TLDR: Highly recommend this Daycare + Preschool, Strong Kindergarten (&TK) preparedness, Friendly Staff, Great Value (especially for this quality level). Was very pleased with the overall experience here for 2 years, and my student loves the teachers, their school friends, and the facility. Without going into a crazy long monologue, here are a few things that made this daycare/preschool great from my perspective. - My soon to be TK student already has 95%+ of his Kindergarten academic preparedness criteria met. They love telling me about the basic addition they are learning, and they love showing me their schoolwork papers when they get home. - The curriculum includes age appropriate social centered curriculum like noticing others' emotions and changing ones own behavior based on it (most noticeable when they ask their friends or visitors at our house if something is wrong, or what made them happy today). - Enrichment curriculum includes germinating plants, learning animals (including on-site animals), children's yoga, numerous art project styles etc. - Super cute performances!!! The Mother's Day performance was spectacular with actual singing and age appropriate choreography - The local parent community is reasonably active with play dates, and school centric activities. Was very easy to find parents within a short drive of the school for playdates and birthday parties etc. Easy to find parents on private Facebook community, and easy to share and access pictures from school - Staff has been great during our attendance here. Very responsive and my student loves them. Highly recommend checking this school out. read more

My child has spent 2 years at Daisy and we are so grateful for the love, care, and instruction that Fey, Irfan, Mandy, Ron, Tim, and Nancy and all the teachers have provided over the years! We feel confident that our child is ready for TK and beyond, both from a social and academic perspective. Daisy isn't for everyone, and that's ok. There are definitely some quirks in communication, information, and structure. You won't get a student list, parent contact info, or a daily schedule, but you will have a safe and loving environment where your child is cared for and nurtured. One of the things I loved best about Daisy is that every adult takes time to genuinely interact with every child, and make them feel heard and valued. All the teachers (even the ones for other classrooms) knew our child and interacted with him in a positive and respectful way. Another thing I loved about Daisy is that the kids get A LOT of outdoors time which worked great for our family. We know he had a good day when we pick him up and his clothes were covered in dirt and his shoes were filled with woodchips. We know this isn't for every family, but our active kiddo thrived because of it. There are also goats, chickens, birds, and a turtle. Most importantly, our child loved going to Daisy. All the days where he would run to join his friends in the big yard at drop off, and blurt out all the stories of how much fun he had throughout the day at pickup made us confident that we made the right choice for him. Other pros: * They do music on Mondays and yoga on Tuesdays. * There's plenty of parking for easy drop-off and pick-off. * They focus a lot on social skills, and our child has made a lot of friends and frequently talks about them. * Though academics aren't their stated focus, our 4-year old can count to 20+, recognize numbers and letters, and identify words that rhyme. At 3, our kiddo knew all sorts of shapes, colors, etc. * They take hygiene seriously and the kids seemed pretty healthy (there wasn't ever a widespread outbreak of lice, COVID, etc. and our child I think only stayed home once or twice for being sick over the 2-year period. I think the outdoor time helped keep germs from spreading as well.) * They foster independence and teach kids to track their belongings. I remember thinking it was ridiculous that my 2-year old was supposed to track his own water bottle, but he learned to do it and at 3 he learned to navigate his lunchbox on his own too. Other helpful details: * The youngest age they take is 18 months. There's a separate smaller yard area for younger children. * There are many different family structures at Daisy. * They are flexible with start and end dates. * They generally follow OUSD's school calendar for days off with the exception of summer break (there's thankfully no summer break at Daisy). * They don't provide lunch, but they do sometimes provide snacks and your child certainly won't be hungry if they didn't have a great breakfast or won't eat what you packed them for lunch. * Onboarding was a little rough on our schedules as parents (our child started with shorter days for a few weeks so that he could ease into the new routine and space), but I think it set us up for success. * They occasionally post pictures to Facebook. read more

Daisy Child Development Center - Yoga time! - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Oakland, California

I am the surrogate grand pa for a three year old boy who as been going to Daisy Chldrens' Development Center for 12 months and am tremendously impressed with the start on life that they are giving him. Previously, he had been at daycare for over a year and I think they did a good job with the kids, but myself an several other parents felt that the owner was rigid and difficult to deal with and a cause of stress for both parents and children. Mom and her partner and I are SO happy with the care that he receives at Daisy. It is a larger school, so he has much more chance to socialize with a wide range of age, gender, personality, and race, but without any sacrifice in loving care and education in art, music, verbalizing, games, with the added advantage of exposure to the chickens, goats, ducks and other animals, when he previously had been a bit fearful. They do an excellent job of candidly discussing any issues, giving frequent updates on evaluation and progress which is so important to allay any concerns that parents might have for how their child is progressing. In addition to the great care, we are most impressed with the genuine loving care of the owners and all the employees. My friend is a single mother and sometimes is slightly late, and the owner stays around to play and, more important, is genuinely understanding and relaxed without any complaints... Daisy is definitely great with the kids but also with the stresses of parenting to get to know parents. It is so comforting to know the great care his receiving. Art ''grandpa" Riggs PS..please don't be turned off by the one star reviews...all writen a decade ago before the present owners. read more

We love Daisy, and more importantly our Little One loves it. She is always excited to go, her transition when she started was amazing with the support and structure they provided. They worked with us with a mid-school year enrollment after moving childcare centers which made the stressful time so much easier. Great activities for the kids, music, yoga, goats (yep!) and chickens on site, plenty of outdoor space which was the main attraction for us. We had some challenges with our previous daycare and communication, not so here. The staff work with our Little One and provide regular feedback which has been super helpful with us navigating her soon to be transition to kindergarten. We'll be sad to leave (Little One is moving to K in August) but cannot rate highly enough. read more

These guys are really amazing. They are kind, generous, patient, and thoughtful. They are helpful for those days when everything is hard for the little people (and Parents, too!). My child LOVES her time at Daisy, and I can't recommend them enough. Have faith in Irfan when he says you have a place (it's different from other places and less formal - which is lovely when you get past it is unusual), he's trustworthy and honorable. The children love the animals, the yard, and the climbing gear, and they spend as much time outside as possible. And they have enough inside space to keep everyone happy when it rains. - Anyhow - do it - they are all wonderful. read more

My daughter was only here for 6 months. At best it was fine, at worst it was a shit show. There are very bizarre policies where the parent cannot go in the classroom which frankly freaks me out. Irfan, the owner, says it's about what is on the bottom of the parents' shoes, but that makes no logical sense as the kids also wear shoes and so do the teachers. He allows grandparents to come in as well... Irfan is a very poor communicator. He cannot answer simple questions in a concise way and always would "check-in" to make sure I was okay with what he had said earlier and wanted to talk a long time. It was really weird and so annoying. When we began there was no cubby system and the kids would change rooms a lot. I never knew where to put spare clothes or my daughter's things. By the end of our 6 months a wonderful teacher had started and she actually let us come in and pick up our daughter and they had cubbies. This is also when we started getting any art sent home. Until this teacher started it seemed my daughter's class was covered by floating teachers and an aid who was obsessed with my daughter and always wanted hugs from her when my daughter clearly didn't want to give them. Fay, Irfan's wife, had bizarre rules around potty training and insisted that if my daughter had a potty accident they would cut off her underwear and throw them out as the teachers could not be expected to clean my daughter off. Like, what the actual fuck? I told her she in no way was to put scissors near my daughter's body. The new teacher had no issues changing my kid's soiled underwear and putting them in a bag like a normal human. Like I said, we were only there 6 months and I'm so glad my daughter is elsewhere now. We would NOT go back, but really liked the teacher we had at the very end. I would give her alone 5 stars if possible. read more

We're very lucky to have found Daisy for our daughter. She has been attending for almost 3 years and will be heading on to TK this fall. We couldn't be happier with our experience. Fey, Irfan, and all the teachers are incredibly caring, nurturing, and attentive to each individual child. From the beginning, we've felt a strong sense of community and deeply appreciate the safe, supportive, and stimulating environment they've created. From interacting with goats to music and yoga, we've seen our daughter grow exponentially, both academically and emotionally. We'll definitely miss Daisy, but we're fortunate to have formed close bonds with other parents and will continue to stay in touch. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun, nurturing, small preschool with an amazing community. read more

It is heartwarming to know that our grandchild is receiving a positive experience at Daisy Preschool in Oakland. The staff and especially the principal have created a nurturing and inclusive environment that supports not only academic learning but also social and emotional development. They are committed to providing a high-quality early childhood education. Allen & Selina, Grandparents read more

We are big Daisy fans in my house!! My child is almost four and has been at Daisy since September 2021. He was waitlisted at several other great preschools that were located close to our home (Daisy is a bit of a drive for us). Although we got into all of the other schools eventually, we chose to stay at Daisy because our son loves it and is thriving there! Irfan and Fey run a solid program. They are responsive during the day when needed, and I often get pictures of my child's activities throughout the day. I feel strongly that my child is safe and well-cared for at Daisy. Irfan and Fey treat the children like a family and our experience has been that this is a trusting, loving community. When I pick my son up, he is happy to see me and enthusiastically tells me about what he did during the day. He brings home art projects and worksheets for letters and numbers that he has completed. He is learning yoga, plays with the goats, and enjoys a lot of outdoor time. I feel that he will be prepared next year when he starts kindergarten. Overall, this is a wonderful school, and I encourage any interested families to check it out! read more

We feel incredibly lucky to have spent the last six months at Daisy. The hardest part about moving out of the East Bay is removing our daughter from this environment that she's so comfortable in. Fay, Irfan and the rest of the staff have been fantastic from the start. Even before our first day, they worked hard to make sure everything went as smooth as possible. They were very accommodating during the beginning when our little one was struggling with the transition to a new daycare. They stay in constant contact, whether it be through photos or the gentle reminders to bring more milk, diapers, etc the following day. They've been very understanding as we navigate the tricky toddler areas (always putting stuff in the mouth, napping in a new environment, not wanting to wear jackets on cold days, etc). It's incredible to see how much our daughter enjoys the fun activities that are provided (yoga, story time, Halloween parade, arts/crafts). Bottom line is they always have your child's best interest in mind and Daisy is somewhere you can drop them off each day without a worry for their safety or well-being. read more

We love sending our kids to Daisy. All the teachers are so kind and thoughtful, there are so many great activities. Could not recommend a daycare more! read more

We feel so lucky that we found Daisy. Irfan, Fey, and the rest of the staff truly care about each child, and they've created a great environment where the kids learn and grow--and have tons of fun. My daughter started there in summer 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and Daisy's safeguards kept everyone safe. That's also a credit to the strong communication, trust, and sense of community among the school's staff and parents. Our kiddo is graduating to kindergarten now and we're going to miss Daisy so much! read more

When our search began for a preschool Daisy CDC came highly recommended​ to us by two different families. My son has been in the Galaxy Room (18mos +) for about a year now. Ms Nikki, Ms Vo and Ms Lisbeth are some of the greatest teachers and they work so well as a team. They are warm, flexible, patient and great at what they do. They also make themselves available if you ever need anything. My son has grown so much in the year he has been here socially. We see they encourage​ sharing, cooperation, simple directions, and we are so happy he is in such a warm and safe environment​. Some of the things we love about this preschool: play-based learning, circle time, class pets (guinea pig!), large outdoor play yard with goats, weekly music, Spanish​ and yoga classes, gardening, daily indoor/ outdoor playtime, and the Facebook parents group with daily pictures and updates. I've also enjoyed getting to know all the other parents through the activities they organize like the fall festival, field trips, holiday party, and participation in classroom activities​. read more

Daisy Child Development Center - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Oakland, California

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Our kiddo has been at Daisy for 2 years now and we are so happy with both the environment and education he's gotten. He is more than prepared for kindergarten. I love the way they handle discipline, it's very constructive and gentle. They also have yoga and goats! We will miss this place! read more

Our experience at Daisy has gone beyond our expectations in the best ways. I recommend it highly! 2020 has been a rough year, and sending our daughter to Daisy is the one thing that has been really great this year. We were at another daycare pre-COVID, and I thought I was happy with them, but after changing to Daisy in late May, I have to say it was a totally different experience, and I'm so glad we switched. The director Irfan, his wife Fey, and another longtime teacher, Ron, are the only teachers right now with the reduced student attendance. I've been incredibly impressed by how they've treated my kid, and how they value safety above all. The love they show my daughter is like family. They are highly communicative, sending photos throughout the day, and answering parents' texts and calls, and sharing how my daughter's day was. Irfan and Fey made us feel welcomed, reassured about how seriously they are taking the public health situation, and how serious they are about earning the trust of parents. Our previous daycare was nothing like that! The director and teachers at the daycare we used before Daisy never told us about my daughter's day, rarely responded to calls or emails even with important questions. Daisy's teachers have made it clear there is no question too small, or unimportant. Fey and Irfan go above and beyond to earn and keep our trust, again and again. I'm hugely impressed by how much my daughter is learning. She started at 18 months old and has made leaps and bounds with her learning colors, shapes, letters, and better listening, and kinder social interaction. The outdoor space is fantastic, and they have goats, chickens, and other animals that the kids get to interact with. If you're looking for a daycare that prizes the safety and happiness of kids above all, Daisy is a great choice! The director and teachers are incredibly caring. They show immense respect for the families that go there, and expect those families to respect one another too, and to be mindful every family's background, resources, and structure is different. Truly, nothing in 2020 has brought me more happiness and peace of mind than enrolling my toddler at Daisy, and the happiness my daughter gets from school is without measure. I would be so happy if she can go there throughout preschool and TK. read more

My daughter has excelled in her time at Daisy! She has made a lot of friends and greatly benefitted from small class sizes and one-on-one teacher attention. We're really going to miss this well-run, clean, holistic school when my daughter goes to elementary in the fall. read more

Our son is off to kindergarten in a few weeks after an amazing year at Daisy. We are so sad that we didn't find Daisy CDC sooner for our son because it has been a wonderfully loving, inclusive, accepting, and nurturing environment for him. Fey, Irfan, and and the entire staff team are wonderful with the children and really prioritize them, their safety, and well being. I've been so impressed with all that my son has learned in this last year - not just academics, but primarily what it means to be a kind and considerate person. We love how much time the kids get to spend outside learning about animal care, gardening, and playing. Our son especially looks forward to yoga which has helped him be more mindful. We are so grateful for the well rounded approach that Daisy has brought to our son's care and learning! read more

I have nothing but positive things to say about Daisy. It is a nice facility and not overly crowded. The preschool has a nice balance of fun/enrichment/learning activities and I've felt from the beginning that the staff has taken a special interest in addressing each child's individual needs. Our daughter looks forward to her days here. Lastly, it isn't horrendously expensive! read more

We LOVE Daisy CDC! I'll start off by saying we were recommended Daisy by a friend who had had a wonderful experience so we decided to check it out. Apart from the beautiful campus and safe location, we were pulled in by the thoughtful and caring staff. Daisy staff has been a wonderful support system and has shown how genuinely dedicated they are to the children. I would highly recommend this childcare center! read more

We have been a Daisy family since 2018 and it's been one of the best decisions we ever made. We have two very different kinds of kids (one chatterbox/ extrovert and one reserved/ introvert) and both of them thrived at Daisy, from the time they were toddlers all the way through T-K. We experienced the program before the pandemic, which was amazing and very robust in terms of specialist teachers, who have just now started to return after COVID restrictions. We sent our younger child back full-time from early-pandemic days (after the initial shutdown in spring 2020) until now, when she is about to enter kindergarten. Because of Daisy, she remained socially supported, academically challenged, and developmentally on-track regardless of the chaos going on in the rest of the world. Daisy has been a mainstay of our family life and I honestly do not know what we would have done if we hadn't had Irfan and Fey (and their wonderful staff) supporting both our kids and our family during these early childhood years. A few notes on the program: Daisy has a huge amount of outdoor space (as well as many indoor classrooms) and a lot of the day takes place outside. They have chickens, goats, and a little garden that the kids love. In terms of the academic approach, there's a lot of play, music, and art for all ages of kids, but when they enter TK year (or slightly before), they transition to some academics (letters, numbers, phonics, science, pre-math), which we personally love, as we feel it is good preparation for school. read more

We started at Daisy in the spring of 2019, after our oldest son had been at two different preschools that were not the right fit. We looked around for about four months to find the perfect place for our rambunctious toddler, and finally we found it at Daisy! Since then we've enrolled our younger son and couldn't be happier having both of them attending. Here are some of the biggest differences I've noticed after having had tough experiences with a Montessori school and a Christian based pre-school: 1) My kids are happy! 2) They come home singing songs. 3) They've learned to share! (This could be attributed to just getting older - but nonetheless - its happened while at Daisy) 4) I don't receive 'incident reports' about regular toddler behavior the way I did at the Montessori school. Which leads me to believe that either my kids have become well behaved (doubtful) and/or that the teachers at Daisy are all blessed with so much more patience (likely). 5) They don't cry at drop off. Occasionally if they haven't slept, we'll have a hard time, but for the most part, they want to go to school. 6) They eat all of their lunch at school and they nap. 7) My kids know their teacher's by name and talk about them at home. 8) My kids will randomly start doing yoga at home because they do it at school with Teacher Tim. (btw- I love knowing that my kids are doing yoga at school!) 9) My older kid will sing my younger kid to sleep at night with songs that he learned at school.(I mean?!?! It really is as sweet as it sounds) 10) My kids love their friends at Daisy and talk about them at home. 11) My kids know all about feeding chickens and goats! Those are the highlights - and for our family - those are the most important things that we hoped for. We highly recommend Daisy and we hope to meet your family and kids there soon! read more

Daisy Child Development Center - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Oakland, California

My daughter attended Daisy for 2 years and she thrived there. She came with no English and now she can speak fluently. Irfan and Fey were very patient and caring with her during this transition. I especially love that children at Daisy spend so much time outdoors playing, climbing, building, drawing and doing other fun stuff. Thank you! read more

We absolutely love Daisy. Our little one is so excited to go each day and really loves the staff. Fey and Irfan are such great supports to the kids and parents. Their genuine kindness and compassion make the kids feel loved and cared for. I've been very impressed with their response to Covid and their efforts to keep our kids safe. They have Spanish lessons, yoga instruction, and lots and lots of outdoor play time. We are so lucky to have found Daisy. read more

This place was the absolute worst experience I ever had with a childcare. I will never forget it and this was way back in 2014. I look forward to the day that I see this place closing its doors. Where do began? Let's talk about the worst actor the nun lady. She literally complained or critique my daughter's behavior to me daily. Everytime I went to pick my daughter up she had a concern or complaint oh, she always seems tired, she cried or whined too much today, she had a scratch a bruises, what happened there? she seems to be socially awkward at times, she's showing sensory issues. Everyday it was something of honestly nothin out of a normal child's behavior. She was just trying to build up a case really. When enrolling my child in this center I never saw that nun lady. I had a wonderful tour and on boarding. It went down hill from the time she seen me to the time she persuaded the other staff to outs me and my child. Finally after literally 3-4 weeks of her critiques they called me in for conference about my child (who had done nothing wrong) and basically tried to grill me about how home life was, and their assumptions about me and my child. Made me feel like the worst mother in the world. Of course the nun was leading the whole show with her BS critiques the others barely said anything. I could not believe it. I began crying because I had never been so angry. They were literally trying to say I was a bad mother without any facts of any kind. Just pure assumptions based of the nuns observations. My child never even misbehaved. I was totally flabbergasted. I drive by this place to get to the freeway at times and I think about that terrible experience every time. I'm glad my daughter was too young, only 3 1/2, to even remember that place. AWFUL!!! read more

I cannot say enough great things about Daisy and how happy my child is to go there every day. My daughter has been there for two years and Irfan and Fey and all the other childcare providers are incredibly nurturing and warm. During this pandemic Daisy has gone above and beyond to ensure safety for the children in their care and for staff, which has been such a huge deal for me as a parent already stressed at having to navigate so many changes and unknowns. And the outdoor facilities are so amazing. It really is a gem of a learning facility. read more

My twins have been at Daisy since they were in diapers. We very briefly switched when I got off the waiting list at a daycare in the same building where I worked, but that place was horribly strict and I couldn't wait to get back to Daisy. The twins are now ready for TK and I'm so grateful for the love and wonderful experience they've given my kids. I used to feel bad about being stretched so thin and not being able to give the twins as much attention as they deserved, but the teachers, Fey, and Irfan more than made up for it. Each twin was treated as an individual and they both thrived. I can't say thank you enough for keeping my kids safe, cherished, motivated, and loved. read more

We have had two kids at Daisy and I cannot say enough good things about Irfan, Fey, and the other teachers. Not only are they amazing for the kids, in a beautiful tiered lot with goats and chickens, but they have been incredibly flexible with us as parents as well. They are affordable, conveniently located, caring, and all around amazing! read more

Daisy is a fantastic preschool. My daughter goes here now and my son just graduated to Kindergarten after going here for 2.5 years. The staff is caring, nurturing, and fun. The school takes safety and well-being very seriously. We never had issues with turn over of teachers or anything that I hear happens with other preschools. My son started to read small words and count to 100 from Fey and the other teachers! They really focus on kindergarten readiness when your child is ready. It's just a great little place for them to learn, play, and grow! read more

My son has been at Daisy for a year now and I feel it's time to write a review, since we rave about it to all of our parent friends! When we first interviewed at Daisy I was feeling burnt out from the process of trying to find the right daycare for my child. After chatting with Irfan, seeing the space, and my son having a great couple hours in the group class I almost cried knowing we'd found THE place. I love that the children spend most of their day outdoors, weather permitting. There's goats and chickens, a bunch of STEAM activities, and a great curriculum. My son learns SO much! I also really appreciate the approach that Irfan and Fey take to the children - that we are team mates raising them together. I really appreciate that as I had a lot of guilt and anxiety about sending my child somewhere for most of his waking time and knowing he's in such great hands and loves heading to "school" everyday . Now I can't wait for my second child to attend once she's old enough. read more

Our son has been at Daisy from about 22 months. He's 4 1/2 now and will be moving on to kindergarten in the fall. In that time, he has made strong friendships, had teachers he liked and a few he really loved, learned yoga and dance, learned some beginning Spanish, and begun reading and writing. Some of this probably would have happened in other settings as well, and I don't want to give the impression that this is an overachieving, all-academic program. It's primarily play-based, with two well designed outdoor play yards (usually age-separated) that have received lots of renovation and improvement since we've had him here. The play areas -- with goats and chickens in enclosures alongside the bigger of the two yards -- are definitely a highlight. The teaching staff is warm and caring. Special recognition is due to Ms. NIikki and Ms. Lisbeth in the youngest room, who helped ease the transition from a very small family childcare setting. Nikki is one of the most talented early educators I know, and the kids almost universally love her. I know parents whose kids have started a bit older and also had a great experience, but starting in Galaxy room with Nikki helped our son build a really special relationship with the school. In TK the curriculum gets a bit more focused on kindergarten readiness -- our son will.keave knowing how to read simple sentences, with a repertoire of a sight words and the ability to decode new words and write most of them as well. He's also learned a lot of basic math concepts and operations, and picked up a lot.of scientific knowledge through fun, hands-on projects. Ms. Fey is one of his favorite people, and he's found her combination of warmth with a bit more demand for big-kid behavior and learning exactly right for him. But the focus is still very much on play and social development, with lots of movement, time for pretend games, and good modeling of caring friendships. The visiting yoga, dance, and music teachers are great, and our son has also discovered and been encouraged in artistic skills and joy that i dont think he had fully discovered before this year. If I had to point to one area for critique, I'd say that possibly more could be done to help the kids break out of the gender self-separation that they all seem to fall into so easily. I'd love to see more mixed-gender play groups outside of structured classroom time, but I know this is a tough age for that. But because there's always room to learn and grow, I thought I should mention it. We will miss Daisy this fall, but our son will.go into kindergarten confident, caring, inquisitive, and happy, and there's a lot of Daisy in that. read more

Daisy has been a fantastic development for my two little ones. My son and daughter started when he turned 18 months and she was three years old. This place added so much to my daughter's development socially, and her art skills have also greatly benefited as she graduated through rainbow, cloud, and is now finishing up TK before she heads well prepared to Kindergarten in the fall. My son has flourished and loves all his friends and teachers in Galaxy. The sense of community we have there with the other families is great. My neighbor sends her son who is aged between my two there as well. All the children interact with the other classes to some extent which I love to see, and they have wonder animals and enrichment classes on site regularly. I appreciate the consistency and the peace of mind I get from the Daisy staff and environment. I have another little boy on the way, and when he is old enough to attend Daisy that's exactly where he'll be. We love our Daisy family! read more

We love this school so much. My daughter went here from when she was 2.5 until kindergarten, my son started at 18 months and was supposed to be done in the fall of 2020. However, because the owners are so amazing, my son has stayed at Daisy while he does all of his Kindergarten work. The teachers have created spaced out areas for each Kindergartener to do their zooms and their work. Its like an adorable open planned office. But really this school cares about each kid and goes above and beyond in all ways to help out. Both of my kids were SO prepared for elementary school and are thriving both academically and socially. I credit so much of that to Daisy. They are easy to communicate with and really try to work with parents to make each family feel welcome, happy, and safe. Thank you! read more

My older daughter attended Daisy for 2.5 years and loved it. They have a lovely large space with 3 yards and include STEAM (science, tech, engineering, arts, math) TK. She was more than ready for kindergarten afterwards. My younger daughter is still currently attending and loves it as well. read more

Update: I have pulled my child out of Daisy for a number of reasons. I want to start by saying my first review was written because the owner would ask me every day to write one and I didn't want it to negatively affect my kid. I'm sure after I write this one, there will be a handful of 5 star reviews to make up for mine. Also worth noting that he gave me a hard time for giving 4 stars instead of 5. So where do I begin? The best part of this school is the teachers. I have nothing but respect and love for them. Nikki, Lisbeth, Vo, and Ghada all took great care of my son. They are all caring, loving, talented, helpful and nurturing. The two owners should take some tips from them on how to care for the children. In that regard, they both come off as very sweet initially but eventually they will reveal their true colors. They are disorganized and stressed out. Fey snaps at the kids when they spill food and regularly yells at them "go away from my table!" when they make a mess or change their mind about what they want to eat. I've also seen her screech at the teachers when really, they are doing a way better job than she is. Irfan is socially awkward at best and creepy at worst. His manner with the kids is weird )he always roughs up the tops of their heads and tells them "I'm proud of you." I'm not suggesting he's creepy toward the kids but he is hands-on with the adults, always asking for hugs from the moms and teachers (not the dads). When he is on the yard "supervising" he is mostly just sitting down in his phone sending pictures to Facebook even when the kids are on the other side of the playground and out of his sight. Drop-offs were tricky because breakfast, which is supposed to start at 8, would vary daily from 7:55-8:20 depending on if the owners were running late. Often there would only be one teacher left to handle all the crying kids getting dropped off, all the kids playing, and any urgent diaper changes BY HERSELF, which she always handled with patience and grace. Also, they make the staff use punch cards to clock in like it's the 1970's. Seriously! There are two playgrounds here--one of which is unusable and full of junked toys and furniture which sat out in the rain during this long, wet winter. There were tons of buckets and toys full of stagnant water, essentially creating a mosquito breeding ground on the site. I mentioned it to them but nothing was done and I even overheard the kids exclaiming about all the mosquitoes. There a many other things I could mention but this is already too long. Suffice to say I'm not the only one who recently pulled my kid out, a teacher also just quit, and the directors should attend some child development classes if they really want to run a great school. All they have going for them is the teachers and they just lost one! My kid is now attending a new place that costs less, where he gets served a homemade lunch and snack, has very communicative, caring directors/owners, where I get a slip of paper indicating his bathroom usage, his eating habits, and how long he slept, and there's no requirement to donate money or time by the parents. I'm sincerely glad there are parents and children happy here because that's the most important thing. It just wasn't working for us. read more

Past and present parents have emailed me in the past 8 months, based on my previous review. Sadly, they have also had the same (terrible) experience with this school. I would urge all to stay away. Also, be leery of the "5 star" reviews....not only are the reviews requested by the owners, but there are kick-backs for parents that right them. read more

I'm unexpectedly going into my 5th year at Daisy since they are helping my kindergartener (who attended Daisy since the day he turned 18 months) with virtual school. I care less about academics than I do about socio-emotional growth for my kid, but Daisy is doing an amazing job with both. After months of isolation, my child comes home happy now, with stories about his friends and his teachers. read more

Fantastic, kind, and dedicated staff. My daughter has been attending the school for a little over a year and I have never been anything but impressed and grateful. She loves her teachers, loves her friends and I feel comfortable while I am at work knowing she is in the best hands possible. Thank you thank you Daisy CDC! read more

Daisy Child Development Center - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Oakland, California

We've had our daughter at Daisy for the past two years, and we couldn't be happier - The owners work very hard to make everyone feel like they're family, the teachers are all great, and the place is well maintained and clean. There's also a back yard where the kids play daily with new structures in them and breakfast is served every day, which is really helpful - my child is gluten intolerant, and they have been quite happy to accommodate us... When my boy is old enough, we're happily going to have him attend Daisy as well. read more

We started our son at Daisy in the fall of 2019. When we went to visit, we were very impressed with the way the staff interacted with kids, and we continue to be impressed with Daisy. It's hard to imagine our son being happier anywhere else. Ms. Nikki, Ms. Vo, and and Ms. Lisbeth are amazing and work together seamlessly. They have been warm and welcoming to both our son and to us. We know when we pick our son up every day, he's been challenged (appropriately!) and loved. The teachers and staff are responsive and eager to answer questions. We can't say enough good things. (Plus, goats and chickens!) read more

So, it looks like there haven't been many reviews of Daisy in the last 2.5 years, I guess I'll say a few things. This review is partly about our experience and our children's experiences -- we have had two kids there over a span of years -- but I thought I'd share suggestions for parents who are considering Daisy: (1) Take any strong reviews posted near this one (late-September 2015) with a grain of salt, as the school's management now appears to be trying some small-scale bribery to get good reviews posted. A sign recently appeared on the parent sign-in/sign-out booklet saying "put an endorsement for Daisy on Yelp and Berkeley Parents Network, and it will count as your monthly chore." (Parents at Daisy are required, each month, to either complete a "chore" or opt to pay a fine/fee instead -- not huge $$ but not trivial either.) I don't know how strong an incentive this particular "deal" is for parents in general, but still: reader, beware! 2) Realize that the information on the school's website (as of this date) is stunningly inaccurate, effectively erasing key changes in Daisy's recent history. For instance: a) The About page, in the very first paragraph, says "Led by Director Eva Barahona, ...". Not true! Eva WAS the director, and her family owned Daisy for many, many years. Eva was an excellent teacher and director with deep expertise and extensive experience, and a lot of what was great about daisy in those years flowed from Eva and her very stable staff. But in 2013 the school was sold to new owners Fey (wife) and Irfan (husband), who have minimal background or experience, and have proven quite weak in important skill areas like communication and organization. b) The Teachers and Staff page lists Joanna P. Lamnouar as the Curriculum Administrator. Also not true! Joanna WAS the curriculum administrator, and her role was crucial. She really understood young children and the complex ideas and practices that make up a progressive, play-based curriculum. She helped teachers develop and enact that understanding, and was a huge contributor to making the structure and essence of the school live up to its mission. However, Joanna left the school not long after the new owners took over, and there has been no equivalent staff position at the school since then. c) Of the 16 people listed on the Teachers and Staff page overall, 9 of them (more than half!) are no longer at Daisy. This includes: - The two music teachers listed, who used to visit and perform/play with groups of Daisy kids at regular intervals, have not been part of Daisy's program for quite some time. - Two of the classroom teachers (Annie Liu, Lily Gaitan) listed are now working at other preschools in the area. - 5 others no longer work at Daisy for other reasons. d) The Daisy Community page mentions a "monthly Parents Meeting, which we strongly encourage our parents to attend." There is no such thing. Since the new owners took over ~2.5 years ago, I recall exactly two official meetings with parents. In both cases, these happened because of the urging and organizing efforts of concerned groups of parents. (3) Do your homework by talking to parents whose children have RECENTLY been at Daisy. Include parents who have chosen to stay as well as parents who have chosen to leave. In the same vein, pay attention to the dates on parent testimonials here (or BPN, or Next Door, etc.): The nature of what Daisy is and how it is run has changed substantially since Spring/Summer 2013. (4) Find out (if you can) what exactly the background and qualifications are of the teachers and the owners/directors, as well as how administrative decision-making is done. We parents had consistently understood Fey to be the director for some time, but at the most recent parent meeting Irfan referred to himself and himself only as the owner/director, and every statement he made about decisions regarding the school began with "I" (not "we"), with no indication Fey (who remained almost completely silent during the meeting) was involved at all. (5) Spend time talking to Fey and Irfan in person, since they are intent on running the school themselves, with no plans to hire a more experienced director, or even to replace the office assistant they once had. In particular, if Irfan remains heavily involved in directorial decisions or day-to-day activities with kids, decide how you feel about that. (I personally find him self-important, condescending, and a poor listener whose own voice takes up way too much space in any "conversation" he engages in.) I'm putting 2 stars because the fact that my children generally enjoyed their time at Daisy, having good friends and warm relationships with particular teachers (though almost all are now gone), has rapidly been eclipsed by huge teacher turnover and serious problems I see with the school's leadership. If something changes to get the school on a different and better trajectory, I would reconsider this. read more

Daisy Child Development Center - "Add an endorsement for Daisy CDC on Yelp or Berkeley Parents Network & it will count as your monthly chore" [Terrible photo, sorry.] - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Oakland, California