Let me preface this review by saying I am a parent that is fully aware of my child's strengths and weaknesses. I do not live with blinders on and I am not one to think my child is perfect. With this being said, my child has always been on a schedule at home, is a great sleeper, and has always slept in her own safe sleep space since the day she has been born. I have strict rules at home and my child is very well behaved for the most part. Of course every child has their moments. Now...the only reason I give this daycare a 1 star is because I genuinely felt that my daughter was safe and PHYSICALLY well cared for here. However, Michelle the day care owner is a money monger. They are purely motivated by this alone. They do not care about the person or child and there is no empathy or flexibility. My child went to this day care for two years. The owners two daughters are the people caring for the children during the day. They will expect your child to fall in line with their schedule immediately. If your child does not they will send aggressive and condescending messages that make you feel threatened they will kick your child out leaving you with no care. They expect children to be robots. If they have a bad day and do not follow the rules you will receive texts that are very dramatic when children are engaging in developmentally appropriate behaviors. A very rare instance occurred where my daughter got into cleaning supplies when in the bathroom. I was sent an aggressive text regarding this. When in reality my child should never be left unattended and cleaning supplies should never be accessible by the children. That could poison a child and send them to the hospital. Michelle stated that potty training was included in tuition and getting them to do it was like pulling teeth. My daughter was fully ready for many months and they kept claiming she was not. They expect a child potty training to never have an accident and discuss how it is a sanitation issue. ANY day care will have children with accidents at times. For them this was a huge problem and I kept having to advocate for them to do it. Eventually they had no choice. Michelle also told me they do not use screens at this daycare which is another reason I selected them. Myself and other parents found out they use screens quite often and try to hide this. They also close unannounced at times due to low attendance which is not the problem of the paying parents. Michelle will send one parent a text with an excuse then a different parent another excuse. She will refund the day for one parent and not refund it for another. The parents started to connect and realize this and many families left. I could not as I am a single mother with limited local support. I chose to stay as I knew my child would be starting TK soon. They feed a poor diet of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and canned vegetables. They serve unhealthy snacks such as gold fish and Nilla wafers. It is the same thing almost every single day. When I approached Michelle about this she told me I could bring my own food. I'm paying you $375 a week and you cant feed my child a protein or fresh vegetable at each meal? They care solely about making a profit. In the two years my daughter attended I never missed a payment, I was never late to pick up, and I always dropped off later than other children and picked up an hour before they closed. I participated in any holiday and sent baked goods and treats for the kids whenever asked. On my child's last week at that daycare she still made me pay for days she was not attending that week knowing I'm a single mother. Michelle couldn't even be flexible on ONE day and still made me pay her the tuition when my daughter was never going there again. On our last day there after two years they did not say one word to me. They never thanked me for my business and were so unkind. They are not customer service people and have zero empathy. Will your child be safe here? Yes. Will they treat you and your child with compassion and work to help your child thrive? NO Just look at their reviews here. They all mostly say the same things I am saying about money and lack of care for people. I have plenty of text exchanges I would be happy to share with any parent considering sending their child here. You will get way more for your money elsewhere. Other day cares have better hours and are not closed as much as this day care. They also have 3 dogs and one dog is huge. They allow them in the entry way of the home when the kids walk in and out which is extremely dangerous. Stay away from this daycare and save yourself the lack of compassion and subpar service. If you need any more convincing that this place is a joke only looking for a profit, go take a look at their "website". read more

The one star is for Michelle actually taking care of my son. I wish I would have done my research a little better before bringing him here. I will say Michelle is extremely money hungry and does not sympathize with any parent. As far as watching over my son she did a good job I suppose. However, my partner and I started having second thoughts about this place once she charged us a late fee of $10 a day on a miscommunication on her end. We ended up paying $50 on top of what were paying her already. We were upset that she could not waive the fee and felt it was not right. SHE failed to mention that we had agreed on a biweekly payment and was demanding us to pay her for the week. Both my partner and I get paid every 2 weeks. Another issue we had was the formula we provided for our son. I had given her a new tub of formula for the week and was asked for another one a week later.. we don't understand how she could have ran through that tub in a week when at home it takes us 2 weeks for him to finish. Lastly, her prices for her daycare recently increased. My son is 6 months and we were paying a good penny to keep bringing him there. He was only there 4-5 weeks and suddenly the $100 increase was mentioned. Because we're a low income family unfortunately we could not meet those expectations. She mentioned other daycares nearby were charging the similar price increase which was false because we found a nearby daycare charging a price similar to her original price. I would just like to share my experience with other families. read more

I am very happy with the daycare so far. I bring my toddler and infant . She is very good with making sure kids are not sick and she always checks their temperature . My kids are picked up and they seem happy & clean. My daughter loves the toys because Michelle sometimes sends me photos of the kids in the day. Michelle always makes sure my daughters hair looks cute. Michelle from what i see is very sweet to my baby. The staff is friendly and i am happy to have my kids be in Michelle and the other staffs hands read more

Palace Day Care - My daughter loves dolls - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - San Jose, California

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I won't disagree that this place provides good care for babies and toddlers. I can see that. My low review is for how the business owner runs her business and to warn other parents about what can happen. My 6 months old attended Palace Day Care for 2-3 weeks. We decided on this place because of they said they had availability for the two days we asked for. Then, I get a text message from the owner two weeks after our baby has been attending that she no longer has room for our baby and can only accommodate for another week. Her excuse was that she could not get another parent to switch her schedule. I do not understand why she would commit to two days that she couldn't commit to in the first place. What really shocked me was when I asked for the $75 registration fee back. She replied that it was nonrefundable and will be waived if we sign up again. She did not offer any explanation if the money was used for something else with the county that we as parents are not aware of (I asked with no answer from her). I am unsure why we would sign back again if you quit on us the first time. I understand that is nonrefundable, but should the customer eat the cost if it is the business owner who rescinds on the contract on the first place? Just wondering... Anyhow, if this is how she wants to run her business, parents on yelp should know about it. read more

Palace Day Care - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - San Jose, California

Coming here to share my families experience with Palace daycare and the owner, Michelle. We trusted Michelle to take care of our two kids for years, never once having a concern about the level of care. Michelle has a passion for child care, and I really appreciated her willingness to help guide our kids to make good decisions and be thoughtful in their actions. Michelle was always clear and direct with her communication, as well as open to discuss any concerns, issues or thoughts we had. I appreciated her style and felt that she was always genuine. Pricing was VERY reasonable, especially for the level of care and service provided. I never experienced anything close to what others are saying in these other reviews. I often recommended Michelle and the Palace day care to any friends, neighbors or work colleagues that were having babies. read more

I wish I trusted my gut. Michelle may provide good care, but she is a shady business owner. I contacted them and was told that they had a spot available for my child. After going through the whole tour, I was told that there actually wasn't a spot, but one might come soon based on a parent moving. She would let me know that Friday. On Friday, she contacted me. The spot was open, but it had been promised to someone else but they would have one in the fall. So we searched for days and were about to commit to somewhere else when she called and said there is a spot now open but that we had to take it immediately. There would no longer be a spot for us if we stay with the new person we found. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, but I decided to ignore my gut because it was recommended by a friend. We filled out the paperwork and jumped through her hoops (The list of items you are required to provide to her is really long). Again, I was taken aback because I paid the $75 registration fee as listed on the contract. I received a text that the fee was $80. When I pointed out the contract said differently, radio silence. I decided to pay the additional $5 because she came recommended but it was a negative interaction again. I was really trying to separate the owner as a person with the owner as a caregiver. My daughter seemed happy there even though I was not. My daughter was there for a week. I got three reports. Day 1, things were great. I thanked her, knowing that she doesn't nap well (which we warned her about). What followed were a series of condescending texts about things I should do as a parent to solve the issue. The advice wasn't the problem, but the tone was off putting. Day 3, I was told she had a hard time going down for a nap. Day 5, I received a text that my infant daughter had a bad day, as infants do at times. I apologized but there was not much I could do as you can't have a sit down chat with an infant. The afternoon before we were supposed to return, I received a text that it wasn't working out and that she wasn't fitting her schedule and that we no longer had a place there. Keep in mind that this was 1 week into 2 weeks we pre-paid. After a few texts, I was told that she was contractually obligated to give us two weeks notice so we could keep her there, but we would get a refund for the final week and our registration fee back if we left immediately (and who would send their child somewhere they are not wanted?). So, with no notice, we were searching again. This time, I would try to find someone that I felt good about giving my money to. We went to pick up our items. I noticed that she didn't return the wipes we provided. I texted inquiring about them and was told they were all used up (a pack of 72 wipes was used up with 13 diapers?!) but that she would pay us back for them if we were "in need". She also took that moment to let me know that, since we were no longer in contract that I had no right to contact her or go there to get the wipes. The next day, she sent me a screenshot of the Venmo filled out for the money she was going to send me for the wipes but never hit send. I can tell you that I think your child would be cared for. But I will also warn you that I don't believe her shrewd and unscrupulous business savvy is worth the care you will get. read more

Palace Day Care - $75 enrollment fee in contract but I was told it was $80 - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - San Jose, California

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Our kids attended Palace Daycare for 4 years, with one of our children attended as an infant. Michelle and her staff took wonderful care of our kids and provided a stable, caring, and educational environment for them. It was the best feeling for my husband and I to be able to go to work with not having to worry about their well being and know that they were safe in her hands. Michelle also has a very stable and ongoing group of kids that attend that daycare, so your children will be able to build relationships over time with the others they attend with. This was something that was really important to me. Michelle throws fun parties, has great food (I'd be told at home "can you make it how Michelle makes it?"), and her daycare is exceptionally clean. Michelle has her heart in her business. I am extremely confused by the negative reviews by disgruntled parents on this page. They are unnecessary and completely untrue. I will continue to refer all of my friends and family to Palace Daycare as I always have been. read more

My daughter loves coming to her daycare, once she knows we are close by she gets so excited and tries to run to the door. She'll give them a hug when they first see her. I also like that I get updates or pictures on how she's doing. read more

Michelle was the best thing that ever happened to us. After going through 2 daycare providers we found her and never looked back. She watched all 3 of my children ages 2 and up. She even took my school age children in the summer with no hesitation. I found her rates to be extremely fair and below market. She created a safe place for my children and I never felt uncomfortable leaving my children with her. My youngest is now 10 and I still refer Michelle out. Cannot say enough how much we valued her and highly recommend her to any family. read more

My daughter loves Michelle, you should see the smile on my daughter's face when I drop her off. I know Michelle is taking care of my daughter as if its her daughter. Sometimes my daughter cries not wanting to leave. This daycare gives me the peace of mind knowing my daughter is being well taken care of. Thank you Michelle for your hard work and dedication to our kids. read more

This daycare is shady for sure. They extract money that's all. My kid used to be hungry and the owner didn't let him sleep during nap time. Please if you love your kid then this place is not a safe daycare. read more

After her first day Michelle said my daughter had one of the best days for a kid her age, 16 months. After only 4 more days of care Michelle dropped us because she said our daughter wasn't fitting in to their schedule. Michelle sent us a text on Super Bowl Sunday saying she dropped our daughter after only 5 days. It went from great to kicked out that fast for a 1 year old child. We're heartbroken, stunned, confused, and angry. Our daughter didn't deserve to be treated this way and it makes me sad. read more

Palace Day Care - My daughter is a good baby. - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - San Jose, California

We enrolled our son at Palace when he was ~15 months old, prior to that he had been looked after by a nanny with little exposure to other children his age. We found Palace Daycare on Craigslist and were able to easily get in touch with Michelle. We scheduled our initial phone interview followed by an in-person interview a week or so later. Michelle was very transparent throughout the whole process of all the required fees/deposits, forms, and next steps. Moreover, she was very honest with us about how she runs her business, she openly addressed the questionable reviews that she had received on Yelp and other sites, and she was up front about her care/discipline style and what she expects from children and parents. We valued her direct-ness and felt very comfortable with how to expect she would care for our son. During the initial 2-week trial period, the transition was tough for our son (as to be expected) as he worked to adapt to a new schedule and napping with other children and distractions. But after about a week and a half and working closely with Michelle to help make adjustments where needed, he was clearly thriving and we began to see improvements in his demeanor and development on a weekly basis. Flash forward 8 months later, "Shell", "Phia", and "Lena" (as my son lovingly refers to them) have been absolutely wonderful every step of the way. My son always leaves at the end of the day with a big smile on his face and, in case it matters, he has never come home with a diaper rash! The pricing that was set for us when we started in January 2022 was comparable to other in-home daycares we interviewed in the area. Moreover, the annual schedule was always available on Michelle's front door reflecting the dates that the daycare would be closed so that we could make other arrangements. As for sicknesses/COVID testing, Michelle has remained very vigilant of local policies around masking and always errs on the side of caution to ensure that if anyone has been traveling, they need to have a negative test before returning to daycare. Moreover, if there are any early signs of sickness (fever, rash, cough/runny nose), she stays in close contact with us, especially if she feels we need to pick up our son earlier than normal. We appreciate all her efforts to keep all the children safe from illness as much as possible. At the end of the day, we chose Michelle & Palace Daycare because of the care that Michelle and her daughters showed to the children, the loving environment that they created in their home, and ultimately the positive development we continue to see in our son as an almost 2-year-old! They are patient and willing to be resilient in caring for our son, especially in the times when he is just having a tough day with "terrible two's"! Thank you so much Sophia, Selena, and Michelle for taking such great care of our son over the last 8 months, we appreciate you more than you could ever know! read more

I found Michelle and Palace Day Care via referral from a friend. I am so grateful. Michelle and her staff are absolutely wonderful and did an amazing job at helping to teach and raise my daughter and son from the youngest age possible until it was time for them to move on to school. My kids got along very well with the others and all of us parents got along as well. Michelle runs a schedule as if the kids were in school. I like that. She also has rules to follow. I like that, too. I've been to day care centers that just turn on the television and let the kids run around and do random activities. You won't find that here. She feeds the kids quality meals and healthy snacks. They do projects and activities and have festive celebrations for holidays and birthdays. They have music and dance time, and sometimes have the kids do shows for the parents. It's really fun! Even prior to the pandemic, they kept the place very clean and were great about keeping me informed about how my kids were doing. I highly recommend Palace Day Care. I've referred others to them and all have thanked me immensely. read more

I took my girls to Michelle from a recommendation of a close friend. I am so glad we got the recommendation as she took great care of my girls and my girls felt extremely comfortable in the environment. Its a home daycare will a small class environment that makes it feel like a family member is taking care of your kids. My daughters grew a great loving relationship with all employees and I recommend it to anyone that asks. read more