This review is so long overdue. I first brought my eldest daughter to this Kindercare back in 2018. She was 5 months old and I had to go back to work. I visited the center multiple times to make sure it was a good fit. From day one I felt very comfortable with the staff and trusted that they would take fantastic care of my sweet babe. I would receive updates in their portal which included: bottle feeding, naps, eventually food updates, and lots of sweet pictures. A couple years later I had my second daughter and she too came to stay with the Kindercare family. We recently "graduated" from Kindercare as my youngest is now 5 years old and in kindergarten. To say I miss them is an understatement. I got to know so many of the girls personally and miss the quick hellos in the morning. Over the years we have had the pleasure of getting to know Ms. Mala, Joanna, Leslie, Lorena, Michelle, Chloe...and so many more friendly faces. They provided love and support, safety and just the right amount of structure. I trusted them with both of my babies and I never regretted it read more

We absolutely love Rancho Carrillo KinderCare! Every teacher is kind, warm, and genuinely attentive to both of my children's unique needs and personalities. Several years ago, my older son, who has special needs, attended this center, and the staff went above and beyond to support him. They were patient, understanding, and always respectful of his limitations, which meant so much to our family. Now, my 2-year-old son--who has been here since he was just 4 months old--attends, and we continue to be so impressed with the care and attention he receives. The school offers wonderful playgrounds and a wide variety of activities that keep the kids engaged, learning, and growing every day. I truly wouldn't want to put my children anywhere else--the Rancho Carrillo team provides such a nurturing, supportive, and caring environment. We are deeply grateful for the dedication and love they show to every child! read more

Rancho Carrillo KinderCare - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We couldn't be happier with our experience here. From day one, the staff made our child feel safe, welcomed, and genuinely cared for. The teachers are patient, attentive, and truly invested in each child's development especially Ms. Joanna and Ms. Indira. The facility is always clean, organized, and secure, which gives us so much peace of mind. We've seen such positive growth in our child's social skills, communication, and confidence since enrolling. It's never easy leaving your little one in someone else's care, but this team makes it easier every single day. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a nurturing and trustworthy environment. read more

We absolutely loved Rancho Carrillo Children's Center! Both of my sons started here at just 4 months old (now 2.5 years and 14 months), and we truly couldn't have chosen a better place for them to grow and thrive. The teachers are incredibly warm, attentive, and genuinely care about each child. If you're searching for a place where your child will be loved and supported, this is it. read more

I'm super impressed with this facility. My 5-month-old son has been attending on a part-time basis, and every visit has been such a positive experience. The staff treats him so well, and I love receiving all the updates about the activities he's doing throughout the day. I've had great interactions with all of the care providers; Erin, Sophie, Wilma, and several others have been amazing (I apologize I can't remember all the names since we are newer). Michelle, the director, is also incredibly kind and attentive. Our only hesitation with enrolling full-time is the distance from our house, but otherwise, I wouldn't think twice about joining this center. The fact that it's in such a beautiful area is an added bonus...it feels like you're pulling up to a resort lol.. and when my son falls asleep in the car on the way there, I can take him for a short stroller walk before dropping him off so he can get some extra sleep. Super happy with the care here - I would definitely recommend this center to other parents! read more

I love Rancho Carrillo Kindercare! My first child started in the infant classroom 3.5 years ago, and as a new parent, I was grateful for the safe and caring environment. The staff clearly love their jobs and are invested in providing the best care. Now that baby #2 is almost here, I am grateful to have an enriching, safe environment to send both of my children for childcare. read more

Words cannot describe how special of a preschool this place is! From the moment I walked in and was greeted by their Director, Michelle, I knew this place was "the one" for my son. Michelle was very sweet and kind, super informative, and gave me a tour of their wonderful facility. Their tuition is very reasonable and healthy meals are provided, which is a huge plus for me. They are also flexible on drop off times (as long as it doesn't interrupt nap time) - which is very helpful for my situation as a single mom. My son and I are going through some difficult transitions in life right now, so being welcomed so lovingly by this facility and all the friendly teachers has really been a huge blessing. Their curriculum is very well-balanced between learning indoors and fun outdoors - and my kiddo really loves that. I have watched my son open up, make friends, and be EXCITED about going to school! It's really been a wonderful experience for my son and I, and I HIGHLY recommend this preschool!! read more

Initially I posted this glowing review of this facility. But after a year and 1/2 it has been nothing but problems. Within a couple months at this location I received a call from an Investigator asking me multiple questions on a phone call were the kids drinking enough water, etc. I answered very positively at the time for all of the questions. After taking this call and answering these questions I started noticing my son peed less at school and was constantly thirsty after school. I wrote it off as overthinking. All of a sudden, my son who was in preschool or daycare since 7 weeks and has always been the golden child and well behaved and the popular kid to his teachers and other students started having all of these behavioral issues at this school. Constant write ups from the teacher with aggressive behaviors out of nowhere and I end up having constant conversations with both Director and Teacher where they are telling me as little as possible about incident and how it happened but a lot about what my child did making him look bad. Director telling me I should be careful about how he is perceived essentially. My child would come home with random cuts or scratches with no explanation but they freely handed out incident reports. They will not take an responsibility as a school. I wanted to say many times, "Where was the teacher while this was happening?" Another issue I've been having with a school is due to their billing practices. As a parent who is part of a program that helps pay I was told by the director my program wasn't paying enough and she went into detail with me. And then things started making more and more sense. During COVID the last month they closed for 3 weeks in a row and I check in every week for my billing and it was completely messed up. But whenever you ask questions at the office the Assistant Director will never take responsibility. She tried to insinuate I had not been paying for weeks. I said "No, you had 3 weeks of closures." She didn't apologize kept going on. It is the habit of this school to be unapologetic about their behavior and always pay push it back on you as your fault. The more open dialogue you have with them the more they spin it against you. So due to try to figuring out "my program" where I essentially had a known target on my and my child's back because this is a money grubbing location and they try to push you out if they aren't making enough. Prior to me leaving my first review on here there were consistently mostly awful reviews. And after, I noticed more positive ones. I watched their business grow. Parents read reviews. As this locations business grew I noticed more and more subtle ways they were trying to push me out of the school since I was a program parent. So I receive a call yesterday. They will call you constantly to pick up your child. Seeing their name on a caller ID literally gives me anxiety. Michelle the Assistant Director calls to tell me after many in person conversations this week that my son cannot come on Valentines Day unless my bill is paid. We had discovered my program had gone up with the rate due to my hours of research with my program. Kindercare had only provided misinformation with no apology or accountability as per usual. I have to pay this money or his care is held hostage for a holiday. Even though we had conversations all week including the nite before and things were allegedly fine. I was planning to pay the new increase on the following Wednesday since they bill you in advance for a week of care on Friday. She told me I could call Lora their District Leader which I did immediately. I left her 4 Urgent messages. She took all day to respond and called me at 4pm. She had zero empathy and kept bringing up the rate for my program. We kept going around and around. There was zero explanation for all of the other issues with school and their billing. My main concern was my son missing Valentines Day. I hung up the phone with her with zero resolution. I picked up my son from school and he had pooed his pants at school for the 5th time this month. This has been a recurring issue in his Kindergarten classroom with Kindercare. When I asked him about it, he said," Momma, when we play outside they won't let us go inside to the bathroom so I go in my pants." I don't know why I didn't believe my child sooner. This is just a handful of the many issues I've had with this location and company which I won't go into all. I was trying to avoid leaving this review but I woke up to more billing errors being that it is a Saturday where they send your invoice and I just cannot remain silent any longer. This is a perfect child school and they only care about their bottom line so only enroll your child here if you have back up care because they will send your child home at the drop of a hat. And if your child tells you something is wrong despite what they the school tells you. Believe them and pull them immediately. read more

Rancho Carrillo KinderCare - A toddler "play pretend" watering the playground - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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My son entered his first school experience at KinderCare when I was pregnant with our second child. On my son's first day of care he was reprimanded for taking off his shoes and putting on his own sunscreen. My son was 3 years old at the time and takes his shoes off as a sign of respect. Additionally, when I picked him up he was crying because the sunscreen had gotten in his eyes. After 3 months of being in school for the first time and 3 years old he was graduated to the 5 year old classroom without my consent. In the 5 year old classroom I was told daily that my son was not capable of doing anything. This was said to me and he over heard the comments on multiple occasions. As time passed his sister was born and he started crying at school. The teacher would say he cried frequently and demonstrated some attention seeking behaviors. My son was constantly switched from classroom to classroom without my consent and I was informed he was a horrible listener. At the very end of my 8 months of care I felt incredibly dissatisfied and knew I would not take my daughter to this school. In addition, I witnessed the teacher physically grab my son by the arm and I was told I should look into an IEP. As a special education teacher with a master's in education I find this to not only be inappropriate but insulting as well. The teachers are overworked and they do not understand their students. Horrible care! If I could give this a 0 I would. read more

We were initially excited about this place but they were not proactive with their communications after our initial virtual tour. We got our names in the waitlist but there was still no response, so much so that we dropped in couple of times to check the status of admission and they sent us with the same response every time- No change. We never heard back from them, even after being on the waitlist for over a year, so we just went with another school. Not sure if this a BIPOC issue or something else but overall disappointed that it didn't work for us. It's not worth the hassle for sub par facilities. read more

Nothing but wonderful things to say about KinderCare Rancho Carrillo! My son is 10 months old and has been in infant room B for the past several months. He seems genuinely happy when we drop him off and pick him up each day. I love all of the activities they do, and the updates parents are sent through their app. There's a lot of arts and crafts, and the teachers are very hands-on. He has also been introduced to a lot of new solid foods. He's socializing with the other infants and hitting developmental milestones. Overall, I feel like he's in excellent, safe care. Unfortunately, my family is moving away so I've been looking for a new daycare options, and it's been very difficult to find another program we feel as confident and comfortable with. read more

I've been having on again off again issues with this center for the past year. The teachers my kiddos had we enjoyed and my youngest still attends. But their corporate office is a joke. Don't let the pretty words fool you this site is in no way DEI or Trauma informed trained. They're also not culturally competent and upper management has severe issues with implicit biases. They won't include you in necessary conversations they have about your child. They will label your child negatively once they get frustrated enough even if your child's behavior fits their age demographic. You can request meetings/check ins but they won't ever happen unless the site needs/wants to speak with you. Don't bother coming here if you're a BIPOC , single parent, or on a subsidy. Super unfortunate and disappointing because my kids loved it here. read more

This has been our child's second home for a year and it has been wonderful. My kiddo has learned so much! Such a loving, caring bunch of teachers and staff too. Would recommend to anyone. Thank you! read more

My son came here for Pre K, and I was thrilled with our experience. As a mother of two now school age children, we've been to multiple preschools and I found this one to be the best. They are flexible, full service and every person who works there was kind and clearly loves children. They serve breakfast, snack and lunch which is a great relief and also a wonderful way to expose your children to new foods while being encouraged by their peers. The little area this center is in is absolutely beautiful and with peacocks roaming around, it's quite magical feeling. With hours hours from 6:30am-6:30pm, it's hard to beat. You can come in at anytime within those hours. It feels secure and they do a good job keeping track of all the children. read more

Super organized. Somewhat institutional. I checked this out for a week using a groupon deal. I sent my 3 yr old daughter to preschool after negotiating with the admins for literally just under 3 months! After finally finding a week that was available, I was provided up to 50 hours of childcare-- sweet! (BTW, there was an additional $100 registration fee that's not mentioned in the deal) The facility is fairly large- it has 1 room for infants/toddlers and 4 for young preschoolers. There are also 3 open spaces for kids 4+ yrs old. Everything is super organized and clean. It's clear that the organizational processes are well developed and executed consistently. There are signs and classwork posted on the walls, along with pictures of the kids. The classwork seems to have an academic focus- much about the classification of animals and objects, along with some mathematics. Not much artwork. The center has several fenced outdoor play areas with grass and play structures. They are separated so that each class stays within one area. The teachers are very nice and made a point to talk to me when I came for drop off or pick up. Usually the kids were sitting at tables building legos or sitting on the carpet for storytime. The center provides breakfast at 9 and lunch at 11:30 and a snack at 3:00 so parents don't need to provide any food. There's a published meal schedule that is provided to parents each week. Compared to other preschools I have visited, (and my older daughters attended) it seems much more focused on efficiency and less focused on the development of the individual child. If you're looking for your kids to do lots of artwork and work on their fine motor skills and develop their creativity, you may not find much of that here. But if you want.kids coming home with clean clothes, this is the place. read more

Leo Carrillo KinderCare has been amazing during the pandemic. Our son has been attending preschool there since August 2020 and the staff and teachers have been wonderful. I haCe no concerns about him attending school there as they have kept the facility clean and consistent safety procedures in place. read more

When the pandemic hit and our current preschool for our 3 year old closed, we had to look elsewhere. We had heard good things about Rancho Carrillo and were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity for our child enroll at this facility. We couldn't be happier about our decision. The office staff (Leone and Michelle) are great to deal with. They are very responsive and always happy to communicate. The teachers (that we deal with) are great as well, and we feel that our son didn't miss a beat during this transition. He loves his teachers, friends, and the school itself. I would highly recommend Rancho Carrillo to anyone that is looking for a preschool. read more

I recently did a tour here, mainly because I live within blocks of this location and was really hoping this would be an option for us when we put our 2-year-old in daycare. This was my 3rd daycare facility that I toured but my first KinderCare location. My first impression of this Kindercare was not the most positive. The gal doing the tour was friendly enough but she was not very genuine. For me, selecting a daycare facility, I'm looking for them to be very personable, welcoming and provide a sense of ease to the parent. In addition to safety, class ratio, environment, teacher experience etc, these are some of the things that were important to us. The thing that initially struck me was she did not introduce herself to my daughter and only spoke to me. This immediately showed me that making my daughter comfortable was not her first priority, it was the parent -- and while that may work for some, I was more interested in how my daughter was treated and how comfortable she was made in the environment. Throughout the tour, she was pretty much ignored as if she was not there. In addition, I just thought the facilities needed a really good cleaning and was outdated. She mentioned they were going through an overhaul of the main open area -- but areas outside of that seemed to be in need of a deep cleaning as well. While the price point may be right for some, I think for us, spending the extra money for a better facility is money worth spent. I wish them the best but this environment did not seem like one my child could thrive- or be inspired in. read more

Both my children attended Rancho Carrillo Kindercare from 2019 and they loved all their teachers! During the school year of 2020-2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic started and the public school moved fully online, I had the opportunity to send my son for in-person Kindergarten, which did wonders to his socialization skills! The staff and administration create a safe family friendly environment for the kids. We also never had any billing issues of any sort. I am most grateful for their support during these difficult growth years before 1st grade. read more

Great providers. Our son loved going everyday and was completely smitten with the "teachers"/"instructors". That said, we left in November and still haven't been reimbursed for the funding they owe us. Despite multiple calls, emails, etc. Great location, good teachers but not worth the headache. read more

We have been attending this location for eight years, my first child started in the baby room at four months and went all the way through until pre-K. My second child started in the baby room at four months and is just about to finish pre-K as well. Both kids were/are more than prepared for the transition into kindergarten at an elementary school. All the staff has been incredible, supportive, will always listen to your concerns, and correct them as needed. I have always felt very comfortable and safe bringing my kids here. They are more than just a center, they have become very close friends and partners in helping raise our children. Very much recommend this specific location! read more

After doing many many different observations here I would NEVER send my children here. the teachers that I have seen here are very inattentive to the children in the classroom, and the teachers make the decisions for the children in the classroom. after all my child development classes and studies, I'm am pretty sure that children are people too and that even though they are at a young age, they are able to make their own decisions!!!! read more

Everyday my daughter begs to go to school ... even on weekends. She loves it and loves her friends there.

Do not take your kids to kindercare. It is dirty ( my kids got lice multiple times ) the "teachers" give off the impression they hate being there. And they stole money from my bank account multiple times. My kids cried everyday I dropped them off. read more

It took a long time and a lot of interviews before we settled on Kindercare. It is a very safe location in a high end Carlsbad neighborhood, but the thing we liked about it at first glance was that it was well kept, nicely maintained and secure. Now that our little guy has been in there for 6 months, he loves his class and his teachers. The teachers have made the transition very smooth for us and him, and they really care about the kids, and it shows. The classes are interesting, they are flexible with part time schedules, and they really know the kids by name. I take off one star because we continue to have billing issues with the corporate accounting making mistakes on our bill, but I don't blame the center itself for this. All in all, I highly recommend Kindercare La Costa, they are a great outfit and it's a huge step for me to leave my children in anyone's hands. They've earned it. read more

My daughter has been going to Kindercare San Marcos for 6 months now. I am an over protective parent and I am quite satisfied with what this place has to offer! So, here goes: The Good: I'll start off with the good. Ms Laura. If you are sending your baby to the infant room, watch out for Ms Laura. She has a natural flair with babies and they all LOVE her. The staff are friendly and accommodating. They work around your preferences and schedule. Good, friendly people you could safely leave your child with. The classrooms have a lot of toys and they try to bring in new things to keep the baby stimulated. The Bad: The bad i write her will probably apply to every corporate childcare center. Once the second half of the day begins, babies and teachers are swapped. Obviously, the intent here is to keep the teacher student ratios in order. This may or may not trigger some stranger anxiety in babies, as it did with mine. As the day draws to a close, children of all ages are put into one room for maintaining ratios. This means while your little baby is eating, her food may get picked at by older kids. The teachers are busy tending and talking to parents. Again, no place is as perfect as home. The center is as good as a daycare can get. read more

My son was here for only one month. He and I BOTH HATED IT. He cried every time I dropped him off and was crying most of the time when I picked him up. The kids there have dried snot of their faces and my son had dried sauce on his face from lunch which was 3 hrs prior to me picking him up. They say there's two teachers in the class most of the day but I only saw one overwhelmed teacher. The day I decided to take my son out was when i picked him up and he was bent over on his cot crying and in pain. I asked how long he had been crying for and the teacher, who was busy with potty time, said he just started. His blanket was SOAKED! He'd been crying for awhile. Poor guy was constipated! He was starving everything I picked him up. The teacher was nice but overwhelmed since she was alone with so many kids. My son now goes to Bright Horizons and we LOVE it there. read more

My son has gone here for a little over 6 months. He is in the toddler room and doing great. We moved him from another school that my wife was unhappy with and so far we have no complaints. read more

Very impressed by this facility! The Director, Katrina Greene and the teachers, Ms. Coral and Ms. Abbie have been amazing. My daughter loves them. They made an extra effort to make her feel comfortable and really seem to care about her. My daughter comes home singing new songs that she learned that day and talks about all her new friends. The daily report is very specific and really tells me exactly what happened that day. I was very hesitant about taking my child to a full on daycare, but this facility seems like a family that happens to be very educational and organized. Thanks Kindercare for making going back to work after my second baby, so much easier! We love it there so much that we are going to start our infant there as soon as we need to. read more

Decided to bring my baby here and was worried since it was his first time at a daycare. He loves it! Every time I pick him up he's happy and smiling. I also really likeMs. Erin in the infant room she does a good job making sure he is having fun. I really like seeing all the activities they do as well. read more

My son has attended this school for about 6 months and he just loves it. His teacher is so good with him and the other kids. She really has been a terrific influence on him. The front staff is always very friendly and knows what my kid has been up to. They obviously watch over the classrooms. Parents get a written report every day that tells what your kid ate, learned, played with, and how they slept at nap time. We love that it is a peanut-free school, as my guy has allergies. The school always looks very clean, and the children are taught to wash hands properly and often. I would highly recommend this location. read more

We've been sending my 22 month old son here for a month, and are pretty happy with everything. We came to kindercare because our previous day care had to close due to a knee surgery. Carillo Kindercare sends home a daily report with details of his day, including when/what he's eaten and his diaper report. He has never come home with a diaper rash, seems to be content when we pick him up, and overall, I feel that he's in a safe spot. Yes, it's definitely more institutional than what we're used to (we sent him to a tiny home day care), but there are definitely positives to it - more than one person responsible (i think there's a 4 to 1 child/teacher ratio), several parents coming and going throughout the day, very little time off (main holidays only), great hours (6:30-6:30), activities (arts/crafts) with the kids, etc. They have a set meal plan and accommodate for food allergies. You do have to pay per week even if you're only using a day or two, but that's going to be the case with most day cares. Altogether, my husband and I feel that we made the right choice in terms of care for our son and this few months gap of no care at our previous home daycare. read more

KinderCare has made huge improvements since my last experience working there. Walls have been painted, rooms are looking more organized and staff who love to teach are there because they've want to be. My daughter is 2 and loves her teachers. I can tell she's been busy because of the paint on her clothes and hair. She does art everyday and is singing songs. She comes home with a new song everyday and I enjoy listening to what she did that day. KinderCare is a blessing and I am excited for the future for my child. read more

My child attended this preschool for almost a year and for a while we have been disappointed with the lack of structure in the classroom and the inconsistencies with how their "teachers" handle discipline. They clearly don't follow what their website says they claim to do. We have since pulled our child and have found happiness in a much nicer preschool with real teachers who have early education training. I was also shocked to see so many teachers showing up looking very unkempt which I think says a lot about how they see their the pride they take in their job. The director is also all about corporate policies and too worried about having any kind of liability issues instead of working with children and teaching socialization. Look somewhere else for your preschool needs! read more

Disorganized management with little or no communication to parents. Rules vary depending on who you talk to. The teachers do not watch the children. If you want your child to come home with scraps and bumps and bad diaper rashes then this is the place for you. No really do not send your child here. Staff changes all the time including upper management. read more

Both of my kids have been going here for years and both have had nothing but excellent teachers, a caring and friendly management team.