycare / pre school. It was recommended to us by a close family friend about 4 years ago and I dragged my feet on transferring, which I now regret. Anyhow, our oldest son attended the 39th Avenue campus, which is a little smaller. The teachers are so warm and loving. Ms. Cammy, the director is organized and approachable. Each month we received information about what age-appropriate concepts / skills students are working on and any projects they are doing. This helps to connect school to home. The teachers TRULY make the curriculum come alive and fosters a love for learning in children. This is absolutely not a "sit and get" environment. The kids are constantly hands on with lots of choice and moving between activities every 20 minutes or so. They also feed the kids healthy snack and lunch. The kids have a lot of time outside in the fresh air to play and run. The backyard at this campus is nothing short of magical. When my son was having a difficult time, they worked with him and us to support him rather than punish him and for that I will be forever grateful. We started at the Redwood Rd. campus when our middle child was 6 months old. You need to get on the waiting list EARLY (I got on when I first found out I was pregnant) The infant teachers are absolutely amazing and, to this day, both of my youngest children stop by on the way out to "say bye to the babies and teachers" In fact, all of the teachers at Chatham are amazing. I would not hesitate to leave my children with them for a minute. Similar to 39th Avenue, Ms. Maureen, the director and owner of Chatham, is warm, loving and organized. The Redwood Road campus has a large outdoor space as well as a big basement (it even has a developmentally appropriate rock climbing wall!) Both campuses do an amazing job at supporting children's development and fostering community. They host annual events such as: Holiday program, a luau and an end of year picnic at a local park. I've gotten to know many families at Chatham and our 6 year old still attends and invites Chatham friends to his bday parties even 2 years after leaving. I truly believe that early childhood has lasting impact on long term student outcomes and it is vital to choose a program that will support your child's development. Chatham goes above and beyond to do this work. Wonderful school, wonderful community that I would recommend to any parent. read more

This is a hidden gem in our neighborhood. I just happened upon it when I was desperately looking for a preschool for my young son. They have two campuses. At first I wanted him to go to the smaller one (on 39th) but they did not have space. So we ended up at the big campus up on Redwood. And now I am glad we did. My son is thriving there - it's a big school, so it can be overwhelming, especially to first time parents, but I love their curriculum and their focus on playing . . . my son has made many friends there. The school is clean and organized and extremely proactive. read more

We've been at Chatham since April 2012 (over 3 years). My eldest started when he was 2 1/2 years old and my youngest when she was 4 months. We LOVE the school and can't think of a better place for our kids. Over 3 years, we've interacted with most of the teachers and unlike another reviewer, we are able to converse with all of them. Also, most of the teachers are still at the school. They are all very loving and engaging. We like that the Redwood campus takes kids from infants all the way up to kindergarten - this allowed for both of our kids to attend together and smooth transitions in the different rooms as they got older. We also value consistency - meaning if a teacher gets sick, they are able to cover without a break in daycare. The Director, Maureen, takes great pride in her business and absolutely adores the kids. She now has an assistant to help with the daily admin details which has resulted in a better experience. I highly recommend Chatham! read more

I am so happy to be returning to Chatham with my third child. Great that Maureen's team of awesome caretakers are still there - they took care of my daughters (now 7 & 8) and they are excited their brother is going to the same preschool they did. I love they provide healthy snacks and lunch every day. My daughters still have friends from their preschool days and excited my son will make new friends. All the kids learn so much and I am very happy to be returning!! read more

My daughter has been in the baby room at Chatham for the past 6 months. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about her treatment there. The caregivers all seem extremely loving and attentive. They've even accepted my prefold cloth diapers and homemade baby food without question! I can't wait for her to get older so she can enjoy the fabulous outdoor play area. read more

My 2nd daughter has also been attending Chatham as well. I now know what the buzz is all about for the infant care! She started at 10 weeks old and just turned 1. She has received such attentive loving care that she has always looked upon my arrival for pick up with some disappointment! (She eventually smiles and comes to me but it takes a little convincing.) At drop off she eagerly goes into one of the teacher's arms. While I miss her affection it is really heart warming to know she spends her days in such a happy place! read more

Our son went to Chatham from age 1 to age 3 and our daughter (age 1) will be attending the school soon. This is a great daycare/preschool that is 100% child-focused. The teachers are genuinely caring and attentive to the children's needs. We were 100% confident that our children were safe, well-cared for and had fun during the day here. I would highly recommend this preschool/daycare. read more

We LOVE Chatham. So much that we are considering moving (for another house) and will make the 20+ minute commute each way just to keep our kids here. We have two kids who attend 5 days a week and have been there since one was a baby and the other was 2 years old. They are now 2 years and 4 years respectively. The staff is wonderful. I've never see it "dirty" or "disgusting" as other reviews have mentioned. They clean everyday, like a lot. I've only had positive experiences with Mrs. Maureen and the rest of the staff. Yes, some teachers don't speak great english but most of them do and I love that some speak spanish to my kids! They have a drama room, science room, art each day (and like good art, not just coloring), cooking once a week, share day, LOTs of outdoor play on a HUGE playground. Lunch isn't stellar, but it's not bad either. They get chicken tenders once a month, the other days it's soup, it's ground turkey, etc and always with a veggie. And you can always send something extra if you want. Some days we send fruit, yet they always get fresh fruit during at least one snack time so we actually realized we didn't need to do that. The teachers genuinely care for the kids and are ALWAYS happy. I mean, come on, they are my kids and I'm not always happy! And best of all? they learn so much. Each day is something new that my son comes home to tell me about. Last week was volcanos. I know for sure he will be ready for kindergarden. Yes, the wait list is long. And sometimes new families may have to wait if an existing family has a newborn on the way, but if your first kid attended already, you'd want preference on a wait list too so you didn't have to take your kids to two different schools. We applied over a year out and when it came turn for us they asked us to wait an extra month. I talked it over with Mrs Maureen (director) and told her how much of a bind that would put us in and she worked with us to make it work out as planned. They really do the best they can. I can't tell you how much this school means to the director (Mrs Maureen) and how much she really cares and goes out of her way. There may be one or two very minor things that I wish were different, but anywhere you go will have those tradeoffs. Oh, and all the families that we know from Chatham love it here. I've NEVER heard any of them say anything bad or have complaints or issues. read more

I'm so happy and lucky to have found this day care for my kids. My son has been there for 2.5 years and my younger son for about 1.5. I truly know and feel that the teachers love my kids and are so genuine. Maureen really understands the needs for each child. She always makes me feel comfortable and gives me advice when I ask. I don't have to worry about lunch because the provide it. They have an amazing yard where my kids can be free and run around. Both my sons love going there and have made such good friends there. I really appreciate Maureen and the staff. I also love that it's super diverse, clean and all the kids are well taken care of. I really feel good when I drop my kids off because I know they are in good hands. I've had experiences at other day cares and Chatham doesn't even compare, I just wish I had found them long before I put my kids there. I would recommend this place for anyone!!! read more

I really hate to have to write such a negative review, but I feel like it's important I share my experience with chatham so that other parents might avoid having the same outcome my husband and I did. In Feb 2014 we toured Chatham, after reading mostly positive reviews online (in hindsight there had been one review warning of the experience we ultimately had, but I brushed it aside since it was from a while back, and I naively thought it must have been a one off). We were expecting our first child In August, and planning to start her in daycare in Jan 2015. We met with Maureen, and liked the facility overall. We paid the $80 deposit, and Maureen and her staff confirmed via email that we had a spot for Jan. NOTE - we were NOT put on a waiting list, we were told (in writing) that we had a guaranteed spot for Jan. In the months following the tour, and after the birth of my daughter, I followed up several times via phone and email to confirm we were good to go for Jan. Each time I spoke or emailed with Chatham they confirmed. Then, out of nowhere, in Oct (~ 2 months before we were supposed to start), we received an email from Maureen (the school director), saying her waiting list was not moving as much as she had thought and we wouldn't be able to start until spring at the earliest. Keep in mind, we had been told multiple times we were not on a waiting list and had a guaranteed spot! I immediately called Maureen (in tears) and she could not have been less apologetic. She. Could. Not. Have. Cared. Less. When I expressed how upset I was that we were going to be completely without childcare (daycares in the area have waiting lists a mile long, and since we were told we had a guaranteed spot we were not on any wait lists), she said all she could do was give me a referral. Her referral? The bananas childcare website. What kind of referral is that?? Following our conversation I posted on next door and toured several daycares, and came across 5+ other families who had also had the same exact experience I did with Chatham! All of them were in the same boat and had to scramble to find care. One family had their child enrolled at Chatham for over a year when Maureen abruptly ended the half day program with ONE WEEK's NOTICE, leaving a dozen families completely without child care. This place is an unorganized mess, and you should save yourself time, money and stress by finding other care. read more