Choosing strangers to care for our children has to be one of the most gut-wrenching, anxiety-provoking, and time-consuming events we parents experience. We started during kindergarten for their after school program and have continued now into our 4th year. We do some of our summers with them and many of the holidays. Critically, LK remained safely and compassionately open throughout the entirety of the pandemic. To say that they saved my job at the hospital is not an overstatement. They are family now and we continue to appreciate the perfect balance of fun and safe, guided and independent activities, toys and ever changing creative options like food art, hikes, glow dance parties and even debate training and social skills discussions. The owner and staff are beautiful humans who clearly care about each child. If you are in search of family-like childcare, it is time to gently replace your guts, calm your nerves, and save a ton of time and research by joining this generational gem. Then simply delight in the happy, successful, socially responsible child you pick up each day. (Added bonus of homework complete already!!) read more

I discovered Latchkey in 2021. My youngest son attended preschool here as a Dinosaur which means he was 4 years old and the following year would be in kindergarten. My son, Abby is now in kindergarten and is thriving and recently awarded with Student of the Month. I have 4 children and as I compare their preschools, Abby had the best experience socially and academically. My only regret is I wish all 4 of my kids had the chance to graduate from Latchkey. The daily activities, special occasions and lifetime memorabilias this school gifts not only to their students but to the family as well are simply priceless. I'm sharing my experience because sharing is caring. read more

Latchkey Alternative Center - Abby's Latchkey Preschool Graduation 2022 - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Daly City, California

Wow, as a child care provider myself who operates two preschools, I am just so happy to have met someone who values early childhood education and child development. Matt is responsive, patient and wears multiple caps. As a child care provider, I am more critical to where my husband and I decide to place our children because I have high standards. We chose LAC for summer camp and our boys are fully thrilled to be there. the interactions and school spirit surpassed it all for us. I am impressed by their commitment to the children/students and the independence they allow for kids to be kids-responsibly. Summer time is a difficult time to find care for working parents and I am sad that we didn't enroll our kids earlier this summer. The exposure and experience to real life experience is just incredible and LAC provides it all. Hands on experiences for the kids while incorporating life experiences is just the best thing so far. Thank you, Matt and team for a wonderful childhood experience for our boys. read more

My daughter has been attending latchkey since kindergarten. She's made friendships that are still intact going into her 4th year at FDR. The staff has been less than amazing and accommodating to us working parents. Miss Nicole, Miss Harris, Miss Rose, Miss Anita, alllll are amazing. This place is much more than a place that watches your kids. The exercises, activities are all stimulative. I highly recommend you come check it out! read more

We were very lucky to have found Latchkey for our 2023 summer camp option. First, and most importantly, the staff are genuinely engaged with the children and enjoy what they are are doing. Ms. Nicole and Mr. Matt (along with the rest of the staff) were constantly being talked about how fun they were by my daughter when we picked her up. Second, the hours of operation were perfect for us working parents. Latchkey offers standard 8am-5pm summer camp hours with the option of early 7am drop-off or late 6pm pick-up for a nominal cost if needed. The regular 8am-5pm hours were so much more generous and practical for the working parent than almost all other summer camp options I had researched (most of which started at 9am and ended 3:00/3:30pm, which would never had worked out for us). Third, the activities and excursions offered are varied and fun. They had a TK/K small summer camp group which did not go on all-day excursions like the older kids did, which was great because my K-rising daughter would not have been able to handle all-day field trips. The patience the staff had with the children was especially admirable (my daughter cried at drop-off everyday and still the staff were so nice and understanding each day). I totally recommend Latchkey as a great summer camp option and I'm looking forward to next year's enrollment. It's run by wonderful people and they deserve much appreciation. read more

Employees let children get hurt and do not write reports to parents. While my daughter was here she was neglected on numerous occasions. Employees always on the phone and Manger failed to provide an adequate response to why these "incidents" happened so frequently. Took my daughter out of this very ghetto place. DO NOT BRING YOUR BABIES HERE! read more

I can't say enough about Latchkey and all the staff here. I was already impressed with them prior to COVID. They are kind, caring, but also set boundaries for my kid. Then COVID hit and they did everything they could to provide safe care to children so essential working parents could continue to work. They balanced kids' social well-being (by doing as many activities outdoors) with all safety recommendations from the CDC (smaller class sizes, masks, reminding families to be diligent even outside school, cleaning/sanitizing rooms regularly, etc). They've provided resources for financial assistance to families who have needed it during this time and really tried to work with families. I'm happy to know that my kid is at a place that values community, high ethical and moral values, and most importantly my kid's overall well-being. read more

They are caring and definitely do their best to keep the children safe. No covid outbreaks the entire time she was there in 2020. They were able to stay open for essential workers. My daughter goes to a great school now and is entering first grade. She just had a fun time at their summer camp and loved all the field trips. They are great! read more

This Center really is a hidden gem. After years of sending our daughter to their before and after school care program and also their summer program, we know have started to send our littlest one to preschool. I was a nervous wreck because B takes awhile to warm up to new people and new environment. School is open from 7am to 6pm. The teachers and helpers are the most awesomest (I know..not a real word) people I know. They really look out for my kids when we cannot be there. Initial adjustment for the youngest one is always hard, but he adapted to everyone and everything so well. I can't say enough of how much everyone here is so family oriented. His vocabulary has improved since attending and he is just talking so much. Shoutouts to Papa Jim, Ms. Nicole, Ms. Juanita, Ms. Anita, Ms. Sonia, Ms. Natalie and all the other teachers I know I'm forgetting. You guys are the best read more

Love the people there. My kids had a blast there. The owners Papa Jim and Nicole are absolutely wonderful and so are the teachers. It's like one big happy family that with great values that I can trust my kids to be under their care . read more

This is the best summer camp ever!! The staff is great! My child loves going to Latchkey. Mrs. Anita and Miss Juanita as well as Mrs. Nicole. Actually allllll the staff is great. Might seem pricey. But all that they do with the children is worth it!!! read more

School philosophy: Age and developmentally appropriate. It caters the different learning styles of the children. Teachers: They are farm and loving. They make children feel safe and secure. Curriculum: Child-based and play-based. There is a structured schedule yet flexible when necessary. Environment: It is conducive for learning. It has enough space for indoor activities. In general, it is a great place for learning both for young children and school-aged children. read more

We transferred the kids to FDR and was told about the Latchkey program. We did some research, got lets of referral's and have been extremely happy with the care and attention that they give our children. They are kind and attentive and offer a fun but structured environment. The kids love going there! We are lucky to have found them and look forward to this school year! read more

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Every parent wants a worry free safe environment for their child. Search no more, Latchkey Alternative Center is conveniently located in Daly City. My sister who is now 19 attended Latchkey and till this day she still recalls how AWSOME it was to be a Latchkey Kid. Their hours of operation are ideal for the working parent 6:30-6 which can be flexible as long as arrangements are made accordingly. Ms. Nicole is amazing! Her passion and drive to guide our children to higher levels is achieved with the help of her professional staff. Ms. Harris is a true leader her creativity and teaching skills are beyond amazing! Thanks to Ms. Ana and Ms. Stephanie my kids speak more Spanish than I do. The projects they come home with always put a smile on my face. My kids love Latchkey and ask me to take them on weekends. It's like a family where we all get along. Every year there's always something new and exciting. I won't even begin with their AWSOME summer program, you have to see for yourself! Higher learning at a new level! Thanks Papa Jim for your fine establishment. read more

Latchkey Alternative Center - I forgot to mention the adorable pictures they take. Lifetouch makes more than one visit. Every season we do photo shoots. - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Daly City, California

Our son attended here when he was 3, he is turning 7 soon. We found this preschool after a lot of research and was happy to meet Ms Nicole and Papa Jim. They are reasonably priced and worth it. We loved how easy it was to work with them and the staff. My son made some really great friends and we sent a bunch of our close friends to chk it out and they loved it here too! They keep to a good schedule for the lils and teach them so much. I can't wait til my youngest can attend in a few years! read more

I love Latchkey! My daughter went here for about a year & a half. This is a wonderful daycare with flexible hours and a caring staff. I really appreciate all the love and attention they gave my daughter, their kind staff, and their flexible hours. There's a big playground for the kids to play on and they provide food for the kids. There are lots of books and toys for the kids to play with as well. Friendly, flexible, and caring!! read more

You couldn't find a more loving family who own and operate this preschool. This is a preschool/daycare in a convenient location surrounded by beautiful views in a family neighborhood. Miss Nicole is constantly finding new, exciting, educational and fun places to take the children. The staff is thoroughly professional and sweet with the children. It's obvious they truly love the kids. I love the fact that the school is culturally diverse and bilingual also. An enriched learning environment for the lucky children attending. read more

This is a wonderful preschool. They have a good layout and have a good mix of structure and play based learning. What I love the most is that that most of the teachers are parents themselves and they teach the kids the values that we as parents want our children to have. Ms. Nicole, Papa Jim and staff are easy to work with and you can tell that they genuinely care about your children. You can feel at ease knowing that your children are well cared for at this facility. read more

This establishment has been an important part of the community since I was a child, and generations later the staff have not lost their enthusiasm for providing excellent care for the children. They are completely dedicated to the development of their kids and give back so much to the kids at Franklin Roosevelt as well. While I didn't attend as a child, I had no problem making the decision to send my own kids when the time came and I would recommend them to any parent looking for a preschool or even after school care for their kids! Thank you Latchkey and Staff for your continued community involvement and dedication! read more

I love Latchkey Preschool! Mr. Jim (or Papa Jim as the children calls him) and his staff are warm and loving, and attentive to the children. The preschool is located next to an elementary school. It has plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for the children. The preschool's curriculum is child-based, play-based, and also standard driven. The children are playing as they learn in an educational environment. Ms. Harris, the preschool teacher, is amazing. She has a lot of hands-on activities designed to advance the preschoolers' learning. She gives them assignments and projects to do at home. I love it! She is really preparing them for Kindergarten. The tuition is fair and hours are flexible. The school opens as early as 6:30am and provides breakfast, lunch and snacks in between. My son absolutely loves this place and looks forward to going to school :-) everyday. As a parent, I love that he is learning and having fun in a safe environment. If you live in Daly City and Pacifica, and in need of a great preschool that is more school structured (NOT home-based), you should check this place out. read more

I am a school teacher Kindergarten SFUSD, so you know I am picky where my children go. My other friend who is a teacher also told me about this place. Well, here I am two children later, and my baby is on her last year of preschool. We have been here for four years now. First, thank you for being open at 630am for us parents who have to be to work by 730 and don't have "nannies" to take our kids to school. AND also thank you for being open until 6pm, so we can pick up our children after work. The staff is so amazing, so loving so caring. My husband and I were going to move to( another town) , but when we saw the preschools in this other town ( that did not open until 9!!), and the way they conducted their classes, we decided to not move until our child was out of preschool. So we halted our move so we could STAY at latchkey. I live by Half Moon Bay, but I would drive miles to come here. I love clean. They clean the rooms out daily, wiping down everything when the kids are at play. They believe in play based instruction, as well as kindergarten prep. As a kindergarten teacher, we all know that kindergarten is not finger painting anymore, it is learning to read and preschoolers are almost expected to know the alphabet. SO essentially preschool has become Kindergarten. Latchkey, does all these amazing things to teach my children all these academic essentials. I love this place, they are loving, structures schedules, warm loving people. And,,did I mention the price? So reasonable, so affordable for us working parents. They feed the children mindful healthy snacks, and lunch. Thank you Latchkey my family is so blessed to have you. read more

We are amazed at the creativity of the teachers and the cute artworks and little food projects our son brings home every day! He is always so proud. Our son Kevin joined when he was two, still in pull-ups. Now he is turning 4 and at the Latchkey he learnt potty training, social skills, and he became more confident and popular among the kids. The center is conveniently located on the campus of an elementary school, so with dedicated parking (great for the parents) the outdoor play is in a dedicated playground (great for the kids). All teachers are skilled, caring and encouraging. We loved the bilingual setting: our kid speaks fluently Spanish and English! We are sorry to move on: our family is moving and it is with deep regret that we leave the Latchkey center. Good food quality, no junk food. If you leave in the area and look for a high quality preschool with reasonable price and working hours for working parents... this is your best choice! I am happy to provide reference, Irene & Juan read more

Latchkey is a fantastic school for little ones! Ms. Harris and team really expose the kids to many different activities that allow them to thrive and develop. Our little dinasour has come such a long way making friends and learning alot. The program is very well organized and well thought out. One of the many things I like is that they share some of the facilities with FRD elementary and participate in the various safety drills. Scheduling is flexible and pricing is very reasonable. The staff really show the kids alot of love. read more

I was really lucky to find Latchkey Alternative center. I have boys that are 3 and 4 years old who have attended this preschool for 5 months. My 4 year old is very sensitive, but with the facility's help, my son is enjoying the school and is able to play with friends his age group as well. I am especially thankful to "Papa Jim", the owner of the center, and Mrs. Nicole the daughter of the owner. They are very helpful and considerate. Whenever our kids have issues, they are available, responsive, and they address problems in a timely manner. Also, the teachers here have very warm hearts, and they keep trying to work with kids in a positive way. I couldn't potty train my 3 year old boy, but the teacher of the teddy bear class voluntarily and proactively helped out, and my boy is potty trained (Yeah~). I love the dinosaur teacher Ms.Harris as well. She is so energetic and one of the greatest teachers that I have ever met (I wish I could have had her when I was young!). She takes video of her teaching and posts it to her Facebook and YouTube (with parents' permission of course), so we can check up on our boy without going to class. The school hours are great, and they also provide free breakfast and lunch. The cook and kitchen are inside the preschool, so they always provide fresh and healthy meals. The tuition is very competitive.They also have great outdoor facilities: a sand area, a bounce house (during special occasions), a playground, and a biking area. I highly recommended this preschool. read more

This is our first daughter's third year at Latchkey Alternative Center and we are very happy with the school. Not only that it is so convenient for us, the tuition is fair and the school provides cooked meals - breakfast, lunch and snack every day. The owner whom the children fondly call "Papa Jim" is a wonderfully loving and caring person. The director of the school "Ms. Nicole" is always very flexible with hours and is very communicative about all the activities and always brings in new ideas. The school hours are super parent-friendly and pick up/drop off are seamless. Teachers are so respectful, friendly and have the patience and talent to nurture and educate children. We are very fortunate to find this pre-school for our child and are grateful to Ms. Ana, Ms. Stephenie, Ms. Juanita, Ms. Harris, Ms. Ana and all other teachers. Our child is very happy here and loves her teachers and friends. It is really amazing how much she has learnt. Her writing and drawing abilities improve so much. We are looking forward to enroll our second daughter in the same school since we love the school very much. read more