To the entire staff -- Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! I just want to say thank you for all the love, patience, and hard work you pour into the children every single day. As a parent, it truly means so much to watch my son grow and improve more and more because of the care and dedication you all give him. Every day I notice progress in his learning, communication, mobility skills, confidence, and independence. He is excited to explore the world around him. It's clear that the staff genuinely cares about the children and creates a safe, loving, and positive environment for them to thrive in. Thank you all for the role you play in helping shape these little minds and hearts. Your work does not go unnoticed, and our family appreciates each and every one of you more than words can explain. read more

My daughter attended this day care for a few months, I never got around to writing a review, but decided I should finally do so, especially after finding an amazing center that truly cares. My daughter enjoyed this school until her main teacher left, after that she would scream at drop offs. The updates on the app started to get less and less and I noticed there was not any learning or activities going on in the class anymore. They were only playing. One day, she came home in the same diaper I sent her in, and I know this because they use a different brand at the school than what we use at home. Diaper was full of pee and there was stool as well. One day they also checked her out of class when no one picked her up, and when I called the school the director stated I think I saw her I'll let you know. After 30 min and no phone call back and I attempted to call many times, I left work to go to the school. The director was no where to be found but my daughter was mysteriously checked back into class. I pulled her that day. I don't recommend this school. Their ratios are trash and it doesn't seem like they truly care. read more

The admin, teachers, and staff are absolutely wonderful! The MOST important aspect is the EDUCATION my two sons are receiving! La Petite Academy on Lakeside Drive is more than just a daycare, they are cornerstone for education. It's affordable, but one cannot put a price on the education being provided. read more

I wish I could give a good review, but I am truly shocked by the level of professionalism given at this place. I really fell in love with the teacher I toured with. She stated the 2-year-old group learns numbers, colors, shapes, and letters all in English and then in Spanish. The kids go into the potty every 20 minutes to help them potty train and it was a secured/safe environment. I love the fact that there is diversity here and cameras. However, I feel they hide behind the fact that the cameras will not be used by parents since most of them work full time because what they mentioned during my interview was something totally different with what I saw on camera. I bought special diapers for my son to attend twice a week for half days until it was obvious that it was a good fit. I noticed each day I picked him up he was never changed and sitting in waste because he still had the diaper on from home and not the new diapers with Spiderman on it. Not sure how long he was in his own waste, but not be changed for 4 hours is shocking. He's also a social butterfly, but always cried leaving him and asked to go home. I thought as a 2 and half-year-old there was some adjustment time he will have to grow into. Yesterday morning, I decided to look at the cameras and saw him walking around crying for 2 hours. He was obviously trying to get the teacher's attention because he was following her and she did not even turn his way. She left the class full of two-year-olds several times, did not engage with any other children, and went to the computer to do admin or god knows what, and didn't go over anything with these kids. I saw two others in the corner crying and the rest were trying to entertain themselves. No lessons and no consoling whatsoever. I don't expect my child to get all the attention, but you would expect the teacher to try and engage with the children or try and teach them something fun or give them a toy or pat on the back that they're ok. I picked him up early and as I walked in, I saw more children looking for adults to engage with. They all ran to me including mine looking at me hoping to get some communication from an adult. It was honestly horrible to think they are experiencing such neglect all while most are paying $200-400/week or more. I confronted her and instead of being honest or making an excuse that there may have been something else that came up, she flat out lied and said she was holding him the whole time. Not sure how a grown woman can hide holding any child. It's just a ridiculous thought that she would lie and made it so much worse. I told her that was inaccurate and we were done here. I took all of his belongings and left without making any kind of scene and just said he's not coming back. Since then, I haven't received one call or follow up. You would think the director would take the chance to reach out to a parent to try to explain or even apologize. Makes me think this happens on a daily basis that they are immune to this type of service. Not a school at all and more of an inadequate daycare. I rather my son stays with his grandparents than feel neglected for several days out of the week. read more

There are some great teachers here. But i will say that some really need to be retrained. Ive witnessed some teachers be extremely aggressive with the kids and my son picked up those behaviors and we had to put him in another school in order to redirect his behavior. I appreciated ms Adrienne the most! She showed so much care for the kids. Preschools should be warm, welcoming and a happy place for kids. Im not sure if i felt that way about this place. My husband and I were dissatisfied with the way ms henrietta handled the kids but we kept my son in the soon regardless. He started getting really defiant and aggressive. As soon as we put him in his new school his behavior changed read more

Every single day I fall in love with the Lakeside La Petite Academy in Richmond, CA a little more. I could not be more thrilled with how my child is nurtured and loved on a daily basis. In addition, I am continuously impressed with the high level of thoughtfulness and care for my child's development, when art projects and structured activities are organized. My child is constantly coming home eager to tell me about what she's learned about what plants need to grow, for example, or, most recently to show me how she can count out the syllables of different words and all the names of our family. This is not simple daycare. The experience we have had with La Petite Academy is one of meaningful educational and social development through play and high quality, kindergarten preparedness. I can not recommend the Lakeside La Petite Academy in Richmond, CA enough. read more

Our four year old son attended this school from February 2021 to August 2021 when he started kindergarten. The school far exceeded our expectation in terms of childcare and quality of education. The principle and staff are very skilled and sincere, especially they did a fantastic job during the pandemic. Our son's talents just flourished to the extent he was able to write, paint and make a lot of crafts before going to kindergarten and was very well prepared to start kindergarten confidently. We recommend this particular school to all the parents who are looking for a good school for their child. We would be happy to speak with any one regarding our recommendation. Sincerely, Masoomeh read more

Writing an update...my previous review was when Ms. Tanya was the director and Ms. Lisa was a teacher. I had no worries with Ms. Tanya, Ms. Lisa, Ms. Adrian or Ms. Berta. Kids were in good hands with all them. However, Ms. Greta is the new director now. Which I don't understand why...Ms. Adrian should have been. Ms. Greta has no idea what she doing and constantly asks Ms. Adrian or other staff members for help on how to do things. Shes unable to make a decision unlike Ms. Tanya and Ms. Adrian. One day a child was playing with a rope and threw it around my sons neck and pulled. My son could not breath or speak to call for help. A teacher seen and ran over to remove it. No report was made and I was only informed by my son. I brought it to Ms. Greta and she stated it never happened. Just then a teacher opened the door and asked Ms. Greta for help. Ms. Greta told more the one teacher to take a lunch in which left this teacher with 2 classes alone and was giving her a 3rd class. This is the same thing she did the day before as my son stated to me which is why the teacher could not keep a good eye on the students with the rope. She also double charged me more than once. As well as allowed my son to be dis enrolled by phone not approved by me. I would not recommend taking your child here at least while Ms. Greta is the director unless you have Ms. Berta as the teacher!! I really wish I could give 0 stars because of the things that has been happening. Things that would have never happened with Ms. Tanya or with the teachers stated above. read more

Our daughter attended the Lakeside Drive location of La Petite Academy for Pre-school and Pre-K from fall of 2021 to fall of 2023. The directors Ms. Greta and Ms. Adrian were phenomenal. Ms. Maria, Ms. Johnna, and all the teachers were great and our daughter loved them all. The facility was always clean and organized. They always had activities and fun things for the kids to do and at the same time dedicated a large part of the day to academics. She learned her letters, numbers, colors in English and Spanish. Writing her name, math and so much more. They have cameras that you can access to see your child at any time of the day which was one of my favorite parts of the school. They would also send photos and videos through the app so I could see what she did throughout the day. We were so sad to leave but the one thing I can say about La Petite is that our daughter loved everyone there and they prepared her for kindergarten which we are so grateful for. read more

For younger children this is a good place, the women here genuinely care for the children. I'm not to keen on the house cleaning when walking in somedays, it smells like a trash can of dirty diapers (not okay) considering it is a daycare. Ms Tanya ( old director) is no longer at the company she was pretty stern. Nice, but stern. Most of the workers have been here 10/15 plus years and that says a lot about a school. The new Director Greta doesn't seem too polite, friendly or compassionate when it comes to the children. Hopefully she leaves. If I left this review solely on her I would have given 1 star Oh and Ms Berta is one of the best here ask for her or Ms Adrian they are sure to make sure your little person is well taken care of. Thanks ladies!! read more

The staff here is amazing. Everyone works so hard to keep the kids safe and engaged. They are on top of it with parent communication. They put on a prek graduation celebration that was so adorable and thought out. This is a perfect example of you get what you pay for. They are worth every cent. read more

La Petite is an easily accessible childcare. I think it really depends on what you're looking for. It is affordable, and Ms Adrian and Ms Michelle are great. I don't really know much about the other staff. My eldest daughter attended La Petite about 10 years ago. We were overall pleased with the experience, but it just wasn't a great fit for her. She needed something smaller and a bit more lively. Our most recent experience in late 2020 (with our 3/4 year old) left a bit to be desired. I think the new director tries, but she is lacking a bit in personability, communication, and early childhood development awareness (I say this as a mental health professional and having 15+ years of experience in education). Why Ms Adrian wasn't appointed as director when Ms Tanya left is a mystery to me. She would have been amazing and my kiddo would probably still be attending. The most off putting issue for me was the number of kiddos permitted during the pandemic and the communication. read more

I have an eight year old son and a six year old daughter who both attended La Petite Academy. My son started in the private kindergarten class and my daughter in the 2s room. I was impressed from the beginning! The director seemed to be strict, yet caring. She reminded me of my own mother - holding all the children to high standards. She greeted all of us and spoke directly to my children (which is something that I value). Once we met the kindergarten teacher, we knew this was the place for us. Like the director, the kindergarten teacher, Ms. Berta had a strong presence. She was teaching a group of very disciplined children a lesson when we toured. The children stopped and all said hello visitors, and continued with their lesson. The two year old class was busy with activity - so much that my daughter did not want to leave! The environment gave me the feel of a home environment with the academic component I was looking for. I liked the openness of the classrooms and the way the teachers knew all of the children in the building. This was going to be my daughters first experience in childcare, and it was critical for me that she could see her brother during her day. Their first day, I called at least four times. Each time speaking to the assistant director, whom I quickly realized was the "emotional" balance in the building. The director handles the business side of things, while the assistant director deals with the emotional needs of both the parents and children. I love that balance! Each time I called I was assured my children were fine and encouraged to call as much as I needed. Fast forward, both of my children created life long bonds during their time at La Petite! They still ask to return and visit. They both benefited enormously from the guidance of Ms. Berta in the kindergarten program. They both are grade levels above their classmates in the public school. They both know how to interact with adults - making eye contact, answering questions in complete sentences and saying more than just "good" when asked how their day was. The director insists each child explain why their day was "good." I miss this level of high expectations, balance of discipline and love, and sense of community now that my children are in public school. I'm grateful for my experience at La Petite Academy and would recommend La Petite to anyone looking for high quality care and early education for their children. read more

Staff are very friendly, when my grandkids went there facility was very clean and they have set schedule for all activities. You cannot go inside the facility with a code entrance read more

I love the staff here at La Petite. The teachers are great!! The directors are great people. My children have going there since my Grandson was 3, he is now 15 and still talks about the school. This is a great school to bring your little ones to. read more

They are incredible. Caring, attentive, provide detailed education plans. Very good at communicating with the parents. Our son has been there since he was 2 and he loves going to his school in the morning. They are tough with discipline and very attentive. Yes, I have heard kids yelling, but that is what children do. I have also spoken with a number of those kids on a day to day basis and they are very polite, if a little excited, and that speaks volumes of the education and the example they receive there. The projects they do, the books they read, everything is aimed at development. And yes, there have been issues of unshared toys or pushing - but those are social skills being developed, negotiation over teddy bears, and team building on the playground (they have 3 playgrounds by the way). Keep up the good work! read more

I just came back to La Petite with my new baby after having 4 of my other children attend all the way until 1st grade. I wish that they ran a small elementary school, because once my children left they all ended up skipping a grade. I'm a very involved parent but without a doubt Ms. Michelle PreK & Ms. Berta kindergarten class program is what dreams are made of!!! My children left and spent less than a month in 1st grade before being skipped to 2nd. ALL OF THEM. So of course I'm back with my new baby who has special needs BTW and I'm so thankful everyday for these ladies that have taken care of her from the Infant room to now the toddler room. My baby couldn't sit up until 8mos, crawl until after her 18mos and just now started walking! Ms. Tanya the director was not only accommodating to the specialist coming in and out of the center to provide treatment, but ensured that the staff followed the development plan to the T!!! As a mom of a special needs baby, I am forever grateful for the infant teachers and now the toddler room teachers that care for my baby everyday with such gentleness and professionalism. I've trusted these ladies with my most priceless gems and have never had to worry. I had to finally do a review after reading a previous review and I have to say, I love that Ms. Tanya is no-nonsense as I am no-nonsense when it comes to my children! I love knowing that my children will not be engaged in adult conversations, (I do not EVER want my children walking up to strangers, and people touring the center are strangers! I don't care if they did bring their child, I can't confirm they didn't borrow that child to get their behind in there to find friendly kids to steal) Everybody know my kids are the cutest the center ever had so yes please tell my child to have a seat and go play with their friends and by all means say it sternly so they know you mean business! To each its own but for me, I choose Safety over everything! Ms. Tanya commands respect, respect for children, respect for the staff and respect for parents.She is like the principal, professional, accountable, stern and fair! Childcare workers don't make enough so in most centers there is high turnover. Over 80% of Ms. Tanya staff have been with her for over 10 plus years. These women work hard and are loyal and are very dependable. Which I appreciate most, because my children didn't have to adjust to new staff every 6mos or a year, these women were a constant in their lives and saw them thru toddler room to Kindergarten graduation. So I'm happy to come back and still see the same ladies that I trust, respect and appreciate. Lastly, Ms. Tanya wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone that was hanging out front to leave immediately! That's my kinda director! AND BTW......The apartment/condos the reviewer were referring to is a SENIOR CENTER so clearly seniors walking to get their daily exercise is her idea of "random creeps". girl bye! read more

Wife pickup up our 8 month old this afternoon. It was her second day there. She had terrible scratches on the back of her neck Even bleeding.. No one there has any explanation or even seemed to care. The morning infant care person didn't even want to greet my wife when dropping our baby off. She said, "just drop her over there" , without caring to turn around. Made my wife feel very uneasy. Persons who would not even identify themselves reading notes my wife left about feeding. We don't even know if that person worked there or walked in off the street. We won't be returning to this place and I reccomend you seek elsewhere for childcare too. read more

We have two boys, five and seven. They have been attending this school since the age of 3. It is right at the corner of Hilltop and San Pablo close to YMCA and Making Waves Academy. One big building divided inside into an infant room, which nobody is allowed but teachers and parents, one 2's room for the little ones. The 3's and journey are close and separated with art walls. The kindergarten is in the back of the school. The gates and fences are there to protect the kids. Anybody implying that it is a big cage and that the kids are sad is a liar. One of very few things in life I get worked up about is lying. Reading some of the other reviews it is clear someone has an agenda. The entry is separated from the school with two key pads which is great. Nobody can walk into the school at any time. Benjamin went through (Jacob just started) their kindergarten program run by Ms. Berta. It is a very intense class. Benjamin knew how to read, write and do math before starting first grade. Jacob already is at the top of his class, writing and pronouncing words. Ms. Berta had been there for years and you know she is the real deal when you meet her in person. Ms. Michelle is the other great teacher who's been there for years. She is a true blessing. Watching all teachers including Ms.Tanya the director you can't help but say thank you for all you do. The kids get their meals, proper care and attention from the teachers. Trust me, I am the a hole guy in your group of friends who tells you the truth at all times. To the one reviewer who complained about "noise" - Other places my wife and I explored were creepy they were so quiet. The other schools assured me they were preparing the young kids for the world. I was like - "These are kids". Back off the pressure Mr. I am going to make your kid a robot. If you walk into a school and hear nothing but silence, something is wrong. The only time I hear "noise" is right after snack time in the afternoon. It is a blessing to hear them alive and well. When the teachers cry each year with every graduation it tells you something about the staff. I wasn't asked to write this review and I have m no agenda to promote this school. Go see for yourself. read more

My son loves it here. They pick him up from his school and drop him off to his school . They are very accommodating to my work schedule. I travel for work on a monthly basis. I know my child is in safe hands. I hear people making negative comments about La Petite. Which is unfortunate because I know my child has been coming there since kindergarten and he loves it. He is now in the 2nd grade. All I heard over the summer was "mom am I going back to La Petite?" Thanks to Ms. Tanya, Ms. Adrian, and all the staff at La Petite for making my son and all children there feel like family. We appreciate and commend you for your love, care, hard work, and dedication to our children. Precious Status Rocks! read more

Visited today as the school came highly recommended. I was highly disappointed and confused. The place is a circus the classrooms are separated by child gates vs doors. It is crowded and loud. I didnt see much diversity and the actual "classroom" area that each group has is very small and it doesn't appear to be much room for activities. As far as the noise of the entire group this is not a place ideal for any type of learning. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. But see for yourself but be advised its not one of those places that you need to see for yourself. Keep searching! read more

This place is a fucking scam. They dont even watch the kids there. I went in to pick my niece up and there were kids cursing up a storm and throwing toys at eachother. The teacher just said "who you here to pick up". They dont report every incident either. My niece comes home saying she was pushed or scratched and when the teachers are asked what happend they say she fell. If you care for your child's well being and safety I wouldn't recommend this place. They are just in it for the money not the children. read more