Mini Steps Academy is hands down the best daycare you will find! After several daycare tours, we instantly felt so at peace with JJ. She genuinely cares about every single child and made us feel right at home. We loved the effort and thought that goes into her daily routines and activities for different stages of development. Our 7-month old son lights up every morning when he sees JJ and there's no better feeling as a parent! Her rates are very fair, her communication is wonderful, and she even offers an affordable food plan with high-quality meal options. We are so grateful we found Mini Steps Academy! read more

We love Ms JJ at Mini Steps Academy! After losing our nanny after our move and a horrific experience with another daycare, we were grateful to find her! We started our boys at 7 months and 2.5 years old and couldn't be happier. She has a great academic program to prepare the older kids for kindergarten (my now 3 year old knows his letters and can count to 100), and gives all her love to those under 2 helping them with their milestones too. Her rates are fair for the service she is providing, she also has a meal plan so I don't have to worry about packing food. I highly recommend this daycare if you are in the Conejo Valley area! She is licensed. read more

Mini-steps Academy has been an incredible part of our lives for almost four years now, and we couldn't be more grateful. The care, kindness, and attention that JJ shows every child is truly exceptional. It gives us such peace of mind knowing our son is spending his days in a place where he's genuinely cared for, learns, grows, and is supported. read more

The best !!! Mini Steps has been life changing for us. Our daughter is in the best hands possible and so happy. JJ is an amazing person you fall in love with instantly and trust. So happy with Mini Steps Academy and grateful read more

I can't say enough great things! Our son started daycare with JJ a year ago, and it has been the best experience! As working parents, it is not easy leaving your child with someone else, but we are so comfortable with JJ. Our son is able to socialize with other children while learning and playing at the same time. He is learning so many new things and gets to be creative, which he loves. Most importantly, she is incredibly kind, patient, loving, nurturing, reliable and trustworthy. She has a wealth of experience and gives helpful advice when needed! She is truly invested in each child and you can tell how much she loves each of them. I highly recommend Mini Steps. read more

One of the hardest things to do as a parent, is find someone you trust to take care of your children. I am so incredibly grateful to have found Ms JJ. She loves all of the kids like they're her own and you can't ask for much more than that. We have been going to Mini Steps since our first son was 4 months old - he's now 2.5 and our 6 month old joined him a couple months ago. In addition to being in a loving environment, she has a perfect mix of play, structure, and learning. The things our two year old has learned from her are truly mind blowing - most of which our pediatrician wouldn't even expect a child to know until 4 years old. Our kids are happy, well fed, and love her so much. We couldn't have imagined a much better experience - we truly think of Ms JJ as family! read more

JJ and her partner Sherry have made our lives so much easier since our daughter started attending Mini Steps Academy in June 2019. Specifically, morning drop-offs are consistently easy and smooth, and I am able to get to work and appointments on time because they are always ready for my child and offer such a warm and welcoming environment. My daughter's vocabulary and motor skills have tremendously improved over the last four months, and we are always so impressed by the new words, songs and stories she brings home. We previously had our daughter in a larger(also well reviewed) school, and we have found Mini Steps academy to be a much better fit for us. In our previous school, we always felt like our daughter came back dirty and hungry. However, at Mini Steps, she always comes back to us clean, well-fed and happy. We would highly recommend Mini Steps to any parents out there looking for a daycare where their children can grow and learn in a safe and warm environment. read more

Had an odd experience here and after setting up a tour for my 2 kids to possibly attend , I got a voicemail the day the tour was scheduled. She had to cancel suddenly because she couldn't take on any new kids? I guess Her assistant had to leave her? After calling back a month later to ask if she was able to find a new assistant she basically said she Wasnt going to look for one and good luck on our journey trying to find a daycare. I gave her 3 stars because at least she had the courage to call me but seemed very odd and unprofessional. I'd heard good things when I called initially but I have now since heard mixed reviews and we are very happy with the daycare we found. So I guess a blessing in disguise! I wouldn't recommend this place based on that experience alone. read more

JJ is one of the most wonderful, sweet and caring individuals. She has been a blessing to have care for our 2 1/2 year old. She teaches the kiddos so much and provides a safe, clean and comfortable environment for the kids to learn and grow. I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for somewhere your little one can be cared for, have fun and learn! 5 stars indeed! read more

We are so glad to have found Mini Steps Academy. As a parent, leaving your kids to a stranger can be very worrisome. But with JJ of Mini Steps Academy, I feel safe to know that my child is in good hands. A very kind hearted lady, she takes care of my daughter like her own. Her priority as well is educating our kid academically. My daughter started going to Mini Steps when she was only 5 months (now 3y/o). My daughter calls her daycare her "school" because she learns something new each day with JJ. Thank you! read more

After visiting so many daycare centers and in home daycares finally deciding on Mini Steps academy was easy; we could tell right away that Jaleh would be great! I began sending my first child to JJ at 4.5 months and we were one of the very first families to join. Not only did my daughter acquire important social skills but she was always learning too: the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days, months, seasons! JJ is so loving with the children and always willing to work with parent's requests and concerns. We also loved that JJ made us feel like part of the daycare family. She threw me a baby shower when we were expecting our second child and even took care of our daughter while I was in the hospital delivering our son! JJ does a great job allowing the children time to play and provides them with time to learn. You will be very happy sending your children to Mini Steps Academy. read more

JJ is the most loving and wonderful care taker that a working mom could ask for! My husband and I were looking for a reliable, safe environment for our son that felt like home, instead of a classroom, since he was only 6 months when he started. He's now 4, and our newest son has since began attending mini steps since he was 4 months old. JJ has created a structured and nurturing environment where our sons have flourished in every way! She is also an amazing teacher, which is why our 4 year old has learned his abc's, numbers, months, days, colors, etc. and now that he's almost 4, he's working on writing his letters and numbers!! Our sons love JJ and she truly loves them too... We could not ask for more!! read more

I can't say enough about JJ and the day care she runs. I've seen both my niece and nephew thrive in her care. My nephew had very limited verbal skills when he came to JJ and within only a year he has become a self-confident child who communicates his thoughts and is very expressive. I feel that she changed the course of his life. JJ is not only an excellent educator, but she treats the kids with love and affection. She is an ideal day care practitioner for anyone looking for help with child care. Thank you JJ. You've been a godsend to our family! read more

We looked at all the daycares in the area but when we walked into Mini Steps Academy we knew that this was where we wanted our daughter to be. We trusted JJ with our little one at 2 months old. I can honestly say I have not worried one bit about her while she is at "school". We will be moving out of state so our daughter will not have a chance to continue on with Mini Steps Academy. This is a tragedy because I have seen the older kids that have been with JJ for a few years and they are much more advanced for their age. It's awesome to see little ones that can barely talk reciting their colors, shapes etc. If JJ has an opening take it, if not get on the waiting list, she is worth it! read more

Mini steps academy is the absolutely best thing that happened to our family! Our son started there at 6 months, and we had just moved to CA from AZ. We have been there for almost 2 years now and do not know what we would do without Ms. JJ! Not only does she make us feel like our son is taken care of, he gets cooked home made (and very healthy) meals every day, gets taught more from her than he does from us (could count to 10 and do his ABCs before he was 1 year old), and on top of all of that- she gives him and every single child there so much love!!! It is so much more than a daycare, JJ is basically our family member/ a second mom to our son and we know that we are apart of her family too! There is no better feeling in the world when both parents have to work than knowing your babies are in the best hands possible! We are so thankful for finding mini steps academy and Ms. JJ and don't know what we would do without her!! There literally is no one in the world we trust our son with more than her! She is the best!!! read more

I love JJ. JJ is better than mom. I love her care and service. JJ is very educated and very professional. Your kid grows up in safe, peaceful, happy, clean and organized environment with so much care and love. JJ teaches academic that they need before going to preschool. My son goes to preschool, and he knows all major concepts. My son had been there from 3 months till 3 1/2 years. I recommend JJ strongly. I miss her so much already. You will be in very good hands. read more

You will never find a better person to love your child (besides yourself) the way Mrs. JJ does. She is so kind and caring and loving on our son. She was so patient with us and our son when he was transitioning from his first daycare to Mini Steps. He loves going to "school" every day. I basically have to carry him out of her house every day. She does circle time with them, teaches them their colors, letters, shapes and numbers. She has them do the cutes crafts. For Halloween they painted pumpkin buckets. For Thanksgiving, they just made turkeys. For my son's birthday, I brought cake pops for the kids and JJ had decorated with birthday decorations for him. He loved it! JJ keeps her house very clean. She makes all their lunches (you can sign up for this for an extra cost, but not that much more and it is TOTALLY worth it) and my son loves them! The other parents and kids are great too. Do yourself a favor and get your child started at Mini Steps Academy (or get on her waiting list) ASAP. read more

Ms. JJ is an answered prayer to our family and we couldn't ask for more. My husband and I are both working and as first time mom/dad, it was hard to leave our unica hija to strangers. The first daycare we found was a nightmare and I almost quit my job seeing my baby so uncomfortable & unhappy even after months she's been there. Thank God Ms. JJ exists & we were so lucky to find her in Yelp. Now I can focus on my work knowing that our daughter is in good hands. My daughter had a very hard time adjusting on her first few months and she was throwing up every time she cried. We're so glad Ms. JJ didn't give up on my daughter and now she's one of the happiest babies I've ever known :) Ms. JJ is not just a caretaker, but a very good teacher as well. She disciplines all the kids in a manner that all parents would want their kids be treated. At the age of two, our baby knows the basic colors, shapes (including cone, cube, arch, etc), numbers (she could count from 1 to 20!) and started to recognize some of the numbers and letters. She can now draw shapes and her language skills improved a lot (the fact that we are multilingual at home - yes, 3 languages). People at church, restaurants & groceries would normally ask us her age and they get surprised by the way she talks. Usual comments are "she talks a lot" and "she has a very good vocabulary". Some of the 3 year old kids Ms. JJ took care of knew how to write their names at the age of 3! Most days the kids wouldn't want to leave her house and go home, that's how I know our daughter is in the right place. Mini Steps Academy and Ms. JJ deserve more than a 5-star rating, unfortunately Yelp wouldn't allow me to do that ;) read more

Ms. JJ is a blessing to our family! As full-time working parents, we knew we were in for quite an adventure when raising our little one. We knew we would have to count on someone full-time to basically be her second parent and fortunately, we were able to do that with Ms. JJ! Our daughter started going to Ms. JJ's when she was 3 months old and is now 2 years old. Ms. JJ has done nothing but help educate her, love her, feed her healthy foods and teach her skills like sharing and listening. My daughter has never had a morning where she has expressed not wanting to go to daycare - she looks forward to it everyday! I would too if I were loved on all day the same amount that she is! It makes me feel relieved knowing that I can count on my daughter being in a fun and safe learning and socializing environment more hours in the week than she gets to spend awake at home. She is already singing her ABCs, counting to 12, sharing nicely, listening (mostly;)), comments on the weather, says days of the week, knows her colors, etc... it's simply remarkable! I didn't teach her those skills, so I have to give Ms. JJ all of the credit! I also tend to run to Ms. JJ for first-time parenting advice. We have a wonderfully honest relationship, with very open communication, so I count on her to give me advice on some of the tough situations that you come across when becoming a parent. I cherish our relationship and the attention she gives my daughter very much! read more

Mini Steps Academy is simply the best! When I returned to work (after maternity leave) and needed to find care for my daughter, we agonized over the best decision as to who would take care of our daughter. Being a parent, I know, it's perhaps one of the hardest decisions. You want someone to love and care for your child, just as you would, while you are away. JJ (Mini Steps Academy) was the perfect choice. Her kind, loving, patient, sweet, nurturing care is unparalleled. Knowing my daughter was in her hands while we were working gave us such a sense of peace because we quickly realized how JJ treated every child as her own. My daughter was with JJ from age 3 months to 2.5years old. The only reason we left was because we moved. My daughter still asks for JJ to this day (she is now 3.5years old). We will always love JJ and consider her a part of our Family just as she took my daughter and made her feel a part of hers. read more