We are very happy at Starlite. The facility is safe, clean and well organized. Meals and snacks are provided in school. The school schedule is 7:30am - 6pm which is very accommodating to us as working parents. Teachers are very loving and supportive in helping kids developing social skills. My kids made very good friends in school and had so much fun to learn and to grow with them. Kids also like to celebrate holidays and birthdays in school with teachers and friends. Thank you Starlite and all teachers! read more

Kinda chinatown, but that makes me like it even more. My daughter has been going here for the past seven months and loves it. She started at 2 years old and definitely has benefited from the group play and learning environment. She comes home teaching us new songs. They do art projects and are regularly learning. They integrate chinese into the lessons too. They sometimes learn chinese songs and phrases. My daughter came home telling me to "fideeya color!" which means "hurry color" in cantonese. She also now pronounces many of her words with a chinese accent: "pur-poh" (purple) and "Ah-sha-lee" (Ashley). I'm sure she'll be fine as she gets older. They prepare food for your kids and teach them to potty train and all that. They can sometimes seem a little strict, requiring them to be in lines and sit still to do their work, but it doesn't seem to bother the kids. My daughter always gives her teacher a big hug when she leaves. The most Chinatown aspect about this school is that they are a great deal. I've never heard of a preschool that is this affordable. Of course, I think this is one of the reasons they have a long wait list. read more

I am very impressed with the quality of the care here. The staff are highly motivated and take the extra effort to make the children's experience optimal. I highly recommend this center. read more

This review is for Starlite's sister school, the East Bay Academy at 1011 Seventh Ave. I like it. It's clean, they keep Junior fed and occupied with wholesome activities, and it's packed with cute, active kids who seem to be having a great time. My only gripe is that English is not the first language of most of the teachers, so they speak *very * heavily accented English. My 3-year-old came home this week insisting that "J" is pronounced "zay." read more

Wonderful staff and i love the hours of operation. They open at 7:30 and the latest pickup time is 6:00, which works out perfectly with my work schedule. Not sure how they did it, but my then 4 year old learned to read while he was at Starlite. We didn't have to potty train, because Starlite took care of it. My younger one is currently going there and he loves the teachers. I always recommend Starlite to my friends and coworkers. Another plus is that their service is affordable. Food included and peanut free zone. So one less worry for me while i am at work. Thank you, Teacher Gee and Team. You all rock!!! read more

My daughter loves attending Starlite. She's learning so much everyday! The teachers are so friendly and sweet towards my daughter.

Great Pre-school /K and great set of teachers. My Daughter Winter loved attending. She started during COVID right around July of 2020. They followed all the protocols that the CDC had in place and my Wife and I really appreciated them. read more

My son has been attending Starlite for a couple years, and he loves it there, but unfortunately he will be heading to join our city's elementary school. We were referred by a friend who loved Starlite but her son got older too as well. Starlite has always been great with my son, from accommodating him when he was potty training, to his pickiness in eating, and to his constant love of wearing his baseball hat (Which he never takes off). I can't thank Starlite enough for teaching my son to read, write his name, and in learning to inform you when he does things and just so many other things. The school is structured and we loved that. We will miss Starlite and their teachers and Ms. Gee. I have referred a couple of friends already and will consider the school for my toddler. Thank you so much for taking care of my son and we hope to stay in touch. Jessica Y. read more

Switching my son to Starlite from Castro Valley was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Pros: 1- Best value in the Bay Area for daycare hands down no arguments. 7:30am -6pm drop off with breakfast/lunch included. Wow! Price is less than HALF of competitors. 2. You can pick up and drop off your child anytime during their normal hours of operation. Very convenient for people who need to beat traffic or work non standard hours. 3. Great student to teacher ratio (around 8) 4. The school is super safe and has an indoor playground that's secured. 5. Extremely diverse with kids from all corners of the world. 6. All meals, drinks and snacks are included and they can also potty train your kids if needed. 7. All the teachers and staff are super friendly as long as you follow the rules! I saw some bad reviews that mentioned being charged for not signing in and out your child... ummm you are parents, follow the rules for your kids safety!!! LOL I can only imagine what type of parents they are. Cons: 1. Too far from my house (personal issue) 2. Parking can be a nightmare during busy pickup and drop off 3. Communications with some of the teachers can be a little challenging, but they are always really sweet and we always manage to get the message across lol Finally, for the price they charge you, I can overlook some of the small inconveniences.The parents that nitpick every little thing have champagne taste with a beer budget. All I expect of any daycare is to make my child happy, safe and well fed, which Starlite did and then some. My son loved his teachers and was never bullied or mistreated in the 3 yrs he was there. He actually misses school since Covid started. read more

1 Star Rating: Owners operates with very low integrity. They have really poor business model and had a faulty wait-list. Depending on the race of your children the wait list can be months away or available immediately. Also on my tour some of the toddlers were seen sitting there in dirt and snots all over their face and the teachers never bother wiping them. This tells you the kids are free to spread their germs everywhere. unless you are desperate, you pay for what you get here. is Quantity vs. Quality. Don't you feel your kids deserve better? Just saying... read more

Very similar to its sister pre-school East Bay Academy (EBA). Our daughter Loretta is going to Transitional Kindergarten after attending EBA. She likes it quite a lot, although there is a lot of homework, more than her older cousing who is in regular Kindergarten at OUSD. Pluses: - Inexpensive - Structured - Multilingual & multiracial - Caring staff who love children - Academically oriented transitional Kindergarten - Excellent playground Minuses: - Perhaps a bit too structured - Communication not the best as most of the staff are Cantonese native speakers - Want cash as part of monthly payment read more

My daughter attends kindergarten here, and the transition from preschool at the sister school East Bay Academy was painless due to the familiarity caused by considerable overlap of teachers between the two schools. The day is structured with planned activities every day following roughly the same schedule. the school is very academic. My niece is in public school, and the course work and academic expectations are much harder at Starlite. I worried that it was much too hard, but my daughter assures me she is having fun, and she is always enthusiastic about going to school. read more

Starlite Child Development Center - Entry - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Oakland, California

My children graduated from this school several years ago and I recently enrolled my nephew. They graduate about 100 students every year and so I'm bit surprised with how few reviews this school gets! With that being said, the general consensus of these 15 reviews do not do the school justice. It's unsettling to see 1. how people are so quick to write negative reviews yet don't take the time to praise the establishment 2. how well the families know their children have been taken care of but use a single negative event to judge their entire experience. I've had positive experiences here, but that's not to say I didn't get unhappy when I was charged a $25.00 fee for not signing out, or I had to pay late fees when I lost track of dates for tuition payment. The children are healthy and happy here! The teachers are vigilant in keeping your kids safe, although that's not to say there won't be accidents of course. The teachers work hard to prepare arts and crafts applicable for that specific weekly topics, there are academic worksheets sent home, bilingual (mandarin) lessons being taught, and potty training/meals! To respond to one of the reveiws that blatantly demeans some of the teachers for not speaking "perfect" english, this is a bilingual school that focuses on a emergent program where the teacher speaks their native tongue. This is not something to bash about, instead we should celebrate the diversity and the yearning that new families have to appreciate and learn and a new language. What I've noticed is that hard work that the staff put in to preparing our children for kindergarten. I was such a nervous new parent and the administrator had to give me a gentle push, tough love really, in order for me to learn to let my child grow independently. I rememeber that I wanted to ask the teachers so many questions during pick up, but the administrator told me it was best to call during their nap time. At the time I didn't understand that she was looking out for the school as a whole and not just my child. She had a reason to ask me to talk at a different time, and that was because the teacher's needed to keep their supervision on the kids. I just attended their Halloween parade a month ago, and to see the teachers working so hard for our children made me so appreciative of all that they do. The planning that goes into each and every craft and activity, and how inclusive the program makes my family feel is appreciated. My children had such a wonderful experience here, and my new student nephew still cries every now and then when I drop him off, but I know that he is safe and is cared for. Thank you all so much. read more

I think the caring staff is what keeps us coming back year after year. My son started at the sister school, Eastbay Academy when he was 3 and a half at preschool. He went to Kindergarten at Starlite and have been back for their summer program for the last six years. read more

My oldest son was enrolled here from 2011-2013 and although we both cried on our first day (new Mom first time enrolling him in any type of childcare lol) it was an AWESOME school! We learned lots and had a great time there. He loved all his teachers and the Christmas performances are so cute to watch. We are now enrolling our 2nd child into this school and can't be happier about our decision. I love that they celebrate ALL holidays so kids get a great understanding for diversity! read more

This school is under the same umbrella as EastBay Academy. All I can say is, as a mom with lots of Daycare experience..One must keep it real so other moms can be careful and wise about this big decision on where they put their kids. DON'T trust your kids with these people! The school overall is poorly structure, is dirty, kids running around with snouts all over their faces spreading germs to everyone else, the teachers all have fixed mindset, the directors uses unethical business practice, and they have this fake waitlist! Young or Junior Teacher Wong is controlled by her Dad (John) at the other school. Wong & John =Wrong! Don't take your kids here, your money will be wasted. And your kids will be miserable! I would give it 0 star if there is an option. Pay a little more money for a better respectful and Clean daycare with High integrity elsewhere seriously!! read more

Starlite and Eastbay is a great asset to the community. Affordable and reliable daycare is really hard to find. They also teach the kids Cantonese which I appreciate. The hours are also great for working parents who need to drop off earlier and pick up a little later. The location is convenient for our needs also. read more

I am an ex-Parent of Starlite CDC on 14th Street location ( 2016-2017) and also a community member of Chinatown. The information below was passed to me by teachers previously and currently employed at Starlite. Parents please be aware that there were a few "substantiated" cases of abuse/bullying and other serious issues at this facility. Please contact the local licensing office to check for these issues before enrolling. The teacher that was abusing kids was still not fired for a reason I have no idea. After licensing confirmed the teachers abuse to child, the school must notify all parents by sending a note home and must be signed and returned to facility but no such notification was distributed. Administrator (Jennifer) is nice and friendly enough but discourage the teachers from speaking to parents. That should have been a red flag for me but I had no idea it was that bad. Staff is like a revolving door there. I see the same teachers at other schools and aren't surprised when I mention how bad Starlite is... Starlite REQUIRES a $100 CASH payment along with each months tuition. When I asked why I have to pay cash they say "its just what we do". (Tell that to the Franchise Tax Board.) Meals - there are over 100 kids at this facility and I always wondered how they kept the tuition so low yet include breakfast, snacks and lunch for the all the kids. Here's how: Not all kids are there for breakfast and they only serve generic bulk cereal. Lunch - one class of 20 will split one costco chicken ($5). Finally snack, this is the worst part, they will collect/hoard all the Halloween candy that they asks the parents to buy and they say they will distribute but they slowly distribute CANDY THROUGH THE ENTIRE YEAR! Teachers - Some of them either do not have all their ECE credits or have not taken courses at all. Licsening also substantiated this. Starlite mostly hires immigrants that are not familiar with labor or employment laws and/or too afraid to speak up against their employers wrongdoings. I spoke to 2 teachers that were fired because they were pregnant. School work and outside time- when students are unable to do their work, the teachers finish it for them and send it home. Sadly, I had to throw all of my child's "work" away because I didn't even know if he did it or not. they also make the kids walk around the yard with their hands behind their backs like prisoners. read more

We live in Jack London Square and our son attends kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary. We both work full-time and wanted a more contained after school program than the Park District's. Starlite had the mix of care, education, and fun that we were looking for. Starlite picks him up at his kindergarten classroom, feeds him a snack, helps him with his homework, has a playground in their courtyard, and has enrichment activities. He is learning some Mandarin, although not as much as in an immersion program, and has additional time learning the basics of a computer. For art today, they made pinwheels by folding the paper, no cutting. We are very happy with our choice for him, and more importantly he enjoys it there. By the way, to the parent complaining about the missing signature? $25 is what the state licensing fines the school for each missed signature! It is a safety issue and is very important in cases of contested custody, etc. read more

Very unprofessional, my son has been going here for awhile, and so far his experience has been horrible, he has told that the food is sometimes cold and that sometimes some kids don't even get. This place isn't worth the money or time.but most recently he even told of kids being bullied, but the teachers don't seem to care nor shown signs of helping the kids. read more

I don't understand some of these reviews written here. My experience with Starlite has been great. Two of my nieces went here, my oldest daughter and youngest daughter both attended and graduated from here. I give all the staffs here much kudos. God bless these people for willing and to take my children and teach them something for eight hours. To be honest, I'm not willing to take my own children and teach them for 8 hours, I don't even want to be with them for 8 hours. These people are Saints!!! They should be thanks for creating an environment of safe and a fun place for learning. I just wanted to take a moment to thank them for being such wonderful educators. In their classrooms my girls have learned a lot. One day I know my girls will look back and remember what a great place Starlite is. I know everyone here did the best job they could and they will always have a special place in my girl's heart, and my family and I deepest appreciations for all the years of care and teaching. read more

It not a bad daycare when first enrolled my kid there, but don't really trust the teacher there, because when I raised a question, no one seem to know the answer when my kid is injured. One time my child sprang her arm and the teacher told me my kid slept on top of the hand because lack of blood circulation. If it's the fact then the kid should be fine after awhile, but my child would be in pain when trying to lift the hand which lasted 2 days. So I asked my child, and my child told me she fell when playing outside, and when confronted the teacher that I want to see the injured log, nothing is on there. Therefore, I know the teacher can't keep track of the children activities when they out playing. And yes, it true that they charge parent $25 for missing their signature log sheet and a late fee after the 5th days of the month, it counted as calendar day as it should be count as 5 business days. And also true that the owner have a dog which she bring to the center sometime, it would be a scene to remember if that dog bite my child. Another thing, the lunch menu doesn't ever change, it the same stuff week after week. My advice is that if your child ever get hurt, ask the child how it happen and keep track of the incident, if getting you the same run around make your complaint to the Community Care Licensing (CCL) here in Oakland at 510-286-4201. read more

My children and my co-woker's children love it here! I feel comfortable with the clean and safe environment. Parking is a little tough, but as far as academics, right on point. The outdoors is big and our little guys just love it. ALSO, just a friendly note: It is a parent's responsibility to thoroughly understand what kind of facility they are putting their child in. It is very obvious that Starlite is a BILINGUAL SCHOOL. Although not one school is right for everyone, for the parent who complained that classes are not held in "English all day" - well, it shouldn't be! Bilingual = two if not more languages. And my son is not Asian too, but I love the fact that he is in a setting where he can learn a new language - something I can't teach at home. So instead of taking the time to complain on yelp, take the time to research the school before enrolling your child! :-) As for the director, UNCLE JOHN IS THE SHI*T!! Very friendly, open, and just an awesome male role model for the little guys. Thanks: Alex, Flora, Damian, and Ethan loves what you guys do! read more

I had been researching child care options for my 2 year old and I haven't started or made any decisions yet, so i can't speak to the programs or the staff or anything else. But, first of all, my first tour went fine, although i felt a bit rushed. Then when I went to submit my application and deposit, I'm told to come back later because the director/ supervisor went to lunch. No, I did not have an appointment scheduled, but no one else can take my check and application? Also, at the time I took my tour and place my deposit and application, they neglected to tell me there was a waitlist. They suggested I enroll in their other site after the fact. All that being said, I enrolled at the East Bay Academy (their other site since I had no choice at that point) the staff treated my child well, the price was right, and the facilities were clean. There definitely could be better communication with parents, but I did not feel it was too much of an issue (but I speak Cantonese, so I think that helped a bit). But administration felt a bit shady to me. read more

This preschool was really great for my daughter. We enrolled our daughter for one year (2-3 years old, 2019/2020). We only stopped going because we moved away from the area, but I would send her there again in a heartbeat. It is a really good value - 7:30am-6pm in downtown Oakland with breakfast/lunch included for half what I saw other preschools were charging. I was also impressed with how they handled the COVID pandemic - they were very organized and kept consistent protocols and cleaned the school (including walls) every day, didn't let adults in, and staff wore masks etc. I felt very safe bringing my child there. The school is also has a secured indoor playground that you can't access from the street, which felt safe in an urban area. It's true there is a fee for forgetting to sign in/out your child, but it's for safety reasons so that shouldn't be a deterrent. They also did a good job with potty training - it was done within a week! My daughter was happy there and made friends, and she really misses it now. They also have a great Christmas show where the students sing and dance. It was the highlight of the first year, and not many preschools offer that. Overall, this would be a good choice for anyone looking for affordable childcare. read more

When we toured the facility the director (Jennifer) was extremely excited to have our child. By the third week, she complained that he wasn't adjusting to the structure very well which was off-putting to me, seeing as he came from a structured, group play environment. She encouraged me to place him in the school down the street (Little Stars) explaining he would enjoy it better because she felt their facility was "too structured". We agreed to think about it, allow my son more time to adjust (he had only been there 3 weeks) & left it at that. A week later I got a letter stating that my sons care would be terminated in 14 days from the agency we found Starlite though & when I called & inquired what was going on, Jennifer tells me that their facility doesn't have to send documentation to explain why they choose to terminate care. Needless to say, I am beyond livid about my experience here. Oh, & let me not forget to add that she is the only fluent english speaking teacher that I've encountered at Starlite. good luck & good riddens. read more

I recently began working in Oakland and looked into schools for my 4 year old son. I chose this center as my first pick. He started Monday the 8th, of this month, and today was his last day. From the beginning working with Jennifer is extremely difficult. I work with an agency that subsidizes my childcare, and this school accepted payments from them before so you would think that they would know the process. Jennifer told me as long as I could get a verbal authorization that the contract would be coming that my son could start. This agency called her and did just that. The next issue was that the verbal authorization had not come from my worker, it had come from the enrollment counselor (not sure why there was a problem). So since the "right" person had not given the autho, I was told that I could drop him off and he could be there but I would need to pay the daily rate of $55. This put a lot of stress on me as I was not able to financially carry that at that point. I borrowed the money necessary to keep my son there for the next 3 days, $160 and called the agency that I work with and changed providers before entering into a contract with this school. Today was my little guys last day, even he was excited about this. I asked him how his day was, as I do every day, and he said " that lady teacher said I the worstest kid". I was floored. I am upset. It took everything in me not to turn around right then and speak with that teacher. There is a reason that things were not working out here. I am not okay with teachers speaking like that to my children. They should be loved and nurtured not broken down mentally. I shudder to think that my son almost spent his pre-k year in that environment. I am blessed to be able to have a child who is able to articulate what is going on around him and to identify when a person of authority is acting unfairly towards him. I will be speaking with Jennifer tomorrow regarding this situation. I did want to put my experience on here because I feel that parents should know what is really going on. I think the teacher may be overworked, they are understaffed and I noticed a now hiring sign in the window on Wednesday. Be careful things are not always what they seem. I thought this would be a great environment that would stimulate my son and get him geared up for elementary school, not have teachers who take frustrations out on 4 year olds. No matter what any child is doing they should not be told they are the "worstest". Period. read more

Great location, right next to a local park and library where the children visit. They are heavily academic and keep the kids pretty busy. It is a bi-lingual school, and it's great if you want your child to learn other languages. I accompanied the children during their Halloween parades and the kids absolutely had a blast - along with the teachers. My only gripe is that THEIR WAIT LIST IS SO LONG! My son has been on the waiting list for 2 years, and I have friends that have been trying to get their children in for the past year and 1/2.. It's hard to get in..the ONLY school that has such a full waiting list..sigh. In the meantime, I guess I will be a stay at home yelper. read more

My son and daughter went to this child care center and it is not worth the amount of money you pay. We were not happy with this school. The teachers were rude and unprofessional. They may seem nice and persuasive that your child will have a fun and learning experience but don't be fooled. Very unprofessional once the parents leave the facility. I saw teachers forcefully grabbing and yelling at children. There are other inexpensive childcare centers around that will better help supervise and educate your child. DO NOT ENROLL. read more

~~~waste my money, waste my 2 week. I am really regret that not listen to my friend, have a very bad experience here. I do total agree with KASARA, and Sailor. If you have more money and time, don't care about your baby, you can try it . Good luck!!!! read more

Both of my kids have attended Startlite since they were 2 years old. They are now 5 and 3, they are on good health and normal mental condition corroborated by physician. My 3 years old son was kicked out from this school last week with reason of "too active" after he has been attending this school for 1 year. I was pushed by the Principal to give out the last day for my son the next day he told me to find another new school. It looks like they can only accept those children who are easy to look after. The principal told me that my son was not listening to their instruction and running around; and they are not able to stop/control him. It took up their time to look after him while other kids can spend less time on. It sounds so ridiculous, Startline who signatures their professionalism with more than 10 years of experience that does not know how to discipline 3 years old little boy. I am also wondering who/how/what are the supported criteria of my son is considered "too active" even his family physician states that my son is in normal mental condition, not "too active". Last year, I was also told by the Teacher Jennifer(the daughter of the Principal) that I was not supposed to stay and let my kids use the bathroom to wash hand and pees after signing out the attendant sheet. I told her that she supposed to give parents a hand if she knew that I have 2 kids are being pick up at the same time. She should hold one kid for me and after first kid is done for pees and washing hand, then release second kid for me. Instead of releasing both kids to me at the same time and complains that my kids running around when the time I was washing hand for the my elder kid. They are supposed to be helpful and nice instead of giving hard time to parents. It makes me feel that they only take the easy way they prefer, never care of the necessity of the kids. Finally, I decided to quit both kids the next day. I would rather pay little more and make sure better education can be provided to my kids for a qualified level. read more

My daughter spent this summer at this center. Their activity for kids is OK. They told me they'll feed the kids lunch and two snacks, but my child will come home so hungry everyday and would tell she ate crackers and tacos. If you are sending your child, make sure u send your food from home and don't trust what they feed kids. Their staff seems to be under pressure and don't talk much to the parent. I would not recommend parents to send their children to this school. read more

My daughter has been attending care here for a few months. For some reason I've found the parent teacher communication to be terrible. My daughter is not Chinese and we are seriously looking for an alternate choice. I was recommended here but my daughter needs to be learning English all day. The staff can be pushy and sometimes very confusing as they rotate teachers all of the time. With all of the choices out there, this was a big mistake. Would definitely not recommend it. The Director's name is Uncle Jon and seriously don't want my child thinking that the staff there is family, totally weird. read more

I enrolled my daughter at Starlite when she was 2 1/2 yrs old. I had a lot of skepticism as this would be our first time away from each other. I gave "Uncle John" a very difficult time and he frankly told me that "maybe it's not the child that's not ready, but it's the parent." As it turned out, Starlite was very nurturing and helped prepared my daughter for kindergarten. She aced her kindergarten screening. The kindergarten staff often asked which preschool did she go to. We live in Dublin and are thankful that Starlite with their teachers had taught our daughter the basics to give her a head start. Yes, it is very apparent that English was not the primary language, but we know that when we enrolled her. Starlite is afterall in Oakland Chinatown, the teachers are Chinese. This review is for the Starlite located on 14th St. Thank you Uncle John, Teacher Wong and all the Starlite teachers for a wonderful job with Megan Ngai. She absolutely misses you!!! read more