Let me start off by saying you should never find your child's daycare solely through Yelp.
(1) Start here: https://secure.dss.ca.gov/CareFacilitySearch/Search/ChildCare. Read through all the visit date reports, looked at all the tabs for citations, inspections, complaints, other visits and reports.
(2) Call up the Regional Office (800) 952-5253 and asked for historical information. The website only displays information for 5 years back.
(3) Look up any info about the daycare provider/s on social media. Maybe they have one for their work and maybe they'll have personal ones too. It's up to you, but I prefer not to see a potential caregiver posts drunken Vegas trips or raves they've recently been to. That is just me.
(4) Next, I call them up and talk to them for a little bit, asking always if this is a good time. For some, I can hear the frazzle-ness in their voice. If your chosen profession is dealing with a lot of high energy children and you can't take the heat, you should get out of the kitchen.
(5) Lastly, conduct onsite visits. I've always make an appointment for the 1st visit. The 2nd visit is a surprise one. By law, they must keep the facility open to drop-in visits. Always be cautious if they don't allow you in (of course being mindful of children naps times which is usually 1-3pm).
With that said, Kinder Garden Daycare is what I have chosen for my children. The home is clean and feels warm and inviting. Ms. Sandy always had an aura of calm during many chaotic scenes (babies crying, toddlers running around, loud playing, etc...). She makes homemade, healthy delicious food for the children. They teach life lessons (potty training, cleaning up after themselves, etc..). She has structure, so the kids feel secure in knowing what is expected every day. They do preschool prep (learning ABCs, numbers, tracing, reading, etc...). Her hours are flexible. She can be available for your child 24 hours a day. For example, had my in-laws not been able to be here during the birth of our 2nd child, I could have asked Ms. Sandy to watch the 1st one while in the hospital. Her calendar is pretty much set for the year, so you know what to expect in terms of closed days. And she will let you know way in advance when they will be closed for vacation, so you should have enough time to find alternative care.
No place is perfect. I would prefer to receive pictures every day through Brightwheel. But I know it's busy and it's not possible to do that every day. We do get pictures on special days when they're doing some special art project or event of the day. And sometimes just randomly which I relish. I would prefer some of the rooms to be more padded but that's an unfair expectation because my own home is all tile and hardwood.
A good and solid relationship between you and your child care provider should be based on continued open communication and feedback. Ms. Sandy is great with that! Most every day, there is a synopsis or report of what happened, what they ate, what they did, continued effort for home, etc...She is great with tips for each developmental stage of my children. I do feel supported by Kinder Garden as we raise these little human beings together. This place is a great partnership for us. read more
