Hand in Hand is a great preschool/daycare center. My daughter was aging out of her previous infant…read morecenter and I wanted to keep her with her "baby friends". I visited several centers but chose HIH based on several factors: 1. Yes, several "baby friends" were attending HIH. 2. The outside play area is awesome! 3. The staff are amazing. Shelly, the director has been with HIH for 20+ years. That says a lot about a place that they have had the same director for that long. Also, when there is staff turnover, the rigorous training the teachers are put through speaks to the level of care involved in finding the right fit for the school. Like the previous daycare my children have attended, the food is made in house which is important to me. Children can be picky eaters and HIH tries hard to be creative with the menu while ensuring the food is nutritious and also appetizing to small kids. Loving is the only word you need to describe HIH. The staff is loving. Hugs are freely given and frequent which is very important. I love hugs from my children and I am so appreciative that the staff at HIH love hugs as much as I do. All in all this place is awesome and my review is not doing it justice.

I would highly recommend Hand in Hand (HIH)…read more TEACHERS: HIH strikes a great balance between providing structure for kids and letting them be kids. Our daughter had a difficult transition into facility-based care. Shelley (the director) and Amy (a teacher) responded with warmth, consistency and kindness... and gave our daughter (and her worried parents) lots of love and hugs. There have been staff changes lately, but I think that is pretty consistent with the industry. Also, the director and at least one teacher have been there for many years. I have found the the staff to be extremely responsive to any concerns that I have. They are very communicative. They treat children as individuals and nurture their creativity. Instead of being punitive, they focus on positive alternatives and how to be kind. PLAY and ACTIVITIES: One of the big draws of HIH is a huge outdoor play area. They have a garden, play house, toys and a bike track. They let the kids spend a lot of time outside, and even have water play in the summer. They keep the kids very active and do not show movies except one or two special days a year. They have a musician who comes to HIH on a regular basis and plays guitar and sings with teh children. FOOD: I really like that HIH has a cook on site. The meals are fresh and always include a vegetable. They seem healthy and interesting. THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE HIH EVEN BETTER: I would love to see HIH offer only organic foods and cut out all sugary snacks and juice... even if this meant charging more. I also really wish that HIH would develop a stronger spanish language program. They make an effort to read some books and do some activities in Spanish, but it would be great for the kids to get more immersion. Again, I would highly recommend HIH. I think the staff really loves and respects children... but get on the waiting list early, it can take a while to get a spot.

This place has done wonders for our son. They're on it with…read morethe kids. They have taught him potty training, his name, numbers, letters, shapes, etc. We would recommend them

Crap is an understatement. I had 2 year old girl, 4 year old boy and a 6 year old boy here. First…read moreproblem was the way my 2 year olds teacher would communicate. I dont know if that woman had a learning disability or if she just didnt like my kid but calling me multiple times when Im at work to tell me "your daughters not listening and trying to run outside can you come pick her up?" No I cant, I work so you people can get paid, do these teachers not know how to redirect a 2 YEAR OLD and keep them from running out the door? Its pretty simple, ive been doing it for years and im not even trained with kids. After that incident they told me she couldnt come back for 3 days. The day we brought her back she bit someone and they immediately kicked her out. Every preschool and daycare ive talked to since then told me they were wrong for doing that and shouldve handled it differently. I only wanted to bring my child here because she was familiar with a teacher from another daycare that recently started working there. 2nd problem, my children stopped going there in october of 2022 and this daycare was sending attendance forms to child action for november and december. My children were not going there at that time. So they were trying to get extra money from the county for my children that no longer attended that daycare. Idk if this was a racial thing or what but whatever it was, was a mistake because ive lived in Rancho my whole life, I know alot of people out here and I will always tell anyone with kids not to waste their time with this place. My kids go to kindercare now and they love it. So much different and they dont do illegal stuff! Its great! Beware genius kids and the people who work there.

Terrible. I still have couch regret and nightmares about what my baby could have been going through…read moreat this school. Don't let the nice building fool you. My child had injury after injury. They were definitely hurting him. So glad I got him up out of there.

My baby started attending at 3 months and it has been a wonderful experience so far. The staff and…read moreleadership are very warm and welcoming. They are excellent communicators and I love their system to keep parents connected throughout the day. my daughter has a great attachment to her teachers Ms. Lydia and Ms. Sam. We appreciate them so much and are happy with our decision to put our daughter here!

I have been so happy with my child's experience at MITC, and it's because of the amazing teachers…read moreand staff. The two head principals, Ms Brenda and Ms Kristen, set the tone for the whole school and have amazing teachers in every classroom. The school has toys and activities for the children's developmental level, and wonderful events sprinkled throughout the year for the families to interact. The winter show/art auction is ADORABLE and so well planned. So much thought and care is put into this school and I wish my daughter had attended since infancy - she made great friends and memories. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

We had our 4 year old here for a little over a year. it was our first Montessori experience and we…read morehad high expectations. Ultimately, we decided to withdraw him after several concerns about the daily structure and care. The most significant issue was a 3-hour daily nap/rest period. Since our child no longer naps, he was expected to remain on a mat for extended periods, sometimes becoming distressed and even crying before school. Upon enrollment we were told that kids who didn't nap were taken outside to play. However, after facing staff shortages over the past few months, there were days when all kids had to remain on the mat, silent for 3 hours. Unfortunately, the school did not communicate this with us. But they did confirm the practice after my son explained what was going on. Additionally, the food provided did not align with what was described in the handbook, with frequent processed foods and sugary items. Overall, this program may work for families whose children nap for long periods and are comfortable with the 3 hours per day of nap/rest. But, it was not a good fit for our child's needs and we were disappointed on the lack of transparency regarding this practice.

Our daughter started in the infant program this September, and she does really well there. Every…read morestaff member we've encountered is amazing, all of the teachers we've interacted with are so kind and patient with the infants, and communication is always so clear and thorough. The school is very well-maintained, and the kids all genuinely seem very happy here. I have yet to hear tantrum screams or cries from some of the older kiddos! We always get daily pictures, and our girl is always smiling, playing curiously, and really engaging with the activities they have.

Our son started in the Beginner Room in April of this year at the brand-new location on 11th Ave,…read moreand we couldn't be happier with our experience so far. The school is absolutely beautiful--always spotless--and the safety and security measures in place give us such peace of mind every day. Ms. Shelby was incredible in helping our son transition into a new environment. She was patient, caring, and even helped us with potty training, which made such a big difference for our family. Now that he's moved up to the Intermediate class, we're amazed at how much he's learned and grown. He talks nonstop about his teachers, Ms. Kat and Ms. Alexis--we can tell how much he loves being around them. His excitement about school says it all. Everyone we've met at the school has been so sweet, welcoming, and supportive. You can really feel the sense of community and care here. I recommend this school to anyone who asks. We're so grateful to be part of it! -Adriana Hernandez

The new director is fantastic and personable and easy to talk to. She genuinely loves kids and…read moreloves being able to make an impact so they are successful when they move on.

My experiences with this daycare has been great. Wonderful staff and a great area. The quality of…read morethis place is outstanding. I definitely feel like my boys have a safe space being here, they've been going here since infant stage going on 3/4 years, so they grew up here. Them being able to grow up in an environment with great people around them is what matters most to me and so far this place has made a great impression of being just that for my two boys. If there is ever a problem, they are quick to fix any issues. They have you're best interest. Highly recommend!

My child was kicked out today. Let me tell you why. Because I told them I had to switch schools…read more This is due to them suddenly telling me after 8 months of attending that they can watch children past a 10 hour mark. Well I work as a float and am usually at that 10 hour or just after. Well suddenly they are enforcing this just to be jerks. No notice, just picking her up and nope. Last day! Thanks oh so much. In general they are subpar to most other daycare. Lots of TV and no real curriculum. Old grungy place. Good riddance! Choose somewhere better. They are just being petty

My daughter has attended Citrus Heights Preschool since she was 2 and she is now 5. She is now in…read morekindergarten but still goes to CHPS before and after school. The main reason I'm giving 5 stars is because of the love and comfort my daughter has for her teachers there. When she first got there she clang to Vanessa and as time went on she teacher hopped and every one of these ladies is amazing, loving and caring. From the beginning Vanessa, Patty, Tracy, Mrs. Lee, Sansi, and Mrs. Janet have all been like family. Just to give one example of how amazing the teachers are at this school; one day my daughter broke her shoe while at school and instead of calling me in the middle of work Mrs Patty went and bought her a new pair of shoes to go get through the day. I truly thank them for the love, nurture and support they've provided my daughter. My husband and I love our Citrus Heights preschool family!

My wife and I are thrilled with the care and overall development our two children received during…read moretheir three years at Building Blocks. We were especially impressed with our son's readiness for pre-kindergarten as he entered this next level of education. He is currently in the top 3% of his class, which we strongly believe is a result of the strong educational foundation and overall development he gained at Building Blocks. After being tested to assess his academic levels, he showed a high level of acumen in vocabulary, spelling, and reading comprehension. In addition to his academic growth, we have also noticed significant development in his social and emotional skills, particularly in how he interacts with other students in his class. We are extremely grateful to have had Building Blocks play such an important role in our children's early years, and we feel very fortunate to have been part of such a supportive and nurturing environment. Sincerely, Kenny & Rea McDaniel

Building Blocks Daycare has been incredible! As a nervous first time mom, it can be scary trusting…read moreanother individual with your baby. But Sandra and her staff have been so caring, helpful and communicative in my daughter's care. At the end of the day when I pick her up she is always happy! I love seeing her report card for the day detailing her eating and sleeping habits (it's such a bonus that she sleeps so well there!). Her prices for care are very reasonable and I also just prefer supporting a small business over those huge daycare centers. Although it's a daycare, Sandra operates just like a preschool with great crafts, lessons and social emotional learning that makes all the kids so engaged. Simply said, we're big fans!