In honor of international teacher appreciation my deepest appreciation to Bright Star. This review is far overdue. My son has been going here since he was 2 and he is in his last year before TK. The teachers are incredibly loving, while also able to guide discipline, which for me is incredibly important especially during the tough toddler ages. My son talks about what he learns from them all the time while he's not at school. From songs in Chinese, to counting and alphabet to the favorite books he's read and the crafts they do. Most important it is clear they give lessons about being kind to others and honoring himself. I know bc when I say things to guide him he tells me "tutu/lily says that too!" I understand many daycares just do play. This is not the case here. I am confident in his learning and brain development bc of these incredible teachers. And, I never have to pack a lunch or worry if he doesn't eat his breakfast or even has a late dinner bc they take such good care of his nutrition too with meals. He now understands both mandarin and Cantonese now and I believe he has such a strong base to enter school. I almost don't want to have him move on bc I know he is gaining so much here. Thank you to the incredible teachers Lily Tutu and Dan Dan, who are great role models for my son. read more

Bright Star Childcare - Red lantern. He could even tell me the stories about the history and the tradition! - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Alameda, California

We had our son here for many years. He started with Bright Star when he was 18 months old and he's turning five now and going into kindergarten. We've loved our time with him at Bright Star. They took such good care of him, he learned so much, he did so many art projects, and was taught how to be kind. I would describe Bright Star as a small family daycare. When we had our son here lunch and snacks were provided (amazing). I felt like they had the perfect amount of contact, not texting pictures all day but letting us know if he wasn't feeling well or had bump or scratch that day. The main thing for me was that I always knew he was safe. I would highly recommend Bright Star and the teachers to any family. read more

Several years ago when my daughter was 1 year old, she attended here for several months when we first moved to Alameda. The owner and her family always seemed very nice. However, one day my daughter was choking on pieces of apple for hours during daycare here and we were never notified. When I came to pick her up, she was choking, extremely uncomfortable and trying to cough out thick spit and the daycare woman was trying to get the pieces out and looked very nervous and guilty. The daycare owners admitted she had been like this for hours after they fed her little pieces of cut up apple. We rushed her to the closest hospital, worried that she hadn't been getting enough air, and they had to immediately aspirate and stick a tube down her throat. Why would the daycare owners not call 911? At the very least call us? She could have died. Never came back. This still bothers me and I think "what if". It was literally traumatizing. read more

We were so lucky to have found Bright Star when our first home based daycare had to move. Lily and her team were excellent and provided great care to our son. He was at Bright Star for three years until he went to TK. Our son learned so much during his time there. They always made sure he was always well fed with lunch and snacks, taught him Chinese songs and more, and they helped with potty training. The staff also helped our son learn to regulate his emotions and use his words. They even made him a scrapbook full of pictures and crafts to take home with him on his last day at "school". It was such a beautiful momento of his time at Bright Star. I would highly recommend Bright Star if you are looking for a home-based daycare. read more

We love Bright Star so much! I sent both of my kids to Bright Star, starting when they were babies, and staying until they went to TK. Ivy and Lily took such good care of my children, and my children adored them - they still want to visit Bright Star and say hi to Lily and Ivy, even after they're no longer going. I really appreciated that the kids had fun, but they also learned a lot too - the kids came home singing mandarin songs, and knowing the words for different animals. They helped my son learn his letters and numbers, which he was always so excited to point out when he recognized them. The kids came home with different art projects, which was always fun to see. My daughter still asks me to make dumplings, like she learned how to make at Bright Star (I don't know how to make dumplings, they need to teach me!) We never had to pack snacks or lunch, because the kids were served healthy meals. Now that my kids are in school, I really miss that convenience! Ivy and Lily were calm, dependable, and flexible. They helped with potty training and nap training. I'm so grateful for all that they did. I never had to worry about my kids when they were at Bright Star, and that made such a difference. I highly recommend Bright Star. read more

I went for a tour today. The people are nice... but as soon as I walked through their door it was a no for me. The smell of Porta-potty slapped me in the face immediately. It smelled like old urine, like an elderly facility. They had a handful of children in the daycare as I did the tour and it made me feel so bad for the children. Like how can their parents drop them off there everyday and not be concerned. The place was so dirty. The blankets in the napping stations looked grimey and dinghy. The toys were disgusting.. the toy bins were insanely dirty. I took a pic of the toy bins but that was all I was able to snap while there, I should have taken more pics but I didn't think about it until the end of the tour. It was also very cold inside, some of the kids had their puff coats on indoors which boggled me because a child should be comfortable when attending a daycare facility for hours everyday, not wearing their puff jacket all day(not to mention the cost us parents have to pay for our kids to be in a safe comfortable space!). Anyways I just could never. If you are looking for child care please keep looking. read more

Bright Star Childcare - Toy boxes/shelf FILTHY! - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Alameda, California

Lily and Ivy run a great place here. My two children have been in their care for coming up on one year. During their time in "school" as my 3.5 year old son calls it, he has really mastered colors, counting, potty, emotion words, and imaginative play. My 1.5 year old daughter knows two color words, says "sorry" when she has a conflict, and loves to sing and play catch. My son was guided to make an amazing alphabet book that my family treasures. My children also love the cooking and have thrived on it. It's so wonderful to have good meals included in tuition. We love this in-home daycare. read more

We could not have asked for a better daycare provider for our son than Lily and her staff at Bright Star. Our son started going to Bright Star at 3.5 months. From the very beginning, Lily put him on a nap and eating schedule, which worked out so perfectly (love those 3 hour afternoon naps!!). She would write down all of his naps, feeding, and diaper schedules to help ease our anxiety as first time parents leaving our baby in someone else's care. Our son absolutely flourished under Lily and her staff's care - he looked forward to going to Lily's everyday and on many occasions when my wife and I would go to pick him up, he insisted on staying! He also learned a handful of Mandarin words, which is a definite plus. As our son "graduates" to preschool, we are so thankful to Lily and her staff for giving him such a great foundation. Our son still asks for Lily and a few of his friends on occasion. We HIGHLY recommend Bright Star to any parent(s) looking at daycare options for their child. read more

We are searching for the best school near our home for our two-year-old son. I spoke with Ivy today to set up the appointment with them, and she was thoughtful and flexible in making the appointment. Will update more as we learn more. read more

We love Bright Star! Our daughter started there when she was 15 months old, when I started a new job. She absolutely loved her first week there, and grew to love Lily and Ivy, and the other helpers there, as well as the other kids. They gave us regular reports on how her day went, and were clearly very affectionate with her. Occasionally she would come home with scrapbooks of her time there with doodles and photos, which was really fun, especially since she would insist on reading them to us. She learned to self potty train by watching and modeling on older kids, and we were pleased with the quality food provided to the children. Now that our daughter can talk more it's great to hear the way she asks for Ivy and Lily and some of the other kids. We've had play dates with a couple of the other families as well. We just had our second child and I'll be home for a while so we pulled our daughter out of Bright Star to bond together and spend more time with her, but it is bitter sweet because I'm convinced Bright Star feeds and naps her better than I do, and until my energy returns from the birth of our son I don't think I can compete on fun activities for her either. I would highly recommend Bright Star to anyone looking for a great care option. read more

My wife and I moved to the Bay Area in 2015. We enrolled our 2 year old (at the time) son with Bright Star. Being a Chinese family and being new to the area, we wanted a day care that would help our son transition to the new environment. We found that with Lily, Ivy, and Tina of Bright Star. Our son immediately took to these wonderful and loving ladies. He is not only thrilled to go to "school" each day, but is eager to learn new things that they plan for each week on their schedule. Lessons include: singing and learning new words in Mandarin and Cantonese, arts and crafts, circle time, and the all important nap time. They also cook whole, fresh, and nutritious meals each day and cater to those who may have allergies or certain food preferences. You WILL NOT find this type of service anywhere else in the area. Lily and Ivy run an incredible day care! My wife and I cannot thank them enough for being such wonderful people who have taken such amazing care of our son. We love them for who they are as people and look forward to staying in touch with them down the road. read more

I dropped my 7 month old baby off on Monday for his first day. They called us after four and a half hours to ask us to pick him up since he was crying and not taking a bottle. When we got there to pick him up the owner told us that this was not going to work out, he cried whenever they put him down and that all four caregivers had tried and he wasn't taking a bottle for any of them. And just like that the daycare that we arranged 6 months ago was no longer an option. If you think there's a chance your baby will be upset and not drink a bottle the first time at this daycare you might want to look elsewhere. Losing childcare the week I was supposed to return to work was not fun. read more

My daughter has been at Bright Star since she just turned 1 year old.There is so much I love about this daycare: 1) Lily is a lovely person and really cares about all the children. When my daughter first started here, she was scared and would cry. I would see Lily scoop her up and hold her close to try to calm her. It was really comforting for me to know I was leaving her in good hands. 2) They provide awesome food. I don't have to worry about packing a lunch, and I'm pretty sure my daughter prefers Lily's home cooking to mine. She serves healthy meals like oatmeal in the morning, and healthy snacks throughout the day. 3) Lily is super understanding. There have been a couple times I was stuck on Bart or my husband was in traffic when it rained. She didn't charge us even though we were 10 minutes late (of course this has to be within reason). 4) It's bilingual so my daughter is learning to understand (and hopefully soon speak) Chinese. The comprehension has come along a lot faster I think because there are children who aren't there to learn Chinese and I think most kids respond in English. 5) The space and all the toys / playground equipment is kept very clean! Highly highly recommend this daycare. read more

My kids have been going here for about 6 months. They are very happy, and that's the most important thing. I'm very happy that they are learning Chinese and eat organic, home-cooked food. Lily and her staff are very professional, gracious and accommodating. read more

When we moved to Alameda we were so pleased to have found Lily's daycare a few blocks from our new home. From the first time we met Lily it was clear she was a kind, smart, and experienced caregiver. It only took our daughter a few days to begin reaching for Lily's welcoming arms when we dropped her off in the morning. We've been very happy with the environment, food, education and play offered there. read more

Since writing our first review of Bright Star, we chose also to send our daughter there in Aug 2014, when she was 6months old. We couldn't have been happier with our decision to have all three of our little ones in Miss Lily's care. They have grown so much and all were very happy in the warm, nurturing environment that Lily and her staff provide. The boys, now 3yr, come home each day proudly telling us what they've learned and showing us their drawings and sheets of letter writing practice. We have a book of their artwork from the daycare as well as pictures of the kids with their friends. Our daughter, now 20mo, is also very happy and developing well. She can speak a few words in both English and Chinese - her favorite phrase being: "Nui-nai (aka milk) please". Having recently relocated to the East coast, we have sadly left Bright Star. Our kids still ask about their friends and Bright Star. We would not hesitate to recommend them to our friends as an excellent choice for their children. read more

I have brought my son to Bright Star since he was 5 months old. I mainly chose Bright Star for the fact that it was bilingual. After meeting with Lily I knew this would be a great place for my son. I feel very at easy with Lily and the set up at Bright Star. I love the fact that it feels like a home and not a center. read more

When my daughter was 6 months old I sent her to Bright Star Childcare. Right now she's almost 3 years old. Sending my daughter to Bright Star was an amazingly good decision. While my daughter was there my child was extremely happy. When we just started my daughter would cry. I was worried because she wouldn't stop crying. But I realized that Mrs. Lily would carry her sing to her and make her feel better. They provide organic food and balance the right amount of tastiness and nutrients to make wonderful food. The food at thee child are differs everyday and is so good she doesn't want to eat when she gets home. My daughter used to be a bit of a loner and didn't know how to make friends but the providers turned my daughter into a warm loving person. Everyday they have a preschool learning program and a project time. Now my daughter knows the phonics and the alphabet. read more

We loved everything about this daycare. My daughter and I toured on Wednesday and brought my husband to tour the following day. We sat down with the owner and agreed to have our daughter start the following Monday. She gave us all of the paperwork and asked us to come the following morning with the deposit and her items (diapers, wipes, etc.) Well, I unfortunately had a completely hectic morning and in leui of locating my phone, I open my laptop and sent her an email explaining that the morning fell apart but I would be coming by near the end of operating hours to give her the paperwork. When I arrive she tells me that she gave the spot away! After meeting with us for two days straight and agreeing to a start date! When I do locate my phone I find that she did not call or reach out in any way. I hate to worry that this may have possibly been a race issue; seeing as all of the children were white or Asian, and we are a Black and Filipino family. Either way, it was incredibly unprofessional, and quite sad since my daughter seemed so comfortable there. read more

My son attended daycare here for about a year. The only reason we stopped was because I changed jobs and it was in the wrong direction for my commute. Lily is absolutely amazing. Her house is set up to be a fun and educational place for all of the kids. She also took them to the park and to the library for story time weekly. My son thrived in this structured environment and he was clearly very loved. I would recommend Lily and Bright Star to absolutely anyone. It is an incredible place and I am sad we had to leave it. read more