Our son has been with Creative since he was just 6 months old, and we couldn't be happier with our…read moreexperience. Silvia and the entire staff treat him like family, which gives us so much peace of mind while we're away. Their love and dedication truly shine through. Since joining Creative, our son has flourished in so many ways--physically, emotionally, and in his speech development. Now, at 20 months, he amazes us daily with new words and songs he's learned, as well as important life skills like picking up his toys and throwing things in the trash. The learning environment they provide is incredible! Beyond his development, we've also noticed how social and personable he has become, which we largely credit to the nurturing and interactive atmosphere at Creative. We are so grateful for Silvia and the entire team for fostering such a loving and enriching space for our son. Thank you, Silvia!

My son started at Creative Montessori at age 3.5 years old. Due to Covid he had been home the whole…read moretime and spoke no English prior to attending school. Ms Silvia and other teachers have been so patient and helpful. My son has grown so much in every aspect and loves going to school every day. Highly recommend.

We sent both our kids to Miss Vivian and it was the best decision we've made. She is incredibly…read moredetail oriented, caring, and super responsible. You can tell she truly loves children and is so dedicated to their growth and well being. We've referred many of our friends to her - all meals are provided and kids are always sent home with crafts and activities! She is a hidden gem - her daycare isn't searchable on Google Maps :)

Today, my son "graduated" from Little Apples Daycare. I don't think he realizes that he is not…read moregoing back to Vivian's tomorrow. I'm sure we will get lots of complaints and tears when he figures out that he is heading to a new preschool tomorrow. Little Apples Daycare is a wonderful place! It is very clean and safe. I felt very comfortable dropping my son there. My son was not an easy kid. When he first started with Vivian 15 months ago, he cried and cried and cried for about two months! Vivian nourished him with patience and love. I truly appreciated to find Vivian as my son's teacher. Vivian is so great with kids and you can tell kids love her. I wish I could give 100 stars to this daycare!

My daughter attended Nanny's House for two years before starting kindergarten, and we couldn't have…read moreasked for a better experience. Marta is amazing, so loving, caring, and truly invested in the children. My daughter always looked forward to going, made great friends (both boys and girls), and not once said, "I don't want to go to school." I love that Nanny's House is play-based but also incorporates academics, reading, music, art, and plenty of outdoor time. Thanks to Marta's guidance my daughter was already reading before kindergarten began. I highly recommend visiting Nanny's House and meeting Marta. You'll see right away why it's such a special place.

Our daughter started at Nanny's house when she was 3 months old. When I was 4 months pregnant with…read moreher I started researching facilities and make sure they were highly rated by the county. You'd be surprised how many come up with one violation or another. Nanny's house was violation free. I interviewed with Nanny (Marta) at her old location. There was instant chemistry. She has this organic and warm feel about her exuding positive energy. She has such a love for children and animals. She has a small and super sweet dog and maintains chickens in a chicken coop feeding the children fresh and organic eggs in the morning. There was a wait list but we made it through as we planned in advance. When we got in, it was like getting into Harvard... our first choice school! When I was at the hospital after giving birth, she sent a sweet care package of flowers, a balloon and a teddy bear for our little girl. Such a nice touch! What school does that? Our daughter spent all years leading up to kindergarten there, even into the pandemic. She worked so hard to keep everyone safe and healthy. It was a crazy time, but always her mind was on how can she protect the children. She was open to feedback and worked to customize her program to meet families on preferences. She has a life sciences program that's outstanding. The kids not only learn all the fundamentals in the classroom, but the learn to garden, they learn about life cycles, they learn cooking (supervised of course). Most importantly they learn how to manage emotions and social interactions. We also had our son join Nanny's House when our daughter was 3 years old. He also joined at 3 months of age. The infant program has a maximum of 4 babies in it all 3 months to 1 year 11 months. With the location being her home, it doesn't have an institutional style feel. I live nearby and as he was a baby during pre-covid, I was allowed to come by to nurse in person when I needed to. The family get togethers were some of my favorite memories at Nanny's house and I still stay in touch with the other families to this day. Halloween and her Christmas holiday party were a blast, along with a formal graduation celebration. One thing I helped Nanny's house bring into the program is a mobile app called Kidz Note that updates the families on what is going on each day in the classroom or infant room. She provides photos each day and often videos. Her reports let's you know what's going on with eating or and if there are any boo boo reports. It also allows for parent-teacher communication. We treasure our memories at Nanny's House. Our daughter still talks about Nanny's House to this day and wants to visit soon. For anyone who is looking for a very personal full time daycare and preschool experience with long hours 7:30a - 6p with all meals covered, this one's for you!

Started our son at one year old, and have been at both the Moraga and Rheem Campuses for 15 months…read more We really enjoy the team and the care our son receives. The teachers are all amazing, super friendly, and our son enjoys talking all about them when he gets home - Ms. Nancy, Ms. Dani, Ms. Liz (x2), Ms. Gabby, Ms. Becky, Ms. Lulay, they are all amazing, sorry to those i missed! Antonio is always helpful and responsive. The school uses the brightwheel app which is great for communicating with both staff and admin and getting regular updates and photos during the school day. We can really see the daily learning when our son comes home, and it's such a pleasure to know he's getting socialized and receiving great care durning the day. They let kids be kids! During most holidays you can signup for holiday care to avoid taking more days off. The cost has always seemed very reasonable especially for Lamorinda. The only comment I would mention, is the school runs like a well oiled machine, thus when you are new it's overwhelming to learn how the system works for drop off, pickup, and bringing food and clothes, etc. This was stressful when leaving your first little one for the first time, but this subsides after the first week or two after you learn the system. Advice, don't hesitate to ask the staff either in person or via brightwheel, they will always help. Packing lunches the first few months was stressful! Would recommend Lamorinda Montessori to any family.

Our family has a had a great experience at Lamorinda Montessori (Rheem Campus)! We started there…read morein June 2023 and at the time our daughter was 2.5 and son was 10 months. They have checked the boxes for us in terms of providing a reliable, loving, and kind care solution for our kids. The teachers seem very attentive to the kids and we are always met with smiles at pick up and drop off. The school continues to try and implement new programming to engage both kids and parents, like spirit week and off-site excursions but there is probably even more opportunity to do more of that. The school also offers "parents night out" care giving about once a month which provides for an easy solution to leave the kids for a few afternoon hours on a Saturday. Communication could be better just in terms of updates / photos throughout the day, but our kids are happy every day when they come home so honestly that's all we could ask for. The administrative and teaching team makes a real effort and genuinely cares for the families and children. Thank you to Antonio and the team!

Our family has been incredibly pleased with Growing Light Montessori in Lafayette, and would highly…read morerecommend it! The teachers are extremely skilled, patient, and nurturing. Since our child started we've seen a dramatic increase in her social development, creativity, and engagement in group activities. Class sizes are small with multiple teachers, and allow for a level of personalized attention that you can directly observe during drop-offs and pickups. Our child even talks about her teachers and asks after them on weekends. Communication with parents is also great. The school keeps us informed with regular updates, progress reports, and pictures of the kids engaged in class activities. The communication is two ways as well, they always respond quickly to feedback or questions, and they're very accommodating to any life circumstances that may come up. The campus and classrooms are well organized, spacious, and have multiple outdoor play areas. The school also organizes regular social events, educational workshops, and seasonal celebrations for families. We can't recommend Growing Light highly enough. It's absolutely worth it, and we feel lucky to have joined!

Both our son and daughter attended this preschool, and we couldn't be happier. The staff is…read moreattentive, warm, patient, and always accessible--you can tell they truly care. The environment is nurturing and thoughtfully balanced between learning and play. Our kids came home happy, confident, and excited every day. We really have nothing but positive things to say. It's been a fantastic start to their learning journey.

Attendance at Lamorinda Montessori started out as a stepping stone while we waited to get off the…read morewaitlist at another daycare/preschool in Lamorinda, but now Lamorinda Montessori has quickly become our son's favorite place and I can't imagine switching him to the other school. I call all the lovely teachers and staff at Lamorinda Montessori his "abuelitas"-- each and every staff member treat my son like their own child or grandchild. He is so loved here and it shows. Yes, Spanish is spoken often and it's one of the many perks about Lamorinda Montessori. My son says "agua" instead of "water" and sometimes babbles in Spanish-- something that will surely serve him well later in life if we continue to expose him to Spanish! The school itself runs great. As a full time working mom, I know I can depend on them each and every morning. No worries about an absent teacher or someone running late-- something that is commonplace at a smaller daycare. The hours are the best in Lamorinda and actual learning is happening all day long. The Brightwheel app provides updates all day long, which is super appreciative so I can get a look into his daily routine. When I drop off at 8am I usually get an update that he's starting a morning activity like painting or blocks. The learning translates into life at home and I can tell he is catching on to the Montessori teachings. We are so so lucky to have found this place when our small in-home daycare closed down. The only drag is having to make lunch every morning for our son. We were spoiled before when our prior daycare used to provide all meals. If Lamorinda Montessori starts making lunches they would get an A+++ from me, so for now, its only an A++.

Our kids love it here. They have been attending Lamorinda Montessori since they were infants. The…read morestaff here are very friendly and loving to the kids. We also love all the special events they hold for the kids and parents. Another plus is the Spanish teaching curriculum on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our kids run in to school excited to see their teachers and friends every day. Definitely recommend Lamorinda Montessori, especially for working parents! This campus is much larger than the other one and also has a bigger outdoor area for play. Parking/drop off is a breeze.

Both my kids went to St John Preschool and they thrived there! And my kids were well prepared for…read morekinder. The teachers are top notch and get the kids ready for K -- socially and adademically. I highly recommend St John Preschool! They are NAEYC accredited and from what I remember, they have the folders for you to review to see what goes into the accreditation process. (In case you didn't know, St John Preschool does not have any religious affiliations. The school rents space from the church.) St John has 2 teachers for each classroom and they are engaged with the children. They get to to know each and every child really well. Most teachers have been there a long, long time with very low turnover. We loved the teachers. Over the 5 years that we were there, there were some incidents that concerned me. I talked to the teachers and/or the director, Carol. It was handled well with follow up. If you hear of bad behavior from your kids, talk to the school. What I loved about the preschool: 1. TEACHERS! 2. open door policy - I can come unannounced and observe any time 3. they serve hot lunch made with love in their kitchen 4. well stocked classrooms and playground (constantly improving playground) 5. diapers included for the younger kids & daily notes! 6. mixed classrooms in the summer as the kids get older (a 3 year old would visit the 4s classroom) Many families lived nearby so many kids from my kids' classes are not in the same grade school so it is fun to see the familiar faces school in kinder (and now!). There were mornings when they wanted me to stay there longer at drop off. So we cuddled and read books (plenty of really great books to choose from), played with legos, drew in their notebooks (my daughter who's now in 1st grade still has her preschool notebooks and we look at all the drawings in there), read to the class during circle time at 9am, looked at all the kids art on the walls, etc. The program is so flexible. You can be as involved as you'd like. There were parents that we only saw at pick up and drop off and rarely at the school events. There were families that we saw all the time - at every school event, volunteer in the classroom, etc. It's up to you! They have a huge parking lot.

My son has attended St. John since just before he turned two, and now he's almost three. He loves…read moreSt. John and proudly proclaims whenever we pass by "That's my school!" My son loves his teachers, he loves seeing his friends every day, and he loves the meals he gets at school, if his choosy palate asking for seconds is any indication. My experience of the teachers is that they're highly nurturing and guide through positive reinforcement. It's important to remember that as toddlers our children are still learning how to be little people, and preschool is a laboratory for social interaction. My philosophy is to give him a space to explore and learn with enough structure that he can still learn to be independent. I feel confident that this is what he gets at St. John. Features which have made St. John super convenient for us: - Hours: 7am-5:30pm full time, though half day also offered - Meals: morning snack, warm lunch, afternoon snack. - Diapers: provided - Potty training: The teachers help with potty training. Bless their souls. - Lifecubby: personal online account for regular photos and updates of your child at school. So this review is based not just on my own experience, but more than anything, the wonderful way my son has developed since starting at St. John. My son was in home daycare prior to St. John and has tended to be a happy, independent child, and this environment has been so well suited to him. We have nothing but gratitude for the dedicated teachers who are teaming up with us to raise our son!

We love Pillar! Our daughter started in their toddler program when she turned 18 months old and…read moreit's been such a wonderful environment for her. Ms Lam and all of the teachers are warm, nurturing, and committed to helping little ones thrive here. They've been so supportive while we navigate potty training -- total pros! Our daughter lights up when talking about her teachers and friends at school. The coworking/ childcare model is so unique and shows Amirh & team really understand how to help working families. The space is clean, quiet, and a nice way to break up the monotony of working from home and meet others in the community.

I first came here as a client and then returned to partner with Pillar for my work with The…read moreAlliance for Community Development! We hosted a corporate event during the day with Verizon. The event was focused on Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready Platform. The space was the perfect size for an intimate event that allowed for a presentation set up and mingling. The Pillar team was amazing to work with and all parties involved enjoyed the event and the space!

Be sure to read the contract carefully, because you'll end up paying and paying with little in…read morereturn. The service at Golden Step is overpriced, and on top of that, the primary caregiver (nana) goes on long vacations, but you're still required to pay during her absence and have the kid with you.. Every time I pick up my child, they are covered in a mess from eating, and cleaning them is a struggle. You're also not allowed to see your child whenever you want, and there's no clear communication about who is taking care of your child when nana is away. Overall, it's been a frustrating experience, and I wouldn't recommend this daycare to other parents. Only if you don't have any other option.

We've been with golden step for close to a year now and we have had a wonderful experience. Nana…read moreand her helper are very experienced, and they treat our kids with so much love and care. There are a lot of activities planned at the daycare throughout the year that our kids really enjoy. Valentine's Day, birthday, thanksgiving, Christmas (a lot of decorations), etc. nothing compares to the happy faces of our kids we see in the pictures nana sent us. The timing of golden step is great for morning commute. Nana makes delicious food for kids too and she didn't charge extra for that. We are really grateful to have her in our kids' lives!