Our daughter arrived at CEC around one year old from another school. She was in infant care at CEC and we immediately felt at ease. All the teachers were very caring (Luz, Louise, Angelica, Cameron, Aster). Two teachers tag teamed and once our daughter gravitated towards one teacher, that teacher became the primary teacher. There's also a procare app showing when our daughter ate, was changed, and it photos. The app easily allowed for communication between the teacher and parent. When our daughter moved up to the next level (2-3), it took about a week for her to adjust. She bonded with her primary teachers (Huiqui, Maria) and her cohort of friends whom she moved up with. She is thriving and happy to go to school everyday. What our daughter liked best about CEC were her teachers, friends, and fun things (walks, music class, painting). What we liked best was how CEC handled COVID, the generous care hours w/ few holidays, the ease of communication, the child- centric approach, and the kids night out giving parents a break every month. We can't recommend this place highly enough. It's a hidden gem with flexibility and little bureaucracy. Finding good care was such a sigh of relief! read more

We've had at least one of our children at CEC since 2015 and can't recommend it highly enough! Our oldest started when he was 1, our middle kid started when he was only six weeks old, and our youngest will be starting soon at four months. Ever since we started, CEC has been a wonderful second home and community for our entire family. Even in the classrooms with the youngest children (0-2), the teachers are attentive, creative, and engaged. Even the smallest kids spend time outside, and even go on "field trips" to the nearby park. There's painting and dress-up and dancing and stories -- all of those fun things you aspire to do with your small children but can't always summon the energy for are a regular part of the day at CEC. Starting in the 2-year-old room, the children take longer field trips, using the bus and BART, or walking. This year my kids have checked out the marina, gone to the library, gone to a play, gone to various parks, as well as the Habitot children's museum, Oakland Museum of California, and the Lawrence Hall of Science! I love how familiar and comfortable they are with using the bus and BART, thanks in part to their field trips. They also start doing cooking activities in the two's room, which has been a great experience for my kids. In the 2-year-old room, the teachers work with parents to tackle potty training, and they have the patience of saints. The program is Reggio-inspired (similar to Montessori, but with a less structured, play-based approach), and it's not uncommon to see kids joyfully running around in their underwear, or proudly covering themselves in mud or paint. It's the closest you can get to experiencing the liberated and liberating school environments of western Europe, as enviously portrayed on NPR and the like -- and also one of the most affordable center-based daycares in Berkeley. The teachers will even occasionally host all-night sleepovers at the school, for kids as young as 2 or 3; my two oldest kids have loved the sleepovers, and come back feeling very grown-up. For a more lightweight experience, most months there's a "parents' night out", where for an extra fee you can pick up your kids up at 9:30 PM, after they've had dinner, done activities, and/or watched a movie with their friends and teachers. Many teachers are open to babysitting outside of school hours, and it's been great having a potential pool of babysitters who the kids already know. Even though the kids are in age-based classrooms, they have a chance to get to know teachers and kids in other rooms. (My 4-year-old went through a period of checking with his 2-year-old brother's teachers every day to make sure his brother was behaving.) The "parent participation hours" requirement (4 hrs/month) are a way to get families involved, doing everything from chaperoning field trips, to doing laundry, to bringing fruit for snacks. (I've done mine by sewing dress-up clothes.) If you really can't make it work, there's a fee you can pay instead. We (and our kids) have made so many friends through CEC; three of our kids' teachers came to visit at the hospital when our youngest was born. We're sad to see our oldest (and his friends, and their families) moving on, but grateful that many of his friends still have younger siblings who will be around for a while yet. We're looking forward to four more years here with our youngest, starting soon! read more

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My daughter attended CEC from 4-17 months of age and we absolutely loved it. All the teachers in the infant and toddler rooms were excellent - very warm and attentive, and lots of fun with the kids. My daughter was always very happy to go to school here. She brought home art projects nearly every day, and as a toddler, went outside to the playground twice a day. The only reason we left is because we moved out of state. I think because this was our first daycare experience, we didn't know how excellent CEC really was. Wow, do we miss it now! I would sign her up again in a heartbeat if I could. read more

Finding the right daycare is stressful. Getting in feels impossible. And once you've done both of these, dropping your kid off and waving goodby is insufferable. CEC has been a blessing on all of these fronts- and many more. Our son began care at CEC when he was 5 months old. To say we were apprehensive about leaving our infant at daycare this young would be an understatement. The team at CEC, from the folks at administration to the teachers in his classroom, were incredibly accommodating, compassionate, thoughtful and patient as we made the transition. Their approach to childcare balances creative development and emotional comfort. His caregivers quickly became friends- and now they feel like family. He smiles incredibly wide when he sees them, and they share the same joy when we drop him off. They have wonderful tools to keep track of developmental milestones, and a curated curriculum to keep things on track. There's also an active parent community to ensure the school has everything it needs from food to funding. The hardest part was getting in - but don't give up! Things will work out and it will have all been worth it. read more

My 17 months old daughter has been at CEC in the infant room and the toddler room for a year and she loves the school very much! Teachers are very experienced and love children. Here are several progress I have seen for my daughter with attending at this school. - She learned how to crawl at 6month, how to stand by herself at 11months and how to walk at 13 months - She was a picky eater before but now she eats everything - She was a shy girl but now she loves to communicate with people - Chinese teacher taught some Chinese to my daughter and now she understands the language and can say several words in Chinese - She has done many art works at the program and now she loves drawing - She loves dancing and singing along with friends I highly recommend CEC for the parents who wants a safe, warm, friendly and exiting place for their children. If I had another baby, I will send him/her to this school as well! read more

I hesitated for a long time before writing this review, but I really don't recommend CEC. Our child attended CEC for two years. We found the director to be very political and at times not straight or forthright. Some of the teachers are very motivated and engaging but half of them are babysitters just watching over the kids and not interacting with them. There are numerous times when I saw them texting or talking on their cell phones, which I found to be unprofessional. We eventually pulled out our child because we felt that CEC would not be the best place to be prepared for kindergarten. We found another preschool for the same price that provides a much better education (play based but also working on alphabets, games, etc.). We regret not moving our child earlier. read more

My 21 months old daughter just started CEC this week. Although she is not quite assimilated yet, I am confident that she will soon. The teachers are loving. There are plenty of activities to keep her occupy. Other children and parents are friendly. The facility is clean and bright. It is also the most affordable in Berkeley in comparison to other similar centers we visited. read more

Our daughter has thrived at CEC since she started just before her 2nd birthday. The Two's room is much more like a real school environment than a daycare. I've been incredibly happy with how much she has learned and thrived under their care. Our biggest regret is that we did not start her earlier. We had been nervous about a daycare environment and had her a nanny share before CEC (from age 1 on). What a missed opportunity! Not only would we have been more happy, but we would have saved money. The only thing that may be of worry to some families is that CEC doesn't look "pretty" - but frankly, neither does my house either. If you are looking for a spotless sterile environment, CEC is not for you. But if you want your kid to be cared for and a school that is definitely on the up and up, then CEC is a great place for you. read more

I love this school. My son an my doughter boht are in Child Education Center since they were 1 year old, but now my son is 5 and my doughter is 3 and half. it is great place to grow. The teachers are great, my children learned alot from this school. read more

Both our children have gone to CEC, our now 8 year old was there from 2 years old -until she left for school. She loved all the rooms and her teachers. She still loves to visit. Her potty training was initiated and mostly completed by the two's room- this was such a big help. Our 2 year old has been there from 5 months old and is now in the toddler room. She is always happy to come to CEC and loves all her teachers. She runs straight to her activities and only pauses for a quick kiss goodbye if Im lucky. We love the diversity that is present at CEC, we were not happy with a lot of the Albany/Berkeley area pre-schools we visited which are nearly all White/Asian. We are white and want our children to grow up in a diverse enviroment. The activities and learning program are great. But the most important thing for us is that we have always felt that our children are happy and safe at CEC. read more

I have been with the Child Education Center (CEC) since Jan 2006 and I love this school. My older child and my niece went there and my younger child is currently there. The teachers are dedicated, warm, friendly, caring and they honestly LOVE children. Most have been there for over five or ten years, and a few for almost 20. It's a play-based school but they make sure all kids are prepared for kindergarten and they maintain contact with local schools to assure this happens. My older child has done great in elementary school, partly due to the foundation he received at CEC. They do a great job at teaching the kids how to resolve conflict so they learn valuable social skills. They regularly take the kids on walks around the neighborhood and to local parks. They also have music & dance and a local librarian comes to read to them. CEC offers summer swimming classes at the West Campus pool next door. They take field trips, such as to see The Nutcracker each December. They have a great yard with playhouses, a large sand box, toys, and both a small and large play structure so kids of all ages can climb and explore . It's a diverse school with a strong community of teachers and families. I love this school! read more

We started our son here at 14 months and he immediately blossomed. The teachers here are amazing. They are great communicators and always go out of their way to let us know how he is doing and what developments they are seeing. There are always structured activities throughout the day and the student body is incredibly diverse. As a co-op, the school engages parents in the operations and development and really brings the family together to create a supportive community around the school. We love this place and are so glad we made the decision to come here! read more

My daughter is so happy at CEC! She is presently in the Two's room and the teachers are so great. They have a lot of fun activities and my daughter is always happy to go to CEC each morning. read more