My wife and I sent both our children to Joyce Kids Care, and we're so grateful for the excellent early education she provided. This is why we chose Joyce Kids for our daughter (now 5) and son (now 3) to get them ready for preschool: EXPERIENCED TEACHERS IN A SAFE, WELCOMING HOME ENVIRONMENT - Our daughter, a pandemic baby, started Joyce Kids Care at the age of 2 to develop her social skills. As a toddler, she was initially shy around new people, but within a few months of daily lessons (with illustrations!), she grew into a confident, outgoing leader who loves reading and drawing. Our wild-child son attended Joyce Kids Care from the age of 1-3, and the teachers were instrumental in helping him use his words, develop an appreciation for music and apply his rambunctious energy to solving puzzles. Joyce was especially patient in reinforcing his potty training. FAST, DIRECT COMMUNICATION - We enjoy the daily photos that Joyce and her teachers text us, so we stay up to date on our children's progress. Joyce is always prompt with communication, and we know that we can count on her candid, professional guidance for raising happy, independent, well-adjusted kids. FLEXIBILITY: Joyce's flexible hours are super-compatible with our working schedules. Reliable days of operation, plus generous pick-up/drop-off time slots, takes the chaos out of our daily routine with small children. Joyce has been such an important part of our family's life; she understood each of our children's different needs and strengths, giving them a head start for a lifetime of learning. We highly recommend Joyce Kids Care for families seeking attentive, high-quality care for their young children! read more

Joyce Kids Care - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - San Mateo, California

As first-time parents, we were very concerned about providing a safe, engaging environment for our kiddo, and we put ourselves on the waitlist for several daycare providers. We were so happy when Joyce called us to say a spot had opened up as she was one of our top choices! Our son started with Miss Joyce in 2023 when he was about 9 months old and LOVES it there; sometimes on weekends, he asks to go see her! He has lots of fun and has learned so much both academically (ABCs, counting) and socially (how to put away his toys and how to share). Every morning when we drop him off and Joyce answers the door, he gives her a hug and pushes through the door without so much as a goodbye to us - lol! It's also evident how much Joyce really loves the kids based on how she cares for them. She sends the kids home with detailed notes on their activities (naps, what they ate, potty times). She also takes the time to really learn about and nurture kids based on their needs. For example, she works specifically with our son on patience because that's something he lacks, and during pickups and drop offs, she will give tips/tricks if she sees challenging behaviors. She takes the kids to the neighborhood park or lets them play in the fenced yard when it's nice outside and she's always provides the kids snacks and fruit. Other pros include that she is open on many holidays that we don't get off from work, she is so kind and flexible if we happen to be running a few minutes behind, and her rates are very reasonable for the service and care she provides. They say it takes a village to raise a child and we are so happy to have Joyce as part of our village. She's helped our child grow from a busy little infant to a sweet, smart, rambunctious, funny little boy. Sadly, our little guy will be heading off to preschool this fall, but we've already reserved our spot for his younger brother! read more

Can't say enough wonderful things about Joyce's! Our son is always well cared for and he's learned so much there. We love seeing photos of him in the classroom and exploring new activities with his friends. Joyce has been so easy to work with and it feels like family. read more

We highly recommend Joyce's daycare! Our son started in Joyce's care when he was just 6 months old and has been attending for 1.5 years now. He has always been well cared for and we appreciate receiving pictures of the kids daily plus getting a report of his eating, nap, and diaper changing schedule. He's grown and developed so much during the time he's been there, and I'm sure the lessons and social exposure from daycare have contributed greatly. We're very grateful to Joyce and her teachers for the care they've given our son and the service they provide to the community. read more

updating our review: We've been with Joyce for 2 years now and are sad that it's time for our daughter to move on to the next step. Joyce has become family to us and has watched our daughter grow from a crawling infant to a very talkative, independent, and very opinionated toddler! (and its all thanks to the care and teaching at Joyce's). Our baby has learned to socialize, share, count, sing , and knows her alphabet all by the age of two. She's so prepared now to move on to preschool and preK. Things we loved : - flexible hours - Joyce never takes a holiday, she open almost all year round (closed on major holidays), she works so hard and never takes a vacation (great for us though lol). Even some of the older kids who moved on, come back to Joyce's for a few days cause their preschool is ridiculously closed for two week vacation - we get photos and updates throughout the day - very understanding with sick kids , while still keeping a healthy environment (no covid or stomach flu, or flu, or hand foot mouth breakouts in the years we been there!) - all the kids get along, and we've made life long friends here with the kids and parents. - price remains competitive even with some raises throughout the year if you are reading this, thank you Joyce for everything and for the care and love you've provided our daughter. read more

We've had our daughter enrolled through Joyce's kids care for almost three years (1-4 years of age), which were some of the most important years of our daughters early developmental life. * Joyce will make your children feel safe. Regardless of family or life situation, Joyce cares about each child coming through, and it's evident through her detailed schedules and observations she shares. Each child will go home with a note of what times they ate, slept, pottied, and she will share in person her observations. * Joyce is flexible with schedules. As parents, our time isn't our own - so we end up being late, forgetting things, etc. Joyce has been very accommodating- whether it's pickups, drop offs, or food items - she's prepared * Joyce ensures a healthy developmental environment. My daughter learned a lot of songs, ABCs, and even socially interacting with other kids. I would definitely chose Joyce again if I had another kid! read more

Our son (2yo) has been going to Joyce's for over a year now. We love the daily photos that show what's he learning and him playing happily. It's clear he loves it as well since he's eager to run inside every morning. He comes home singing new songs, showing us new skills (randomly leap frogged the other day??), and has really grown his fundamentals like numbers and letters. Joyce is also honest - she tells us updates to his mood (i.e. if he's been extra happy or grumpy that day), notes when he hates our lunch, etc. We especially appreciate Joyce's flexibility since our work schedules can be early and/or long at times. It's hard to find another place this understanding and have our son love it as much as he does. read more

Our son attended Joyce's daycare for almost 2 years. If we can give Joyce's 10 stars we will. Joyce and her staff did a good job overall. They are very caring and teach the kids very well. They always keep the kids safe. She gives daily update with pictures, which we love. Our son always goes home clean, well-fed and happy. She is very exceptional and very flexible with schedule. She treats kids like her own. Very thankful for what she did to our son. Highly recommended as best place to take your kids to daycare. read more

If you don't want to read an entire review then: 1) Your kid will be safe here 2) They will be prepared for preschool really quickly - as they learn a ton 3) all the kids get along, which says a lot about Miss Joyce and the staff But if you want all the reasons why...read on. What are you looking for from a child care provider? For me the top one bar none is my child's safety. It's absolutely terrifying leaving your kid with someone that you don't know. But I can tell you after having our child at Miss Joyce for the past 18 or so months, that you have nothing to fear. It took our son about a week to adjust, but since then he loves going to school and seeing his friends AND teachers! And every day at pickup he comes rushing out happy and laughing. What more could you ask for? Miss Joyce and the rest of the staff are all very kind and caring to the kids. They teach the kids all kinds of things, my son comes home singing songs that I've never heard and saying things/phrases that I would never have expected. We've also become friends with the parents of his friends and all of them have loved having their kids here. We're all amazed at how Miss Joyce handles all the kids and how smart they all are. Our oldest is now ready to move to a preschool and that;s the only reason we're leaving for now as once our second is old enough, we are definitely sending him to Miss Joyce as well. read more

Our son, Kamryn, has been going to this daycare for the last few months and he seems super happy. We live in the neighborhood, and every time we are on a walk and he passes the house he gets very excited and yells "Teacher Joyce!" Kamryn has attended part time (8-12, three days a week) which was very challenging to find. Joyce has been very flexible with our schedule, and even offered makeup days when Kamryn was out sick. When he's at school, Joyce sends us pictures daily. The kids seems to learn while having a structured routine which is helpful for Kamryn given his age and his preference for predictability. Thanks Joyce for your wonderful care of our son! read more

I have two son and both boys went to Joyce kids care for over 2 years and they both look happy and had fun! My older boy is 7 yrs old but he still likes Joyce :) She shares a lot of photos everyday and gives parents a little note to let you know what time they eat, change diapers, sleep, etc. She cleans up lunch box everyday so no mess. Kids have circle time to learn and they do a lot of play together. Kids play outside (she has a little play structure at her yard) but she sometimes takes them out to the park nearby and all kids looks very happy under the sun. I think Joyce is very knowledgeable person who you can trust. She notice a little difference and let you know her advice. This daycare open regional holiday and no long holiday closure. She works really hard and never close for her own reason. I highly recommend this daycare! read more

My Son has been in Joyce daycare for 1 year and a half. He started the journey at one year old. We were worried at the beginning since he was young and never left mom. But he quickly adapted and became happy when we sent him to Joyce. We get daily pictures from Joyce . They capture many wonderful movements and precious first-times of kids. Everyday when we pick up our son, Joyce spends time talking about my son' growth and new things learned. Joyce has watched our son grow from a crawling baby to an independent toddler, she has become our family. We are so happy that we found Joyce and would definitely recommend this wonderful place. read more

Exceptional care & child development Joyce and her team are truely exceptional, and I highly recommend for a caring, nurturing and safe environment for your little one. My child has been with Joyce for almost 2yrs and she's blossomed in social interactions, language, problem-solving, and confidence through their activities. Joyce is very involved with the children, having provided us with suggestions and recommendations whenever our daughter was sick, going through a developmental leap, or changes to routine. The place is clean, safe, and filled with age-appropriate toys, and communication is excellent including daily food/naps/diaper change updates and also pics. Joyce has been a blessing for our family! And added bonus she's open over many holidays that are usually closed for most other day cares. read more

Joyce daycare is very flexible in terms of schedule and asks from parents. My daughter really enjoyed going to Joyce daycare where she built a strong relationship with teachers like Ms. Ramey and Ms. Joyce. She's always so happy when we pick her up in the evening. Ms. Joyce always prepares good snacks for the kids there to take home which is another bonus. read more

We love Joyce and her friendly teachers. They've been taking care of my boy for almost 2 years, and we have had zero problems. Her drop off and pickup times are flexible, receive daily pictures of the kids doing various activities like reading, playing indoor or outdoor, or celebrating a birthday. She provides a daily note showing when kid napped, what they ate, and bathroom schedule. She and her teachers are very experienced, caring and good with the children. Also organized, telling us when diapers are low, and will freely discuss how child is progressing. Being it was our first kid and we're new to the daycare process, we are definitely thankful we chose Joyce Daycare to watch over my son. Highly recommend. read more

Our daughter has been with Joyce since she had just turned 1, and Joyce and her wonderful crew have been an absolute lifesaver for the past year and a half. Our daughter has been very happy here, and we have seen first hand that they genuinely love the children under their care. Joyce is very responsive, attentive, and pleasant to deal with. She is also very understanding when special circumstances arise that might affect the timing of drop-off or pick-up. As others have noted, Joyce and her crew provide a daily log documenting eating, napping, and diaper changes as well as daily pictures. Not only have we had peace of mind every Monday through Friday, but having the benefit of consistent updates about and pictures of our daughter has been a wonderful treat. read more

We sent our son and daughter to this daycare and we highly appreciate how Joyce takes great care of the kids. The kids have been happy, well behaved, routine-following, and healthy. Joyce keeps records of all the details and communicate well with parents. read more

We sent our son to Joyce's daycare when he was 2 years old. We are very glad to see all the progress he made in the past year. Joyce and all the teachers there are very nice and responsible. My son made good friends and learned a lot there. I highly recommend Joyce's kid care, especially if your kids need a lot of attention. This family care could be a better choice than big centers. read more

I used Joyce's service recently, and I have nothing but good things to say about her daycare operation. The people were attentive to the kids' needs. Inside the house was very neat, clean and organized. My kid came home happy. My family moved to Fullerton. I did refer a couple people to Joyce, and their children are still there. I wholeheartedly recommend Joyce Kids Care for your daycare needs. read more

When my son handed shoes to me during the weekend wanting to go to school, I knew I picked the right place. My son has been at Joyce's for 6 months and we've been impressed. Joyce was super caring and patient with kids, very responsive and professional. With Joyce's help, my son took less than a week to adjust to the new environment and loved his school life. Joyce sends pictures daily to us and leaves a daily mini report in his bag so we know exactly what happens during the day. Joyce proactively communicates to us anything we should be aware of, from his diet to his development. During the first couple weeks, my son caught a cold and had several throw ups. Joyce took good care of him and changed his clothes multiple times before we were able to pick him up. She also provided suggestions to his diet and activities that helped relieve his symptoms. Soon after going to Joyce's , we observed good progress in my son, being more social and collaborative. Some of the skills were not easy to establish at home especially during the pandemic. My son enjoys learning and playing activities, and made friends with other kids. I trust Joyce and highly recommend Joyce Kids Care to families with young kids. read more

My son has been going to Joyce daycare for over a year, and we are pleased about everything in the daycare. Joyce and other teachers take good care of the kids. My son learns a lot and makes new friends at the daycare. I can tell how much he has grown and learned in the past year and is a happy and well-behaved young boy. Teacher Joyce takes pictures for the kids every day, it's so lovely to see the cut pictures and the fun activities they do. There is an outdoor play structure in the backyard , and the kids can play outdoor when the weather is good. Highly recommend Joyce daycare to all young kids. read more

My son started going to Joyce's at 17 months ( first daycare), and he immediately starting playing with other kids. I absolutely love this daycare. Joyce is super flexible, and there were a few times when she even accommodated our early drop-offs ( 7:30am!!). My son also cannot sleep long with others so she made arrangements so he can continue to have his long naps! The 2 months he's been there, I've definitely see an improvement in comprehension! He doesn't speak much yet, but he will say bye bye whenever we pick him from Joyce's! I love the daily reports I get every day! I'm really sad that we are moving away. Being the first daycare my son's ever attended, they set a pretty high bar! I highly recommend sending your child here! read more

My son has been going to Joyce's daycare since he was 18 months old and we loved every minute of it. If it wasn't for preschool we would have continued to keep him here. Joyce takes excellent care of all the kids and sometimes even gives them some home cooked meal which I'm so glad cuz my son can be a really picky eater. His speech has improved tremendously thanks to her daily lessons. She also has a cute little backyard where the kids play during summer mornings. If you have a toddler and looking for a home daycare I highly recommend Joyce. Your kid will be happy and will also make friends real quick. read more

Having Joyce care for our son has been an outstanding experience for us. Our son is safe, loved and entertained while with Joyce, he always finishes up the day very happy. Joyce's cheerful demeanor and colorful home is a perfect fit for babies growing into toddlers, and our son is thriving under her care. She is also a wonderful communicator and provides updates with pictures and development every week. Joyce has become like family to us and clearly adores our child. Sadly we will relocate to San Francisco for work and no longer able to have Joyce care for our son. We will definitely miss Joyce and the teachers so much. read more

Ms. Joyce's Kids Care is full of warmth, laughter, and learning-- it is a wonderful environment for any child. Our son has attended Daycare with Ms. Joyce for over a year, and would still be attending if we hadn't moved to the East Bay. We even considered commuting back and forth to the Peninsula just to keep him with this excellent group of warm, fun, and knowledgeable caretakers. My son has learned social/emotional skills as well as academic skills at Ms. Joyce's daycare. He comes home singing the ABC's, practicing his numbers, and with knowledge of shapes, colors, and other pre-school aged information. When we drop him off, he is excited to see his teachers and friends, and when we pick him up he is always smiling and wanting to show us the fun activity or game he was up to. Ms. Joyce always sends home a slip of paper detailing my son's day including his nap duration, how much he ate and drank, etc. We often get several photos texted to us each day showing learning activities or our son playing on the incredible playground she had installed in her backyard. She would even sometimes send home apples and lemons from her own trees. Ms. Joyce is a warm, funny, knowledgeable, and experienced teacher and caretaker that we and our son love and are incredibly fortunate to have had in our lives during his early years. I believe any family would be very lucky to have Ms. Joyce and her wonderful teachers taking care of their children of any age. read more

My 19 month old loved his time at Joyce Kids Care. He was always smiling when we picked him up. It's a small home daycare of ~8 children ranging from infants to preschool aged kiddos. I personally liked the mixed age group for my son. The place is tidy and there are a variety of toys and activities. And the cost is very reasonable for the high quality of care. We liked that Joyce and the teachers spoke Mandarin (I speak very little but wanted my toddler to get more exposure). Joyce communicates well and is very responsive by text. I found her more accessible and approachable than the teachers in my son's previous daycare. My toddler was there for 5 months before he enrolled in a Mandarin bilingual Montessori preschool this fall. read more

My son went to Joyce Kids Care for about 2 years. We had to take him out a couple times during those 2 years but Joyce would always welcome him back without hesitation. When my son first started going he would cry every time I dropped him off but that eventually changed to where he was comfortable and wouldn't cry. Joyce is very knowledgeable about children and there stages. She always has suggestions and takes very good care of her kids. She was flexible with us dropping our son off at 7:30 am in morning due to work when she didn't open until 8am. My son only went part time 2x a week but she always had good things to say about my son and was sad to see him leave just a couple weeks ago due to him starting a new school. Joyce always took pictures everyday and sent them and took notes on all eatings and diaper changes. Joyce is very kind as well as her helpers that card for the kids. We will miss our son going there. Highly recommend JKC. read more

Miss Joyce takes care our 9 months old baby very well and doing amazing job everyday. Our baby girl was having a separation anxiety when she started at 5 months and cried so hard when we went to a facility tour. We worried but it turned out she enjoyed staying with Joyce from the first day! She sent her photo with a big smile! This is because Joyce knows how to entertain kids and always be patient. She can speak Japanese and that's a big plus for us but there are a lot of benefits besides language! Her facility is always clean and neat, diapers changed frequently and a lot of age appropriate toys. Our daughter has so much fun to stay there. We're so happy to find the place where we can trust and treat all the kids like family! read more

Teacher Joyce (and her staff) have done an excellent job caring for our daughter for over 2 years! - 5 stars. Background: Our daughter started with Joyce when she was around 9 months old back in late 2019. She just finished this month (10/2021), just a few weeks before she turns 3 years old, as she is starting preschool. When our daughter started, she was going 3-days per week (so, yes, that is an option). Then we switched to 5-days per week after a few months. Then the pandemic hit, and we pulled her out during the peak hysteria in ~March-April (IIRC) of 2020, for apx. 2 months. Then she went back to Joyce again. Location and Facilities: Joyce's place is well-kept in a nice residential neighborhood in San Mateo. It's close to Sunnybrae Park, which has a nice playground. Teacher Joyce also has a nice backyard with a play structure and plenty of outdoor space. The kids really enjoy this during the summer months. Kids: The mix of kids is mostly 1 and 2 year olds, with most kids moving to preschool at 3-years old, with maybe a couple under 1. The kids make close friends there too. Our daughter is always talking about her friends from school when she gets home. Staff: Teacher Joyce genuinely cares about the kids, almost like they are her own family. She communicates to us about how our kid is doing - what she is doing well, how she is interacting with other kids, etc. She was also very supportive when we went through potty training. She also sends us a bunch of cute pictures of the kids playing throughout the day. Our daughter always has good things to say about Teacher Joyce, and the other teachers as well. Joyce provides a paper slip every day with an inventory of all the bathroom visits/diapers, meals, and naps for the day. Schedule and other details: Joyce is very flexible compared to other larger daycare facilities. Typically, we would bring our daughter right around 9am. Teacher Joyce prefers 8am-9am, as the kids do "study time" in the morning. But we frequently bring her at around 9:30am, and it's not an issue. She is also flexible on days where your kid needs to be dropped off later or picked up early. Usually we picked up our daughter right before 6pm. So, the hours are about as long as you will find for a daycare. As mentioned before, the kids do study time in the morning. They all gather around the whiteboard and have lessons about letters/numbers, days of the week, seasons, animals, etc. I'm not sure if it's Teacher Joyce, or one of her staff, that does the illustrations, but they are amazing! Other fun things: The kids are always celebrating birthdays for each other, and they all put on party hats, and share cupcakes/cake/whatever the b-day kid's parents bring in, around a little table. It's super cute, and our daughter can't wait for her birthday due to these experiences. TL;DR: If your kid is under 3 years old, we highly recommend Teacher Joyce for her caring nature, flexibility, and the enriching experience she provides the kids in her program. -- Thanks! read more

Joyce Kids Care is a wonderful daycare. My son has been going to Joyce's for almost 2 years now and loves it. He goes in with a smile and comes out with a smile. All the kids have so much fun together and learn basic social skills which is so important at a young age. They have routine circle time with learning, as well as outdoor activities and playing. Joyce has a great schedule, which is very important for kids. All the parents are very nice and friendly. Joyce also sends daily photos which I absolutely love. I love to see what my son is experiencing during the day. Joyce is also very understanding and flexible which is key. I am so very happy to have a safe, welcoming, fun, and learning environment that my son can thrive. read more

Joyce is super flexible in terms of schedule, meal etc. There is no penalty charged when you are late unlike typical day care centers and preschools in Bay Area. The daycare has a patio and children can play outside as well as a large play area inside. My son has been going since he is 1 year old and now 1 year almost passes and he seems happy. Joyce is knowledgeable and responsible for kids. I highly recommend this day care. read more

My two year old boy has been in Joyce's class for over 6 months now. She is very kind, caring and professional. Usually my son has no interest in nutritious food. But Joyce has all the patience to feed him. He also didn't nap well. Joyce trained him to nap on time. Everyday when I pick him up from the day care, he is not hungry and has lots of energy. I am really grateful for having Joyce as my son's caregiver. Eating well and napping well is really the two big things I care a lot. She speaks Mandarin, English and Japanese. My son has learned lots of new words from her. Joyce is good at making art and craft activities. I am very proud of the work brought home by my son. Joyce has recently opened a new daycare at her place, which is safe, clean and fun. My son has been there for two weeks now. We are very happy with her. Joyce even helped us when other daycare has closed during holidays. For two working parents, we are really thankful to have Joyce. Whenever we need help, she is always there. I highly recommend Joyce's kid care. read more

Joyce Kids Care - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My daughter has been going to Joyce's daycare since one year old. Ari wasn't an easy child at first, and with Joyce's patience and attention she has become more active and playful with the other kids. She is also helping the younger kids which is nice to hear that she is learning kindness at the daycare. Joyce is also flexible and fair both in term of hours and fees. The daycare is super clean, and with plenty of healthy snacks. Joyce also hired more teachers now which is great for the kids so kudos to Joyce and the teachers. I recommend new parents to visit Joyce's place and do the trial -- you may find that it is just the place for your child. read more

Our daughter has been coming here since she was about 8 months old and she loves it! She is so happy to see Miss Joyce every morning and in the happiest mood when we pick her up in the afternoons! She has really learned a lot since starting here, Joyce even teaches them how to play on the piano! When our baby can't be with us while we are working I want to know that she is happy and well taken care of, and she is very happy here. read more

I had both my girls go to Joyce Kids Care and even had her babysit them when my husband and I wanted to spend a day to ourselves. Both our kids love Joyce and her teachers. She even provides fruits as snacks for the kids and informs us how our kids are at daycare when we pick them up. She is also very responsive to our texts. We have grown to love her like our second grandma and have entrusted her with our two little girls! read more

Joyce has been taking care of our child for over 2 years (from 1y/o - 3.5 y/o). Even now and then when we need a babysitter, we drop our kid at her place. I am very happy with the way Joyce looked after my baby, she was always clean, fed and a happy child when in her care. On a side note - Joyce is a music teacher and speaks many languages. For us, Mandarin was important and my child is almost fluent! Joyce is also speaking a good English, so we (non-Mandarin speaking parents) could always understand her. Overall - we were very happy with her and would send our second child to her in no time! read more

My 14 month old son had some issues adjusting to any daycare because he had a very attentive and loving nanny. We started him in daycare with a "chain" daycare and it was awful so we decided to transfer him to Joyce Kids care. He started with Joyce four weeks ago (Jan 2) and he screamed and cried for one week straight (he does this with all people he doesn't know). During that time She was super patient and kind and really spent some time making sure he was adjusted even though he screamed through the day (even allowed my husband to stay one morning to calm him). We felt bad because my son is a screamer and has quite a set of lungs but she really worked with him and made him feel so comfortable. In less than two weeks our son went from a shy, clingy, crawling toddler to a well adjusted happy walking toddler who now reaches for Joyce every morning drop offs. Even to the point that when we picked him up early the other day he cried because he didn't want to leave and wanted to keep playing. We LOVE Joyce kids care and their teachers. read more

Our daughter (22mo) has been going to Miss Wu's (Wu Laoshi) daycare for over a year now. We are quickly informed if she is ever sick or have any issues (diaper rash, misbehavior, not eating, etc). Wu Laoshi also speaks Mandarin, which has helped our daughter continue to develop her language outside of home. I can trust that our daughter is safe and in good hands here. read more