I feel very lucky to have found Apple Tree Daycare, and am grateful to my 2 other quick-acting mom friends who found their very fleeting ad on craigslist, and told me about it, too! I was feeling a bit nervous about starting my son in part-time daycare, as I'm a SAHM and wasn't sure how my then 18-mo old son would take to it. As it turns out, he LOVES his 2 days/week there, and has made a ton of friends. I think this is entirely because of the warm and caring environment that Jasmine and her team have created for all the kids. It really shows in how she and her 2 helpers interact with the kids, and how happy the kids are to be there. After the first week or so of quickly fleeting tears from adjusting to it, my son now always has a big smile on his face when I drop him off and pick him up. Things that I love about Apple Tree: - they feed the kids 2 nutritious meals that they cook themselves, saving me the time & cost of packing food, myself - clean, nice, enriching environment with plenty of toys and space - the kids go to surrounding parks when the weather's nice, or do fun & creative things when not -- usually much more creative than I would think up myself. They actually made (veggie) sushi one day! - Jasmine & the staff bring in a beautiful cake for the kids' birthdays, and all the kids get to enjoy the party. This was a really unexpected and very kind surprise, that they would spend their own money on the kids like that. Very sweet. - they always send 1-2 photos/day of my son, so I get a quick peek at what he's been up to. - they allow part-timers like me, and will always try to accommodate me if I need to switch or add a day. - Mandarin immersion -- so cool! - small group of kids (usually 6-8) and abundance of caregivers (3) - Jasmine really cares about the kids and will talk to you if she notices anything that could be a problem - e.g., didn't eat as much as usual, or seems tired. I really appreciate that. The only downside is that I have to walk past nasty 6th St each day on my way there. Yuck! But that's SOMA for you, and I really can't complain about having such a terrific daycare just 2 blocks from my house. I feel very comfortable entrusting my little boy to Jasmine & her team, and that is a huge relief. I also really like the group of kids there and the parents I've met, just a lovely group of people. I recommend Apple Tree very highly, and will be sad when my son will have to leave when he turns 3. read more

We (and our child) are very happy with Apple Tree. Our daughter started as their youngest baby, and grown to toddler-dom in her time there, and they've handled her changing needs well. She loves her time at Apple Tree, and is excited to go in the morning and see all of her friends. We love that she has lots of opportunities to be with other children, the Mandarin exposure, the pictures we get during the day, the activities and outings to the nearby parks, home-cooked meals, and when we pick her up, she's neat and clean. Also, we get a run down of anything special that happened (or didn't) that day, like skipping a nap or symptoms of a cold. I'll add to the details of the previous reviewers instead of repeating them: Apple Tree is a small (8 children) licensed daycare in SOMA (it originally went as Jasmine's Daycare, after the friendly woman who runs it). It's run out of a dedicated unit on the 8th floor of a modern, doorman-monitored residential high-rise. As of this review, it has 3 caretakers (including Jasmine). The 8-kid-to-3-caretaker ratio is really great if you've looked around. The neighborhood around it is patchwork - nice playgrounds though lots of addled people on the streets. We've never been concerned about the outings since there are three caregivers to keep an eye on them. However, if you're going to drive to get there, beware there is no parking on Mission Street from 4-6pm, leaving you to park on a cross street or gamble with finding parking in the garage (15 minutes of free parking after you "pay" your ticket). Oh, and don't be late picking up your little one! It's 5:30, SHARP. read more

If I could give Apple Tree Daycare more than 5 stars I would. My husband and I absolutely love this daycare and we feel so lucky that we found it. Jasmine and the women that she employs are such fantastic childcare professionals, and they all seem to love what they do and most importantly they love the children they care for. Our son started at the daycare in March 2013 when I went back to work after maternity leave. He was 5 months old and the youngest baby in the daycare at that time. In addition to just being sad and scared to leave him all day, I was concerned about him maintaining his daytime schedule because that was an important part of us establishing his nighttime sleep habits. Jasmine was so wonderful about giving us a thorough report and pictures that I quickly became so comfortable with him being there. She was also great about following our schedule and transitioning him into new schedules as he grew and was able to drop one of his daytime naps. In the time our son has been at the daycare he has flourished. Jasmine knows children so well, and she has been great with all of our son's developmental transitions to crawling, eating solids, and now walking. As first time parents, my husband and I often ask for her advice on how to handle new situations and she is always so helpful. Jasmine sends us pictures every day that show the activities that he is doing such as music class, yoga, or one of the lessons they teach about numbers, fruit, animals, etc. She also makes sure the children get time outside every day as long as the weather is good. Jasmine also takes the time to speak with each parent in the evenings about how his or her child did during the day and if she had any concerns about health or mood. Honestly, I could go on and on about all the things that I think are so wonderful about Jasmine and the daycare, but I think the most important thing I can say is how happy my son is to be there every day. His face literally lights up when he sees Jasmine and the other women who work there. There are times when my husband and I laugh because he is so eager to jump into their arms in the morning that we barely have time to give him a kiss goodbye. As much as I love knowing that he is learning so many new things, including Mandarin, to me the most important thing at his age is that he is being loved and cared for so well, and I know that is absolutely the case at Apple Tree Daycare. Regarding one of the comments in other reviews, this is a licensed daycare. We pick up our son around 5:00/5:30 every day, but there have been times when we have been late, and we just call to let Jasmine know. read more

This is a wonderful place! Our son started going to Apple Tree Day Care when he was 15 months old. Jasmine and her team have exceeded expectations at every turn. They are not just a place to dump him while we are at work. They have really become a part of our family, and we work as a team to raise our son. We were so nervous when we first started day care. Would he get along with the caregivers and other children? Would he eat and sleep well? I even insisted to sit in a corner and observe him on his first day. He actually got along with the caregivers instantly. They really know how to handle kids. Mandarin has become his first language, and he speaks it very well. The caregivers also cook meals for the children, and our son eats better over there as he does at home. We told them some foods that we found that he likes, and they integrated it into their menu. Our son had always been a poor sleeper. He would nap at inconsistent times, and he would get up painfully early each morning. After short time at Apple Tree, he was able to transition to a single nap a day, and he started sleeping 11 hours a night. Our son is now 2 years old. He is great, but he is no angel. During drop off and pick up, Jasmine discusses with us his behavioral development. We compare notes, share strategies, and come up with a game plan to move forward. It's not as formal as I make it sound, but I find the lines we exchange about him to be very valuable in how we raise him. If you appreciate the value of exposing your child to the Mandarin language and can conveniently drop your child off in SOMA, then you must send him/her/them to Apple Tree. read more

Our 16 month old daughter attended Apple Tree for about a month this year and we thought it was a great experience. We moved to San Francisco from out of state and did our research online, including Yelp reviews. We were not specifically looking for a Mandarin immersion daycare, but the good reviews and nice looking website sparked our interest. We were able to visit Apple Tree before moving and decided it was the one to go with. Here are the things we liked about Apple Tree. 1. Jasmine, the owner/opertaor was always excellent. She would pay attention to all of the little details and keep us constantly informed of what our daughter was doing at daycare. 2. The facility itself was always very clean and secure. 3. Our daughter clearly liked Jasmine and all of the staff. 4. Our daughter seemed to really like the food and snacks. 5. Jasmine sent us nearly daily photos of our daughter. 6. The activities were more inline with what you'd expect from a much larger daycare (e.g. music, yoga, and dancing with outside teachers). We were sad to leave and only did so because of an opening in a work sponsored daycare that is a block away from where we live. We consistently talk about what we felt was better at Apple Tree and will not hesitate to reapply if the situation at the new center changes. read more

Our family feels so fortunate to have found Apple Tree Daycare. Jasmine leading the team of other teachers while getting her masters in Child Development makes this facility top-notch! This facility is more like the larger daycare centers than the family run daycare centers. The space is dedicated to the daycare, clean and appropriate for children of all ages. Our son has been here since he was 1 year old and has made the transition wonderfully well. We know he's loved and well cared for every day and he looks forward to his 'school' and seeing his friends every day. It brings us a huge piece of mind that while we're working... we have capable people who are just as engaged and interested in his physical, mental and emotional development. Through activities of free play, art projects, going to the park and outdoor activities, story & music time and even baby yoga. The daily photos make our day as we love getting a glimpse of what his day. We're having another baby soon and can't wait to send her to Apple Tree. read more

My son, who is 2, has been at Apple Tree for a little over a year and we could not be happier with the experience! Jasmine and her staff go above and beyond to take care of our little ones. Unfortunately we are moving soon and by far the hardest part will be saying good bye to Apple Tree. Everyday they are doing a new activity whether it's art, yoga, soccer or music and movement. My son has grown more articulate, kind, has learned his ABC's, counting, songs, and sharing, just to name a few. The fact that a lot of the day is also in Mandarin has been a huge advantage in his learning and comprehension. He has made so many friends and is happy everyday we drop him off and when we pick him up. Jasmine is the most kind, loving, informative care taker you could ask for. She sends us photos every week of activities the kids are doing and sends individual photos of our son in action. I can't say enough about how much we love Jasmine and Apple Tree. If you are lucky enough to have your child be taken care of by this incredible group I encourage you to do so! It's truly the only place I can imagine our son being a part of. It's also a very safe environment which is a big deal when you have a child in the city. The other parents also have great things to say about it on the private FB group. Thank you Jasmine! Miles will miss you and his "aunties" very much!! read more

Apple Tree is amazing. Jasmine and her staff are attentive, loving, and go above and beyond to take care of your child. They create a safe space for all the kids and my son never wanted to leave. Jasmine sends pics of your child and plans activities every day of the week - yoga, cooking, music, soccer... even though I don't speak mandarin, my son learned so much during his 2 years at Apple tree ( we joined when our son was 6 months old) and he speaks mandarin with other mandarin speaking adults/children. they're all really sweet/caring with all the babies and interactive/fun with the toddlers. They help with potty training, picky eating and every other aspect of your child's development. We only left because he was starting preschool - and I didn't expect to feel so sad. Jasmine and her team became an extension of our family. Really awesome, nurturing day care. Highly recommend!! read more

Our twins love it here. Jasmine really cares for the children in her daycare, and it shows in our kids' smiles. There's a park across the street where they take soccer lessons. They bring home lots of artwork. Jasmine sends us pictures of the kids at daycare, and we really enjoy them. read more

Our 2-year-old daughter spent a few months at Appletree and really enjoyed her time there. She would come home and tell us what she and her friends did in school, and singing songs she learned there. Jasmine made a conscious effort to send us daily pictures of her doing various activities in school, often a nice afternoon surprise for us! We are grateful to Jasmine and her teachers for creating a wonderful environment for our daughter, especially having different activities such as soccer, music class, cooking, craft work and outdoor time for the kids. Another big plus - a very clean daycare facility. It was difficult to say goodbye. Highly recommended if you are looking for daycare teachers who genuinely care for your child! read more

Our daughter has been going to daycare at Apple Tree for almost a year now and we couldn't be happier! It is such a wonderful environment, bright, airy, spacious, very clean, and lots of fun toys, books, and art supplies for the kids to play with. Jasmine has structured the day around active learning and play while teaching the kids about organization and scheduling. Additional +++ it's mandarin immersion and Jasmine will send photos to us through out the day so that we can see what our little one has been up too! Every picture she has a huge smile on her face and that helps to reassure me that we made the right decision in choosing Apple Tree has her daycare. I could continue to go on about how our little one is learning to be a great eater as they cook a wide variety of foods for her to try or how they schedule classes like baby yoga and music class so that the kids can continue to expand their learning! We really lucked out with finding a daycare where our little one is truly loved and cared for and we feel completely confident in Jasmine and her staff's abilities to care of our daughter. To comment briefly on another comment from a recent yelp post, Jasmine is licensed with the state as a family center (http://www.familychildcaresf.com/soma.html). read more

Our son was at Apple Tree Day Care from 9 months to two years. We love Apple Tree Day Care! Our family feels so fortunate to have found it. Jasmine and her staff are so amazing. They are loving, caring, and very professional. Jasmine is very creative and offers lots of activities, including painting, collage, coloring, etc. We love to see our son's art work. She sends pictures several times a week so we always knew what they were doing. Also, they offer Yoga, Music, Dance, and Soccer classes every week without extra charge. The place is very tidy and clean. The ratio is amazing- often four or even five caregivers. I feel that Jasmine always makes sure that each kid gets enough attention. We liked the mixed age environment (1-3) & cultural diversity. Our son learned lots from his friends as well as all of the teachers. They offer delicious breakfast, lunch and snacks without extra charge, and our son liked the food. It saved so much time and hassle for us. We left Apple Tree Day Care a few months ago just because we moved out of San Francisco. Otherwise, we would love for our son to go to Apple Tree Day Care until he is ready for a preschool. read more

We sent our firstborn daughter from age 4 months until she entered preschool at age 2 years and 10 months to Jasmine's daycare (Apple Tree). I cried sad tears the day we left Apple Tree and the owner/director, Jasmine; Jasmine's daily care and role in the development of my firstborn could not have been more complete, satisfying, and rewarding -- and I found Apple Tree in a stroke of luck on Craigslist, after realizing I needed more consistent care for my daughter than ad hoc solutions, despite being a writer and researcher whose work hours continue around the clock. Since day 1, Jasmine and her staff carefully provided my daughter with a warm and nurturing environment for her physical growth. They quickly learned her needs and conscientiously fed her expressed breastmilk in accordance to my own bottle system. This was such a relief for a mom who believes strongly in working and also feeding her children the benefits of breastmilk. Later, as my daughter began to take solids and drink cow milk, Jasmine accommodated my request to purchase organic milk made from cows not treated with hormones. Apple Tree's staff has always provided the children with healthy meals made from nutritious ingredients; most of their meals were free of artificial ingredients and homemade, despite the availability of store-bought prepared meals. Any parent who is familiar with ethnic grocery stores and understands the merits of Asian cuisine will appreciate that even widely-available dumplings in stores were homemade by Jasmine and her staff at Apple Tree. Unlike most private, home daycares, Apple Tree is more akin to a preschool prep program. All of the activities Jasmine introduced to our daughter have been well-received: from crafts, painting, music and movement classes, yoga lessons, to story time. Even my daughter's current preschool does not provide as many enrichment activities. They go to the park everyday and Jasmine's attention to detail, safety, and cleanliness over bringing the children' on outside trips was evident in two ways: 1. at my park-loving, fast-sprinting daughter's most active phase, they assigned one staff to look after her in particular as she ran wildly around the playground; 2. all the children change into another set of clothing upon returning indoors to the daycare center. We were so blessed and lucky to find Jasmine in SOMA, a neighborhood which has a discrepant ratio of families in-need of childcare and home daycare providers, particularly ones speaking Mandarin Chinese. My daughter's first language was and is Mandarin Chinese and Apple Tree Daycare was a crucial player in that aspect of her life. Our family and daughter misses Apple Tree Daycare and Jasmine dearly; they are like family, having provided so much love and care for such a dear time in my own life as a new mom (twice over) and first born. We received almost daily emails with photos of the children playing and the staff is attentive to each child's special needs and phase of life. We absolutely plan on sending our second child there when there is an opening. read more

Most importantly, our daughter is in love with the founders and care takers at Apple Tree Day care. She gets excited when it is time to go to daycare and often protests when we come to pick her up. For us, this is a huge indicator that she is beyond happy, well loved by the wonderful staff, and is challenged everyday mentally and physically. The location is also impeccable for anyone working in the downtown/financial district plus the safety and elegance of the building and daycare makes it a warm, carefully maintained and nurturing environment. Given that we work full time, it is a relief to know and trust that she is so well taken care of. In addition to loving professionals, the daily activities including art, field trips to parks and playgrounds, games and other intellectually challenging activities are differentiators from other daycares we reviewed. Apple Tree Day care goes out of its way to prepare the kids for preschool. Of particular interest is the full Mandarin immersion our daughter receives. This is prepping her well for targeted Mandarin immersion preschools as well as the discipline needed for early language and math skill development. I can't speak highly enough about Apple Tree Day care and the team that runs it. And I recommend it with enthusiasm to bay area parents. They show love and commitment to our daughter and we are grateful for their hard work. We also love that they provide us regular feedback on our daughters development and go so far as to provide insights and advice as needed. Finally, they feed her well with home made cuisine that makes the parents wish we could enjoy all three feasts. There is a lot of love and professionalism combined to make this an excellent day care. Enjoy! read more

For my family, I chose Apple Tree based on my experience with its director, Jasmine. Every interaction with her - from the first email inquiry, play date, discussing parenting topics, to inadvertently running into her at the supermarket - she has demonstrated warmth, competence, and an interest in my daughter and her well-being. We committed to attending Apple Tree, however, due to a change in family plans, we have decided to postpone our enrollment. Through this process, Jasmine was open-minded, encouraging and supportive with regards to our decision (because we did not attend - reason for the 4 stars, as opposed to 5 stars). I appreciate her support and flexibility, and would recommend contacting Jasmine to learn more about Apple Tree and their program. read more

Our daughter started attending Apple Tree 4 months ago. She LOVES it. And we love it! Jasmine and her excellent, cheerful, hardworking staff make sure that children are cared for in the most loving and caring way. Our toddler learns yoga and soccer here, and go to a park every other day. A storyteller teaches them stories and songs. Since this is a mandarin immersion daycare, she is also gradually picking up Mandarin. We get daily photographs from Jasmine and daily reports during pick up time. Now, our toddler gets up in the morning and says "I want to go to daycare". We are fortunate to have found Apple Tree for her. Thanks to Jasmine and her staff for all that they do. I would highly recommend this daycare, but know that the admission can take time. Jasmine has a wait list of 40 families. Just shows how awesome they are. And please note that contrary to one review which says that Apple Tree is not licensed, it very much is. You can go on the DHS website and find the information under Jasmine's Chinese name. read more

Our daughter has been attending Apple Tree Day Care since she was 19 months old and we could not imagine a better experience for her or for us as parents. She is now 30 months and has just transitioned to preschool, and we are very sad to leave Jasmine and all the other teachers at Apple Tree. She has thrived under their care and clearly loves all her teachers. Our daughter frequently talks about her teachers and friends at home, and she is always very happy at the end of the day when we pick her up. The teacher to child ratio is 1:4, which has been great for our sensitive daughter. She eats very well at school, and they provide healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks. She also naps well there, which is a difficult thing to get her to do at home. Jasmine has put together an amazing array of activities for the week, including yoga, indoor soccer, trips to the park, weekly singing with someone she brings in to play the guitar, lots of free play, arts and crafts, and singing and dancing with the teachers all day long. Jasmine sends us photos of our daughter doing all the different activities almost daily; it's one of the highlights of our day! Despite the variety of things to do at Apple Tree and the unpredictability of children, they are still able to provide consistency and security for the kids, and our daughter always seems happy, well rested, and well cared for at the end of the day. Jasmine is very good at communicating with us immediately if anything urgent comes up during the day or if they think there is anything of concern. Whenever we ask her and her staff to give extra attention to specific needs or conditions, they are always receptive and accommodating to our requests. The teachers really do go the extra mile for the kids. On top of that, if our daughter isn't at daycare because she is sick, or even if we are just out of town, Jasmine checks in with us to see how she is doing. She truly does care about the children's well-being and that continues well beyond the place and time of daycare. On top of the wonderful care and stimulation that the kids get at Apple Tree, they also provide a Mandarin immersion experience, which is actually one of the specific criteria we were looking for in choosing a daycare. We've only spoken Mandarin to our daughter at home since she was born, and her language has literally exploded in her time there. We are constantly surprised with new words and phrases that she can say, not to mention all the Chinese songs that she has learned and loves to sing. We really feel like Apple Tree is not just another average daycare. It truly has been an exceptional and loving place for our daughter, and really has become a second home for her. We have total peace of mind about leaving our child at Apple Tree. One dropoff experience several months ago confirmed to us that we made the right choice in sending her there: we saw her excitedly jump into the arms of one of the teachers, then eagerly run inside to go play with her friends without looking back at us. And our daughter has a lot of separation anxiety. Even now after starting her new preschool, she talks about wanting to go back to see her old teachers and friends. Jasmine has become our friend too and we are definitely going to stay in touch with her. Although we are excited that our daughter is moving on to preschool, we are sad to be leaving Jasmine and her amazing staff. We can't recommend Apple Tree Day Care highly enough and feel fortunate that we were able to be a part of the Apple Tree family. read more

My son started at ATDC at around 18 months old and we stayed for about 9 months. I felt fortunate to have found ATDC and Jasmine, the director, who was very accommodating to our needs. ATDC is a safe, fun and nurturing place and I felt reassured leaving him in Jasmine's loving care. Jasmine sends us pictures of our son daily and checks in with us via text if we ever miss a school day or if he's sick. She is definitely very caring and is very meticulous in the way she takes care of the kids. The cost is definitely higher than other daycares that I had toured but Jasmine offers a wide range of activities and the cost covers a lot of the classes such as yoga, soccer, body movement, which my son loves. Jasmine comes out to get my son when we arrive at the gate and brings him out when we ring the doorbell which definitely makes drop off/pick up very smooth and quick but sometimes I do wish I get to go into the school to see how my kid interacts in the school environment and to get to know the other teachers a little bit better. Overall, I'm thankful to have found Jasmine and recommend ATDC to anyone in their search for a good daycare. read more

Our daughter attended the Apple Tree daycare for 2 years, starting at 15 months and until 3.25 years. We have had an extremely positive and satisfying experience and only have good things to say. Jasmine and her caregivers do a fantastic job creating a highly personable, warm, loving and nurturing environment for the little ones. Jasmine lovingly greets each parent/ child during drop off and sees you off at pick up along with information on how the day went, things your child is learning etc. It is a very clean, hygienic and colorful set up with lots of fun toys and books. They provide freshly prepared, hot breakfast and lunch for the kids every day and also provide fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, milk and snacks. I didn't have to pack any food ever. For social and motor development, they offered a wonderful array of activities as part of daily routine like arts & crafts, music & dancing, even a weekly yoga and soccer class. There is a daily playtime at the nearby park (weather permitting). We regularly received pictures of her happily playing, interacting with other kids and participating in various activities. The Mandarin immersion was a huge bonus and we just loved to see our daughter pick up a new language. Jasmine and the caregivers are all very involved in the well-being of each child and get into the details of their personalities, likes and dislikes. For example, my daughter is an exceptionally picky eater and Jasmine would always go the extra mile every day for 2 years to try various food options/ feeding styles with her - even prepare special stuff for her if she did not eat the food that was already cooked. Our daughter has made wonderful friends and we have come to know some great families at Apple Tree who we hope to stay in touch with in the future. Apple Tree was a great fit for our family and offered everything that really mattered to us as parents. Once we dropped our daughter off in their loving care, we missed her but never worried about her while at work. If Jasmine offered preschool we would not have left until Kindergarten. We really miss Apple Tree and highly recommend it to other families. read more