My babies, 2 & 4 now, have been attending since August 2016 so where do I start? When we pick them…read moreup, we are given a half sheet daily report that includes the day's menu, the focus of the week, if they napped, important notes on behavior or rewards, and even emojis to tell us what their mood was like that day: happy, quiet, tired, excited, etc. As a parent and educator, I find this form of communication helpful as well as convenient. Here is some work we have up this month. I'm always excited to see what they will bring home next! Thanks to the team at Lil Explorers

I'm writing this to share my experience and hopefully help other parents make an informed decision…read more My daughter is almost 1 1/2 years old and has been attending Lil Explorers since she was just 8 weeks old. Unfortunately, since the administration changed in October 2025, the quality of care has significantly declined. There has been a very high turnover rate with teachers, which creates an unstable environment for the children. One of my biggest concerns has been safety. My daughter was repeatedly bitten by the same child, and there were multiple instances where I was not informed. I only discovered the injuries after noticing marks on her arms and legs when she got home. At one point, my daughter was bitten four times in a single day. I reported this to child Care Licensing in California, and they conducted a visit to the facility the following week. After that, I felt there was a shift in how my daughter was treated. I began receiving reports that she was "biting" and "fighting," which had never been an issue before--either at home or previously at the school. What's most concerning is the lack of transparency and consistency. On multiple occasions, I've received completely different explanations from different staff members about the same incident. Most recently, I picked up my daughter and found a bite mark on her hand that I had not been informed about, and I was given three different stories by three different teachers. While the director may come across as professional, my experience has been that communication is inconsistent and not always truthful. I strongly encourage parents to do their due diligence by looking up the facility's licensing history on the California state website and reviewing any complaints. At the end of the day, we trust these facilities to protect and care for our children. Based on my experience, I no longer feel confident that this center is providing the level of care and supervision that children deserve. I also want to add that my experience wasn't always negative. My son attended this facility from the time he was a year old and graduated in summer 2025. During his time there, I had a wonderful experience. The staff was always loving, caring, and attentive, and I never had any issues. It was truly heartbreaking to see so many of those amazing teachers leave when the administration changed, because they made such a positive impact on my child and our family. Child Care Licensing state of California https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/child-care-licensing the facility license number is 153808662 and 153808664

I've never written a school review before, but Valley Montessori Academy has earned one…read more As parents, we all hope we're making the right decisions for our children, and enrolling our child here has been one of the best decisions we've made. The difference we've seen is incredible. Our child has become more confident, more independent, more curious, and genuinely excited about learning. The teachers are patient, kind, and truly invested in every child. They celebrate each child's unique personality while encouraging them to grow in ways that go far beyond academics. We've always felt like our child is known, valued, and cared for. What I appreciate most is the atmosphere. It's peaceful, organized, and full of positive energy. Every time I walk through the doors, I see children engaged, smiling, and learning with confidence. The communication with families has been excellent, and it's obvious that everyone who works here takes tremendous pride in what they do. This isn't just a school--it's a community that genuinely wants every child to succeed. If you're considering Valley Montessori Academy, I can honestly say I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend it. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found this school, and our family is thankful every day that our child is part of school.

We enrolled our son at VMA when he was 18 months old and, for several years, we were thrilled…read more Under the previous administration and teachers like Mrs. Marilyn and Mrs. Carolina, the school was a true community. We enjoyed cultural celebrations, field trips, and saw our son thrive. Unfortunately, the 2025-2026 school year brought a change in administration that has fundamentally altered the school. The welcoming environment is gone; field trips and community events have been eliminated, and most concerningly, the school has lost its credentialed Montessori staff. While the website claims to have AMS-certified and trained teachers, a quick search of the AMS registry shows the school is not a verified or accredited montessori school. We've witnessed high staff turnover and a lack of professional communication from the current administration like Oxana and Pilar. Don't get me started on the front office staff. After seeing the recent lack of classroom management and accountability, we can no longer recommend VMA. If you are looking for an authentic Montessori education with credentialed teachers, I strongly suggest doing thorough research before enrolling. Save your money and find a school that cares for their students and families.

I have grown up going to the oaks community church and I always heard good things about the…read morepreschool but now that I have my own toddler I've gotten to experience it first hand. Wow what a treat to know you can drop off your child and they will be loved, cared for, and shown God's love during their time. I can't express my gratitude enough for this place. Every staff member is kind and patient. They have such fun activities and new things happening all the time. They have great learning experiences and the kids learn new things every day! They've also done wonders helping with potty train, it's been amazing. Their prices are also so reasonable, they try to keep it low so they can serve the community and they take community connection. It's 2 years old up to elementary school because they have an after school and summer time program. I tell everyone I know who has a toddler to take them to OCC!

My kid goes here and they are so welcoming I enjoy him running in there ready to play. Its very…read moresecure and the staff pays attention your child. I love their devotion to the Lord and the dedication to the kids. It is also very well priced

Two of our children go here, and I literally can't think of anything about this school I would…read morechange. What a great place to trust with our children's formation.

We put our toddler here from age 1.5 to 2.5 and the year went by so fast. Her primary care takers…read morewere: 1) busy bees // Jennifer was the primary caretaker - our toddler had an adjustment period for the first 2-3 months (cried at drop off, etc.) but gradually liked her time here. she played, learned, and grew. I think the teachers were attentive for the most part, and kind. She did lose a pair of pants during her time in this class, and it was never found. 2) cuddly cubs // Deanna/Dorrie were the primary caretakers - our toddler was the best eater, always finished her lunch and excited for pick-up. lots of parallel playing here, and Dorrie always said she was the sweetest and obedient kid. never got into trouble. She did come home with a scratch on her arm, which another kid did to her, and we had to inform the teachers. What we love about this facility is the following: - our kid would come home with her own creations and artwork pretty often, at least 2-3 deliverables per week. that was really awesome. - they have parent teacher conferences (about 30 minutes long) to discuss progress made w/ your child, this was a useful session to have and share our own points of view, etc. - the facility is relatively new and they have events that are fun such as the halloween parade, mother's/father's day celebrations, etc. - plenty of parking in the lot, and you feel that the place is secure in terms of safety (locked doors, and the reception area has people at the front desk). What was a bit strange was the following: - they weren't upfront with us during enrollment that you should bring your own bedsheets and water bottle. we didn't know about it until 2-3 months into our class that we were suppose to bring our own. it would have been nice to have those expectations set up front. They made it seem like they were doing me a favor by providing bedsheet & paper cups. I mean give me a break, just tell me so I can bring my own. - billing was pretty lax, you basically submit a monthly check for tuition, and then they only give you a receipt if you ask for it. i had to do my own calculations to make sure that i was paying the right amount to include any fees, since they were pretty vague about what i owed

I can't believe that I haven't reviewed this gem yet…read more Lengthy review..... My wife and I relocated to Bakersfield after I got off of active duty. We're new here and don't have family, so welcoming our newborn into childcare was already daunting. The first place had her in the Kern County heat during the summer for 2+ hrs and second place made us to believe she was chunky. Needless to say, my wife and I lost a lot of sleep stressing about if our baby was safe and loved at day care, I even started working nights to ensure she didn't have to stay at the daycare "Lil Explorer's" for a lengthy period of time. Well, backing up two years ago, my wife and I toured Cal Ivy and she fell in love, me not so much. I was scared that one of their pet lizards would get loose and attack my baby while she was sleep "nonsense because the pets aren't in the classrooms for the babies." Well, low and behold, I called them up for a second tour and decided to give them a try. Instead of the pet lizzard getting loose- the love, empathy, and sense of security came out and drowned my entire family. My baby girl was in the most safe of hands with people who genuinely cared about her. She had such a blast and we were all so sad when she had to leave because we relocated to Houston, TX in August of 2019. God always has the final say! We ended up moving back to Bakersfield in Feburrary of 2020 and they had a spot for her. Our girl ran up to all of the staff and gave them hugs and I, of course because full of tears. It's an amazing experience seeing your child runaway to school and know she is protected and educated. She litteraly ran away from me at the front desk and was playing in her new class. Cal Ivy has been so good to our family and I know they will be good to yours " someone I reffered from another yelp review enrolled their kiddo and loved it." Thank you for always loving my baby and keeping her safe. We're so glad to be back home and have her in the safest, loving, enriching school in town!

This was called the Mercy Child Development Center until they decided to get out of the child…read moredaycare business several years ago. With facing impending closure and the possibility of the community losing such a invaluable child care service, Mr. Edward R. Paine stepped up and assumed financial responsibility and now Cal Ivy Prep has become the finest daycare facility in Bakersfield. I know this from personal experience because when my daughter first moved to Bakersfield her son was less than 1 year old and now he is 4-1/2 years old. He has been going to Cal Ivy all this time while his mother was working full time and completing her degree at CSUB. Since we lived locally at the time, I was afforded the opportunity of sometimes taking my grandson to daycare in the morning and picking him up in the afternoon. While spending time at Cal Ivy I got to know many of the the teachers, aids and admin staff. My distinct impression is that they are all caring, nurturing, compassionate and supportive people with good hearts. Oh I'm sure you could find a less expensive place to take your child if that is your prime criteria. However I can assure you that you will not find a finer daycare facility in which to leave the most precious gift in your life - your child.

This is a great school! Never have I ever met more caring and loving teachers. The class sizes are…read moresmall which is nice because it allows the teachers to give each child the attention they need. The director is always willing to bend over backwards in order to meet every child's needs and address any questions or concerns a parent might have. If you are looking for a preschool to send your child to, this is the one! You will not be sorry!

My son has been enrolled at First Experience Preschool for 3 years now and he absolutely loves it!…read moreStarting with the potty training classes right when he turned two years old and the teachers helping with every single step of the way. Now at almost 5 years old and his last summer here, we are sad to go. We love all the teachers and office staff. This preschool has helped him grow so much in all development areas. They also offer summer school and kindergarten. We highly recommend this preschool!

We love Ms. Lacy and Ms. Ashley. My child is two and had a really hard time with starting school…read more Ms. Ashley was so embracing and helpful with drop offs in the morning. She would take her and hold her throughout the morning. Ms. Lacy comes in the afternoons and seems to spend quite a bit of time with my daughter. She is my daughter's favorite. She is always super attentive and keeps me updated on how she does throughout the day.

No stars for this facility. They are understaffed, ignore children, and during recess a teacher…read moreleft classroom door open and no one realized my son was in there for a few minutes alone and then blamed it on him, called me and had me go pick him up for the day. My child came home with hair missing from his head and no one knew what happened. I pulled my son out of these as soon as I was able to. Do not recommend. Place should be shut down.

I made the EASIEST decision to withdraw my child from Childtime today, September 18, 2025 and I…read morestrongly urge other parents to do their research before enrolling. Please do not assume that paying a high tuition will guarantee your child better care--unfortunately, that was not my experience here. The only staff member who truly showed a teacher's spirit and a genuine, caring heart was Ms. Maria. She was the main reason we decided to enroll, as she is compassionate, nurturing, and clearly dedicated to children. Unfortunately, she was not my son's full-time teacher, and the quality of care he received otherwise was extremely disappointing. During his first week, when he was understandably adjusting to a new environment, he was not met with patience or understanding. Instead, he was ignored and even told that his emotions and behavior were an "inconvenience." Children--especially little ones experiencing big feelings--deserve patience, empathy, and guidance, not dismissal. The breaking point for us was an incident I personally witnessed on the school's live feed today: * My son and another child accidentally ran into each other and fell. Rather than addressing the situation fairly, the substitute teacher immediately singled my son out, instructed him to sit down, and then took away the small toys he had been playing with--leaving him visibly upset and confused. * Instead of comforting him, she ignored him. When she finally engaged, it was to point to the kiddo my son could go apologize--though he had done nothing wrong. * To make matters worse, when I called to address this with the front desk, I was hung up on. When I arrived at the school, the story I was told did not match what I had seen on the live feed. The substitute even responded to me with a message saying, "I apologize if it looked misleading," attempting to downplay what I CLEARLY observed. This kind of treatment is unacceptable, especially at a school where parents are paying nearly $300 per week for part-time care only 3 days a week. Every child is different and some need more support than others, but ignoring or mis handwriting their emotions is not the answer. Teachers should meet children with patience, love, and respect--not frustration and dismissal. IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES! BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARR PAYING THIS MUCH. My family is deeply disappointed by this experience. As a parent, my heart hurts knowing that my child was treated this way. I sincerely hope that Childtime takes this feedback seriously and reflects on the quality of care they are providing. Children deserve better.

My kids have gone to this childcare facility since they were babies. We love the leadership (Mary…read moreAnn, Jennifer, and Kelly) and their school age teacher (Sheila). My kids have had a great experience here and they're fully licensed, have great balanced meals and snacks, and maintain a rigorous learning through play program.

We love the Learning Experience! - They have an app that…read moreupdates you throughout your child's day - Key fob security doors - Take home workbooks from class to continue learning at home - Events where children, parents & teachers can socialize My child has learned so much in the past year she's been enrolled here. She started right after she turned 2 and just turned 3 this month. This past year she's learned to recite her A,B,C's, can count to 20, and even asks questions like "mom, do you think this toy will float?" All children learn at a different pace, and I love how personable the teachers are with learning my child's needs. I am excited to see what else my little one learns this upcoming year as she officially starts preschool.

Where do I even begin about this place. They paint a perfect picture from the inside to the…read moreoutside. But within their staff they have so much to be trained on. My son came here when he was 8 months old and had difficulty reaching some milestones. They treated him like he was a waste of their time. From major injuries that were never related back to their licensing to lying about injuries about my son to me. I had to get licensing involved on this place and full investigations on their negligence. Injuries as bad as my son having to lose two front teeth due to their negligence. They don't value the children and the parents that pay so much money to have their kids enrolled at this center. Their directors are hardly ever there. Kacey had a vendetta against us for no reason. To the point that we were taken off our sons app without even notifying us and missing out on saving photos from those previous months in infant class before we completely took him out of there, they go through "teachers" like crazy. Half of them aren't even teachers. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND this center to a parent. Not after what happened to my son and how we were treated. I will continue to inform every parent as much as I can about the negligence of this center. Don't be fooled by them. My review will of course probably be deleted as other negative reviews have been for this place. Please don't fail to look up their licensing through social services as there have been other reports on there of them being negligent and leaving children unattended in a classroom.

The 2 year old reviews drew my attention. I'll admit now…read moreplease be careful considering this "Christian" pre school. Past few weeks Stepping Stones have been having trouble with staff. The director, teacher ,and 2 staff quit on the spot wich forced us out for 1 week due to being understaffed. The owner Andres had no choice to step up and assist. My wife witnessed some harsh discipline Andres grabbing and 2 year old boy by the arms rasing him eye level shaking to get attention and yelling at him because he threw an object at Andres, Andres then put him down grabbed a hold of a wrist and picked him up to his feet dragging the kid to "timeout". I'm glad that 2 of his staff witnessed this and is cooperating with us. This incident lead us to withdraw from the program. The current director facilitated a meeting. At the meeting Andres wanted no part in discussing the discipline matters. After withdrawing I requested a remaining refund since we are mid month. He stated we signed and agreed for a 2 week notice. How can someone in this scenario notify? Andres was short tempered over voicing me and my wife. I asked for license information wich he refused to hand me until the 3rd time asked. Andres (owner) shall lead by example to his staff. The parents to the little boy are now aware of this situation. We hope by this message here to shine light and aware all parents of this event. We will be filing a complaint to the state board.

This is a follow-up review as our great Niece has completed her year at Stepping Stones Christian…read more Preschool. We're so impressed with the accomplishments she's achieved during this time. She looked forward to each day with such excitement not only for the interaction with her classmates but the classroom participation with lesson plans, outdoor activities and seasonal crafts and demonstrations. We also noticed her improvement of additional vocabulary and comprehension. She is so excited to become a Kindergarten student and will be able to use her acquired new skills. Our thanks to the staff and wish you all continued success, we loved being part of your "Family" !