I removed my two little ones from another preschool, due to the misbehavior of other kids.. and…read morelack of correction My kids developed bad habits, and cried daily when I dropped them. Bright Futures is a complete 360! My boys ask every morning, "is it time for school?" . Both my kids are thriving and learning so much. Zero regrets!

Preschool teachers are awesome with the kids they really care they have graduation and a party…read moreafter words with th families of the children

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!

Ms.Herrera and Ms. Hailey are great during tours. Daycare helps children learn, make friends, build…read moreroutines, and grow while parents work or attend school.

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.

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.

My grandson graduated this year and will be a kindergarten in august he learned so much and most of…read morethe time love to go. The staff there is great. The lady in the school lobby was so nice she never made me feel bad when I would be dropping Rowdy off or picking him up and couldn't remember the procedure. Small wonders is a great place to start learning and find Jesus

Can anyone tell me there prices also I'm active duty military do you know if they do military…read morediscounts. I'm trying to send my three year old son there at least three days a week. Thank you

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

My baby loves coming to school here. All of her teachers are so nice and so are the other ladies…read moreworking in the front room. She's learning soo much! We are really happy here.

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

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 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've had the pleasure of working with Oxana at Valley Montessori as a community partner, and it's…read morebeen a great experience. Throughout our partnership, Oxana has been professional, responsive, and easy to work with. She has been committed to improving her facility and has been thoughtful and organized throughout the process. It's been rewarding to see the progress she's made, and I appreciate the time and effort she's put into her project. I wish Oxana and the Valley Montessori team continued success and would recommend connecting with them if you're looking for a dedicated early learning program.