I have volunteered with Urban Services for the last 3 years and admire how they provide wrap-around…read morecare and build a world of opportunity for 1,000 San Franciscans per day. Urban Services is the Y without walls, the social services arm of the YMCA focusing on truancy, after-school programs, mentoring, mental health, and crisis intervention. The YMCA has long been at the forefront of providing quality, low-cost programming for youth. We underwrite 16 programs throughout SF with a focus on youth development principles: safety, relationship building, skill building, community involvement, and meaningful youth participation. The mission of Urban Services YMCA is to develop meaningful programs for communities that experience overwhelming risk factors (e.g., violence, substance abuse, poverty, etc.). Our organization works to alleviate the stress on San Francisco's overburdened system of care by supporting family resilience and stability. We promote academic excellence by delivering a diverse array of programs that foster learning, enhance educational performances, and improve reading, writing, and math skills. Our services promote family strengthening, safe and healthy communities, and academic enrichment.

Ive been a Building Futures mentor for 8 months now and am loving it…read more Its a great volunteer opportunity to get out there and really make a difference in someone's life. You sign up for a one year commitment and you take your mentee out once a week for approx 1 - 3 hours. The training is done over a 5 week period and each session is 3-4 hours, I did my training with Vicki in San Mateo who is fantastic, she made all the training fun and all of our group thoroughly enjoyed it. After completing the training and all the various reference and LiveScan checks you are matched with an 'at risk' youth, you then stay with this youth for the whole year. Your sessions each week are one on one and you get to choose where you take your mentee, it could be as simple as a walk to the park, or more adventurous like a trip to Great America which a group of us did recently. You will be surprised what some children have never done, simple things like going on the Bart, baking a cake, things we all take for granted. Ive spoken to lots of people about the program and people always think they wouldn't be great mentors, but believe me Vicki will make you a great mentor :) and the children in the program are so grateful for the time you spend with them and you soon see how much of a difference you are making in their lives. Sign up today - you won't regret it :)

As our family prepares to move on to a new chapter, I want to take a moment to express our…read moreheartfelt gratitude to everyone at Early Education Preschool. My son has been part of this school for the past four years, and the experience has been truly meaningful and memorable for our whole family. To Julie Yiyi and all staff--thank you for your patience, care, and dedication. You have created a warm, nurturing, and safe environment where our child not only learned and grew, but also felt truly loved and supported. It has been a joy to watch him blossom under your guidance--academically, socially, and emotionally. From his very first day to his last, we have always felt that he was in good hands. Your team consistently went above and beyond to make every child feel seen, heard, and valued. As parents, that peace of mind is something we will always treasure. Thank you again for being such an important part of our son's early years. We will forever be grateful for the foundation you have helped build in his life.

This is a wonderful daycare. Julie and her team are experts in early education. They offer a loving…read moreand nurturing environment where children can learn and develop. Both of my children went to this daycare for years, and I cannot recommend it enough.

The JCC Helen Diller Preschool has not only been a wonderful place for my daughter, but for our…read moreentire family, as well. We were drawn to the school for so many reasons and here are just some that really stand out for us... It's an Emilio Reggio school with a phenomenal teaching staff and the director works diligently alongside parent volunteers to be sure that the teachers are consistently feeling as supported and appreciated as they make our children feel every day. There is a full time garden teacher, music teacher and art teacher who all have great expertise in fostering curiosity and appreciation for the beautiful world of nature, music and art and work with the children and alongside the classroom teachers to bring these amazing components to the kids. The school community feels like a home away from home. There are numerous ways parents can volunteer (which is completely optional) and be involved in the school community. My daughter started school in the height of the pandemic and the staff really thought outside the box in how to keep that feeling of community going. Now that we're past that, events and opportunities to come together as a community abound and really make us feel like we're living in a small town. Children do not need to be potty trained (let's just say this was VERY important to us ). The teachers really meet the kids where they are and gently encourage them to step outside their comfort zone to grow. I have personally learned so much from watching the teachers respect an individual child's own comfort level in any situation and think outside the box to ensure each child feels respected to be who they are. Yet through creating a safe space and gently encouraging growth, I have seen the children blossom into confident individuals and take such pride in their own achievements. My daughter will say things like, "mommy, I'm so proud! I believed in myself and I did it!" Logistics perk: drive through drop offs. I had a newborn at home when my daughter started preschool and I'm sure that every parent can relate - the drive through drop offs without needing to get the baby out of the car saved my sanity . Almost 2 years later, I still find the drive through drop off option to be an incredible, time saving perk. I still love to walk my daughter into school or go into the classroom to pick her up, but having the drive through option has been a game changer . The Pre-K program really prepares students for elementary school and the director, Karla, works alongside families to provide resources and guidance as they navigate the process of transitioning to elementary school. It's a place that instills the start of a lifelong love of learning and discovery.

Our experience with this preschool has been exceptional. The teachers are not only highly skilled…read morebut also incredibly nurturing, creating a warm and supportive environment for our child. The sense of community among parents is remarkable, fostering a collaborative and inclusive atmosphere. The director's leadership is truly commendable; their dedication to creating a positive and enriching learning environment is evident in every aspect of the preschool. We feel fortunate to be part of such a wonderful educational community. It takes a village to raise a kid. we are so fortunate that JCC Helen Diller is our village especially when we see our daughter is thriving in such a loving community.

I'm sparing them a one-star review because I appreciated the art programming they provided and the…read moreteachers seemed good. However, the daycare and owners are 100% business-focused and puts money first. They have zero empathy for parents or fostering community. Understandably, Covid posed many challenges to everyone and protocols had to be put in place but they did not allow for parents to communicate with teachers at all - no virtual conversations, phone calls, emails, etc. Every six months, they would send home a 'report' without any opportunities to sit down to review or ask questions. All of that, I can look past... because Covid required a lot of flexibility from all parties. The real frustration came upon registration for our 2nd kid. Their sales tactic was that of fake urgency and loose and sneaky language in the contract. You can feel free to message me for specifics so that you can be made aware. When there was a discrepancy, one 'owner' Natalie (who honestly has no decision making power as she gets overshadowed by the other) owned up and said the contract language was indeed confusing. However, Allison (bureaucratic owner) would say otherwise, completely undermining Natalie. They refused to make time for a call to talk it through the confusion and instead required us to only use email to contact them. They brushed us off in person and finally (but reluctantly) gave me 9 minutes on a call in which Natalie hastily rushed me off. We're talking about major confusion in a contract that would net them (and cost us) $75,000+ in the lifetime of our two kids being there. They resorted to defensiveness and eventually made up a whole narrative about my family's financial difficulty. It was extremely hurtful and mind blowing that a business can be run this way. Whenever it served them to play the "we are a small business, we make mistakes" card, they would use it sparingly. And at times when it served them to say "we are very well established, have been doing this for decades so please don't question us" they would use that to their advantage. As another reviewer said "if you're happy to shut up and abide by the info they give you, then this is the place for you." I really wish I would have read this before enrolling. Childcare is a highly personal and sensitive decision and they don't seem to agree with this. I'm so glad we pulled our kids out and while difficult to not have childcare for a few months, we ended up finding a much better option for our kids. I'd recommend supporting another local daycare that truly cares about the community versus just their bottom line and the self-serving need to always having to be right.

I thought maybe my experience with Small Wonders School was a one-off until I read some of the…read morereviews here that seemed consistent with how I was treated. I was hired as an assistant teacher (I have over 7 years of experience in preschool) for their kindergarten program. The directors were aware of my teaching experience and had my full resume. They offered me the position and I accepted, excited to gain experience with a new age group. They wanted me to begin right away so I could be trained in time for the school year to begin. I was relocating from out of state and rushed the move so I would start on time. The school and staff were nice and I felt optimistic about the position. After only three days of training, however, I was told that they wanted someone with more kindergarten experience and let me go. I accepted this graciously and silently, despite knowing it was bad practice. I hadn't even had a chance to be in the kindergarten classroom yet. After leaving the school and driving home in tears I realized I forgot my sweater and went back to get it. As I approached the door I saw my sweater outside draped over a rail on the sidewalk, which felt quite insulting. The only redeeming thing about the situation is that I was paid for the three days I trained. The amount of stress and money that went into relocating in such a rush and then looking for another job is irrevocable though. I am shocked and appalled by the treatment I received.

Our daughter started going to Senorita's at 14 months of age and it was the first daycare…read moreexperience for our family. Right from the beginning, Miss Gricelia put us to ease - she spent an incredible amount of time and energy to get our daughter comfortable, with a very clear and functional ramp-up plan. It has been a delight to watch our daughter grow and learn at the preschool. Miss G keeps such a high-energy, playful environment and she makes learning so much fun. In our time, we've seen our daughter and her friends learn ABCs, counting, colors, shapes, songs, etc. in English and Spanish. Children also get a lot of outdoor time (Miss G even takes care of applying sunscreen, sun hat - little things that really makes us feel our child is well cared for). They go to the library for story times and get exposure to be with other children in a larger group. Kids have such a rich interaction with each other, our daughter even knows the spellings of the names of all her classmates! Our daughter was also provided with nutritious food (cooked in the daycare kitchen) and she learned basic things like eating with a fork. Miss G is also very careful with the spread of germs. Though it is so common elsewhere, our daughter actually did not bring very many germs back from daycare. If your kid is sick, they need to be symptom free or get a doctor's note before resuming school. This prevents the spread of germs - which is so critical if you have any other infant or at-risk population at home. If you're looking for a very caring, fun-filled, nature inspired environment for your kid to learn, look no further than Senorita's!

Gricelia is a very upbeat, happy, positive and humble person. She is driven by fun and education…read morewhich is the perfect combination for her Love of children. She will ensure that all children will be handled with compassion for their individual needs. Gricelia is a honest person and has High Character, Morale and very trustworthy so your Child and or children are in good hands and will be returned home healthy, happy and smarter:-) I suggest you see for yourself!

We had a wonderful experience at OLA. Magdalena is kind, caring, and truly invested in the…read morechildren's well-being. Our son grew so much during his time there and loved going every day. We are so grateful for all the support, care, and love she gave him. We highly recommend this daycare!

We have entrusted Magdalena with the care of both of our kiddos. Most providers can safely watch…read morekiddos, but Magdalena takes the whole experience to another level. She is thoughtful, communicative and conscientious in everything that she does. Magdalena creates a warm, welcoming environment for the kiddos in her care and their families. Every kid is an individual and I have watched her truly get to know each of my kids. My two kids are very different, and while she created the same nurturing, safe environment for both of them, she was able to identify their individual strengths and areas of growth to help them in their development. Her small class size also allows for a strong focus on social-emotional development, that continues to serve my kids as they enter grade school and beyond. I can't recommend Magdalena enough, she has created a lasting impact on our kids and our family.

My son has been in this loving environment since he was 5 months old. He's in preschool now, but…read morestill always wants to go back for visits. They have fostered his learning so much. I really do believe the first 5 years of a child's life is critical on how well they will do in the future. He has so much fun learning and doesn't even know it. Louise and her assistants take great care with all the kids. And, they aren't always angels, I know my son isn't. But, with such an experienced group, I know my family values are reinforced thus helping me at home as well. I don't know about other families, but this is half the battle with a toddler. All I have to say is I have no hesitation in recommending such a great place for little ones.

Anyone looking for a daycare provider who's knowledgeable, experienced and provides a safe and…read morecaring environment? If you answered yes, then I highly recommend this place. My daughter was here when she was about 9 months old and up until she started kindergarten. Louise has a structured schedule that includes meal time (breakfast, lunch, and snack), circle time, nap time, and play. Meals are always healthy - this is where my daughter got her great eating habits of veggies and fruit!! Circle time is for learning and artwork (I still have the big box of worksheets, macaroni art, paintings, cards, holiday creativeness, etc.), and play time includes a ton of toys that are age appropriate. My daughter is now in the 6th grade and we sometimes fondly talk about Weezo (aka Louise, Daweez, Disney lady, etc.) and her wonderful family. Remember, your child only goes through childhood once and I have to say my daughter had a memorable one by being part of this daycare.

I would recommend this daycare with my whole heart. Our 2.5…read moreyears old absolutely loves going to daycare. I love the fact that this daycare is not crowded with kids. Carol is very sweet and loving. Our little one enjoys all the activities, playing with peers, making art, learning and she even loves napping there. Carol texts pictures throughout the day which is absolutely great. A huge positive for us was that our daughter started speaking and singing after started at this place. I could go on and on about little fish daycare, but to sum it up, do not hesitate to bring your little one here, your whole family will love it!!!

Little Fish Daycare has been a dream come true for our family. We were so nervous to put our…read moredaughter in daycare, but couldn't be happier with Little Fish. We love that it is such a small daycare and there are two caregivers. It is so small it is almost like a nanny-share situation. Each child gets so much individual attention and love. Our daughter loves getting dropped off there- she talks about her friends there every day. The music classes and story times are wonderful, as is the outdoor playtime. They also do special activities for holidays and art projects. We know our daughter is in such a safe and loving environment there and are so grateful for the care Carolina provides. She also sends us pictures and updates throughout the day so we always know what is going on. We cannot recommend it highly enough.