Our family has trusted KinderCare for our childcare needs over the past 12 years, from 2012 through 2024, for all three of our children. As our youngest child's last day is tomorrow (he starts kindergarten next week), I felt compelled to finally write a review and share how fortunate we've been to have our kids grow and develop under the care of the wonderful teachers at Del Mar Highlands KinderCare. Most recently, our son was guided by Miss Amanda and Miss Ghada in the Pre-K class, and we feel confident that he will enter kindergarten with enthusiasm, confidence, and well-developed social skills. Miss Amanda was also the Pre-K teacher for our older two children (now in 7th and 5th grades), and she has played a significant role in their early education. We will all miss her dearly! If we had to do it all over again, we wouldn't hesitate to choose this KinderCare location. read more

Both my kids have gone here since they were 5 months old. One is in pre-K and the other in the toddler class. This school has been great! The communication is very good and both my kids love their teachers! The director and assistant director (Kristina and Simone) are very friendly and always make a point to say good morning and give a big smile to the kids! Overall, I'm very happy with our experience here and I can't recommend it enough. read more

They NEVER have a spot for your toddler. Be AWARE when they ask you to pay $50 on waiting list. After the 3rd year, they contacted me finally to enroll the pre-K program. But my kid is almost 4 years he was already in another program. When I asked if my second kid could join the waitlist for Toddler program, they asked me to pay $50 again and the wait is endless. They knew that they don't have a spot for toddler for sure, but they still give you hope and ask you to pay. This daycare is a scam! read more

Del Mar Highlands Preschool was a life-saver. I had friends visiting. They put their 7 year old into a YMCA, leaving a 2 plus toddler feeling abandoned. After many calls I found Highlands accepted drop ins. While there was the often seen crying at separation, and crying at pickup on the first day, every day was better. As we came to pick him up on the 5th day, there was no crying. At home we could see that our toddler was communicating, in not just single words but saying, "I love you" and "let's go." I am a certified teacher with a PhD, so I can see when teachers are good. Five stars for Highlands, and a big thank you. read more

My experience with Kindercare has been amazing, my two kids 7 and 5 today have been part of KinderCare since they were 5 months old. We have seen teachers leave and return as well as Directors but the transition has been smooth. Always informed of what is going on with the kids, staff is very approachable and we are able to ask as well as receive feedback. Miss Amanda Mrs Ghana in pre-k are making sure my 5 years old is going to be ready for Kindergarten as Ms Amanda did for my 7 years old. The love, care and overall dedication to the kids is beyond expectations. I can just thank them for all these years. The cost may seem high but the flexibility, schedule, certification, experience,, curriculum and food quality justify it. read more

We've had 2 kids here and all the teachers we've encountered have been wonderful and seem to genuinely care about the kids. I think as with most childcare nowadays, there's quite a bit of turnover but the staff works well to cover the transitions and has been responsive to us as parents and supportive of the kids in class. We've seen ours kids develop quite a bit socially from being there, going from being very shy and nervous to being able to communicate with more confidence and interacting well with friends and teachers. We have been happy with the great environment provided by the team there. read more

We have two kids in school here (pre-k, and 2yr). The facility is very nice and new. Rooftop outdoor area where they do lots of playtime. Inside is updated and easy to navigate. The teachers are all very sweet and nurturing. Pre-K (ms Amanda, ms dayna) are extremely kind. Our four year old is doing sight words, some reading, Spanish words, and learning some basic civics. Very happy with them and setting her up for kindergarten. Same for 2yr class that son is in - just less curriculum (which makes sense being two). But they are always reading or building or doing something constructive. The site and regional directors are really nice too. They are patient with parents asking lots of questions about parking spaces and other silly stuff - but they take every comment seriously and seek resolution. As happy as we are with our kids here, can easily be 5/5 stars, it is pretty costly 350 to 450mo depending on kid. I know that's the nature of child care - but cost matters read more

I rarely write any reviews, but I genuinely want to share my great experience and positive feedbacks on Del Mar Highlands KinderCare where my daughter went for the past 3 years. When we moved to San Diego, we looked at couple preschools for my daughter, we were not happy with any of them until we visited Del Mar Highlands KinderCare where the facility is clean and bright with very nice playground on the rooftop. I also like their hours which give you the flexibility to drop you kids early in the morning if needed. Yet the best part that impressed me the most over the years is the quality of the teachers at the facility who are all very professional and super kind and caring for all the students. My daughter loves her teachers and she is always excited to go to school. She was very lucky to have Ms Roxana and Ms Amanda at the Three's and pre-K where she learned so much. I also love that they let the kids expose to other languages by teaching them counting and basic words in other languages like Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean, etc. Another thing that I appreciate is that during COVID, they only had around three months mandatory shutdown and they were able to reopen soon after and remained open by closely following the guidelines to ensure the safety of the kids and teachers. There are many more good things and wonderful memories that we had with Del Mar Highlands KinderCare that we hold closely to our hearts. read more

We have attended 4 other schools in the area... and none of them come close to the love, care, attention that this school provides to each and every kid. I'm an EXTREMELY involved parent... always around to partake, be involved, help and truly know the staff and in's and out's of the school. Every semester / year .. I am more amazed, and in love with the staff and school environment it provides to my 3 children attending here. The unconditional love, support, attention, and truly caring about each and every child's education and well being is so heart warming I only wish we knew sooner about Horizon Prep. read more

We had the pleasure of having our son in the pre-k program for 2 years. We feel so lucky to have had the best experience at this center. Mrs. Amanda was our son's teacher. She is the absolute best teacher that makes every single day a fun, creative, and wonderful learning experience for the kids. Our son has learned so much! It's so impressive all of the areas they cover in this program. Because of Mrs. Amanda and their program, now our son is very well prepared for Kindergarten this fall. His reading, writing, math, confidence and he can count to 30 in four languages. My husband and I couldn't be more thankful and blessed we chose KinderCare. The center is clean, very well-maintained, and they put so much effort into making sure the center has a wide variety of items for projects. Thank you so much KinderCare and Mrs. Amanda for everything!!! We will miss you all! read more

I have both of my kids attend Kindercare Del Mar. I am happy with the service they provide. Staff and the director are friendly, cooperative and accommodating. Some of the teachers I interacted with such as Ms. Simone, Ms. Roxanna, Ms. Amanda and Ms. Gada are wonderful, in-addition to the director Ms. Kristina. Overall positive experience. read more

This center really cares about your kids! My son absolutely loved it here both times he attended. He had so much fun and loved his teachers. He also loved the water days and playing on the playground on the roof. The center director seemed to be everywhere at once and was super responsive. Thank you, KinderCare!!! read more

Caution- this school can get very costly. They only allow two weeks (at half rate) for the entire calendar year. It doesn't matter if your child gets sick or takes a medical leave of absence. Only TWO weeks per year. So be cautious. By the time the holidays come around and your kiddo has already missed a few weeks, you'll be flushing $359/ week just to hold their spot in the classroom. Such a disappointment. There's also a such thing as "diaper debt" which nobody communicated to us until it was too late. These people are manipulative penny pinching BULLIES. Also my child has been consistently sick since he started there. Ridiculous. read more

My son attended to this school for few months. Before that school we went to Le Port Montessori for 1,5 year and did great!! After we moved to Del Mar area, we decide to find preschool that closer to our house. KinderCare had few spots left and we decide to try. I didn't feel that teachers was warm and Harry opened... they didn't spent time with my son to introduce him to new school, feel him safe, feel him like at home... wasn't passions and cared... in second week my son started to tell that he doesn't like this school...he is very sensitive and shy boy, but teachers didn't make him feel good in that place. School itself is nice, good materials, environment... but Staff are not the best! Feel like they all work from salary to salary.... finally when my son didn't want to listen teacher one day, director came and pulled him out of room (he didn't want to sleep but he has to!!!) , he scratched her and she called me and he voice was very angry and nervous. I came to office and she told me we cannot longer provide him a service!!! So Unprofessional!! I paying money for preschool and this is teachers job to make every student feel good and comfortable. They didn't like my son, I feel it... so I decide to take him out of this place immediately. 1 star ! read more

I honestly would give this place 0 stars if that were an option. This review is for the infant and 2's classroom. Coming from the east coast, we have high expectations for day cares. On the tour, I asked the assistant director about curriculum. She raved about Kindercare's curriculum and how it's incorporated in everything they do throughout their day. There is NO curriculum in the 2's classroom. We were told that we'd get pictures throughout the day for our infant in the infant room. There were NO pictures. Not even once. The piece of paper that documented their day was pretty bare. It would just say how many times they had a BM or wet diaper, what they ate and how much and nap times. In the 2's classroom we got 1-2 words describing what they did. Literally 1-2 words. We signed our child up for the phonics program they offer twice a week. Keep in mind, we paid extra for this. Often times phonics was cancelled but when they did have phonics, we got a generic card that stayed what the lesson was on for that day. Now to the director..not a warm and inviting person by any means. Any time I had a concern or question, she would roll her eyes when I'd enter her office. She's quite rude and doesn't seem to want to be around kids. This is the only place I've ever been where the director doesn't greet you everyday when you walk in or say goodbye when you leave. She never knew the answers to my questions because "she didn't run that part of the program". You're the director, you should know everything that happens in your daycare. In the short 5 months we were here, my son went through 3 teachers and thankfully our favorite teacher in the infant room left after we left. I think a previous reviewer said it best when he said to enroll your child here if it's the last resort and I 100% agree. If you're on a waitlist somewhere else and have no choice but to enroll them here for the time being then do what you have to do, but best to avoid it all together. read more

The location of this childcare is quite bad, when they are outside the children are playing just a few feet from a road, with not even a hedge to keep the pollution away. At least the traffic on this road is not too bad. That might also be the reason why they are not letting the kids outside as much as it would suit them (barely half an hour per half day). Children are not hungry, but the food is far from excellent: pizzas, pastas, tacos and hamburgers almost every day! Clearly the center has no interest in developing the taste buds of the children. Classrooms are cramped. The center tries to fill its classes to the maximum number of kids legally allowed. That means that they will sometimes not have a place when it is time for your child to access the next class. Tells us a lot about management! One year our class saw 6 teachers! It is a two teachers classroom, but it is still a lot. I could only gather than one of them found a position with a better salary (makes us wonder where our money goes, but this is clearly a corporation center). I do not really care about what the children are learning, I do not wish to make them scholar monkeys or train them for a circus by teaching how to read or write before school. Yet, their day seem pretty boring and repetitive: how many times did they spoke of Old Mac Donald in the last years! Also, the policy for socialization and behavior is quite fuzzy. Sometimes the teachers even complain about the child behavior in class! Of course it is really easy for us parents to make the children understand, but I would have expected better authority for professionals in particular with such small kids! On the plus side, the teachers love the children, and the children love them too. read more

My son attended this location for over 5 years and during that time we completed the entire curriculum. While teachers come and go (some excellent others good), what makes this center special is the director and her assistant director. Having a child with medical issues, we were primarily concerned with staff following protocols (food and otherwise). The management at this location run a very "tight ship" and insured that our child was cared for and that any deviation was communicated with us immediately and resolved. In the end, our review is based upon two primary considerations, was our child happy and did we feel that he was taken care of with the utmost of care? The answer to both of those questions are a definite yes. read more

The toilet is very high, not suitable for kids, little boys need to use a stool as a tool then go pee. Some teachers are not enough enthusiasm and patience, especially, the Director is very beautiful, but isn't very nice. My daughter doesn't feel happy in one month, so we have changed other preschool. New preschool is better than here. read more

My son went to this location since he was 11 and a half month old. He was only there for a very short period time since we moved to OC shortly after that. However, the teachers in toddler's class are very patient and loving. They made his first daycare experience a positive experience. read more

I'm keeping this anonymous as my child still attends Kindercare. The only reason we haven't transferred is because of the associations he/she has made with other students. There are great teachers and there are average teachers. The thing that is disheartening is that the facility does not utilize the better teachers in stronger roles that would be the most beneficial for the children. KinderCare corporate needs to get their act together and replace the director Lorena. She is extremely cold. I'm shocked the cold stares and eye daggers don't freeze the parents in their tracks. She is the least friendly person in a similar type of role I've ever come across. Is it that hard to crack a smile? Apparently, I'm not the only parent that feels this way. Maybe she's going through something...I don't know. If that's the case then, well... Figure it out i guess. She's not fit for the role. The one thing I want my child to be in life is NICE. If only the director could demonstrate this. On the other hand, the assistant director Katrina is very different. She acknowledges you with a smile. She listens to your concerns. As a side note: I wouldn't be surprised if a really good "fake" review appeared here in a few days to counteract this one. It's sad. But most probable. You will never find a preschool that is perfect. This is working for us right now. But we are in the process of placing our child on waitlist's at other facilities. The main reason is the director. read more

This has been a great daycare for our son! They clearly care about him and have helped guide us through all his stages as he is our only child. He is constantly surprising me with how much he has learned. Before he was two he could count to ten in English and Spanish due to his teachers at Kindercare. Also, since he is an only child they have taught him how to play with other children and share. I am amazed when I see him interact with kids on the playground. They also do crafts which have improved his hand and eye coordination. Each month we get a letter and learn about the curriculum. They send home photos showing him working on the projects. If he is having a bad day that concerns them because he is not eating or seems upset they have called us to give us a heads up- not waited to write it on his daily sheet. Our son has been very happy here. He usually hasn't even fussed much when getting dropped off and even likes some teachers so much that he runs to hug them hello! The new facility is great- clean, updated and with little potty's in the room and a low sink to wash hands. The location is convenient, even drop off and pick up are easy and they listen to parents concerns about safety. They are adding in an additional barrier to the parking lot since some parents suggested it. Overall it is a great daycare! read more

Great school! Director is very friendly and helpful. Teachers are wonderful. The curriculum is great and everyday is filled with so much learning! Love this place. read more

We were very happy with the teachers at this location, they were all loving and nurturing with our son for the two years we had him there. We couldn't have asked for better, more individualized care. He was very happy and loved his teachers. The director Lorena, however, is rude, insensitive and very difficult to interact with. We had confidence in the care our son was receiving but dealing with Lorena made the total experience drop 2 stars (at least). read more

I have given several positive Yelps so trust that this one is real. Big disappointment. Infant and toddler teachers have high turnover. There is ZERO curriculum: colors, names, body parts etc. They nickel and dime you when possible. The director is nice, but I am surprised she and the faculty don't have an interest in actually "teaching" these children.. Unless in a pickle I would consider elsewhere.. read more

My Daughter has been attending KinderCare at the Del Mar location and it has been a blessing to our family knowing that she is such good care with loving teachers watching her and showing her love while we are at work all day! My daughter can't wait to go see her teachers and friends she has made over the years. Best thing is that my wife and I have "piece of mind" while at work knowing that our daughter is in great hands! read more

Our family is extremely pleased with our daughter's experience at KinderCare. Our daughter has enrolled at Kindercare since she was 5 months old and is now in the 2's classroom. The staff is professional, knowledgeable and diverse. The director, Mrs. Lorena, is always accessible, extremely responsive and makes an earnest attempt to know all the kids and their needs. All of our daughter's teacher are and have been wonderful. You can tell that the teachers love what they do, they are pleasant, energetic and well-trained in child development. We receive information about our daughter's instructional program and are able to reinforce the same skills at home. Our daughter benefits from the structure and content of the instructional day. We love the daily communication from our daughter's teachers. We receive feedback on her eating habits, behavior/moods, instructional goals, what her experiences during the day, and special notes from the teachers. Our daughter is safe and happy. Our daughter's language development has increased tremendously since coming to Tutor Time. As an only child, we were concerned that our daughter would lack critical social skills. To our surprise, her social skills have developed dramatically through the social experiences she has had at Kindercare. Additionally, our daughter has developed a love for books, our daughter loves books now. They provide a clean and safe environment; I also like the fact that art is included on a regular basis as it is just as important as learning in our home. They take the time to call you if you should know something before you pick up your child and don't mind how many times you call to check on your beloved one. During our daughter's transition to the 2's classroom which was very difficult for her, I received many updates to include pictures of my smiling toddler during the day. That reassured me and I had a piece of mind. Kudos to Mrs. Lorena and her entire staff for providing such a great environment for children! Kindercare is the perfect match for our daughter. We wouldn't go anywhere else. read more