My two children both attended Kindercare from the age of three months through last Christmas break... They are 6 and 8 now. To rate a child care center poorly because your "baby cried" is like condemning the state of Washington because it rained. It wasn't a perfect journey, because whose childhood is, but this place feels like home to both of my kids. From the desperate, sobbing mornings leaving my infants behind (Teacher Esae trying to convince me that if I leave quickly, it will hurt less for everyone), to the excitement of my daughter taking a cooking class at four years old, this center really spanned the gamut of positive experiences for both kids, and for two parents who both had to work to make ends meet in this outrageously expensive city. My son did get bullied. But the center can't prevent terrible parents from raising terrible children. Any incident was reported promptly and the staff did absolutely everything they could to keep my child (and several others) away from the bully. Eventually, the center reported that the child no longer attended Kindercare, and our gratitude for that resolution endeared the staff to us even more. The center also accommodated bus delivery of my son to a nearby elementary school to which they had never bussed before, though they certainly weren't obliged to. Through covid, they were an absolute godsend as both my husband and I were required to report to work as first responders. The center was helpful and understanding as we all navigated the new normal. Occasionally, during random school breaks, we will still need to call on the center for a week or two of care, and director Celia always leaves the door open for us. This year, she even went out of her way to fully understand the new, complicated care protocol for our son's diabetes diagnosis/treatment. At no point did we ever feel uncertain about leaving our children there. In particular, teacher Shonda and Miss Barbara have made our kids' lives so much better, and they will always have a special place in our family's memories. The cost of daycare is crippling. That's just a fact. But this center does not set their own rates, corporate obviously does, so throwing a fit about it on a review forum is absolute ignorance. The standards that this staff sets for their individual care and attention, as well as amicable and reassuring relationships with the parents, is exactly what we were looking for in a daycare, and it was delivered in spades. 10/10, very highly recommended. read more

My 2 kids have been enrolled with Kindercare for the last almost 3 years, they have been there since they were 11 months and 3 years old so I've had the opportunity to experience every age classroom. The patience, attention and care all the staff has had with my children has been amazing! The communication between Ms. Celia the director, Ms. Lily the vice director and all the amazing staff, has allowed me to be at work and have full trust that my girls are being well taken care of. My kids love their teachers and all the activities that they do, especially during summer time. The daily schedule for the classrooms has several activities to keep their minds active and busy. They also provide transportation to and from my daughters school which helps immensely! If you're looking for excellent child care, they are definitely the best option! read more

Spring Valley KinderCare - Back to school! - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Spring Valley, California

My son has attended this daycare, full time, since he was 3 months old! He is now 17 months. The women here have helped raise my kid. I can't express my appreciation. Dropping your kid off every day is hard enough, but when you drop them off with people who you feel deeply love and care for your child... it's truly a blessing. Thank you, Spring Valley KinderCare. read more

Our son has been going to KinderCare since he was 4 months old! They have made us feel so comfortable! We have great trust in his teachers Ms.Alejandra and Ms. Iliana to care for our baby 5 days a week! We love the app that keeps us updated on every meal, diaper and photo updates! They have been a tremendous help to his development and would recommend their care! read more

Our daughter started last month . We love it here ! Most importantly SHE loves it here! It's clean , welcoming, and friendly staff. She's learning new skills with the phonics program, and new friends. Definitely recommend. read more

To many kids not enough staff that really care. Older kids bully and nothing is done about it. Read Colin D. reviews 11/2/2019 and he sums it up about what goes on there. read more

The director and teachers here are great. My son comes home speaking more and recognizes colors, numbers and songs. 2 years so great for his development. Love it and the staff and director are great!! So many additional classes too Cooking Classes, Phonics Development classes, Picture Day, Holiday Events! It's great! read more

Spring Valley KinderCare - Going to school! - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Spring Valley, California

Some teachers are great here but most dont have the time of day to care about your children. They will be bullied and neglected with no correction from the kids. You wont be able to get a hold of anyone during business hours even though I have seen teachers playing on their phones while children are crying. Beware if you bring an innocent child here. They will learn to fight, bite, scratch, yell, and push. Try another place. read more

FYI very long post. Great location, horrible care for infants and toddlers. Children are left to cry non stop. It's heartbreaking. If your child has food allergies they are not equipped to offer alternative food. They will say that they are, that they have other children with food allergies. I'm greatful that my child's occupational therapist had a session at daycare. My child was given corn and a slice of deli meat. When OT questioned the food given, as my son could not eat and not to mention low nutritional value. They admitted that they are on a food program and pretty much everything had egg. OT was shown food pantry and saw that in fact they were not able to accommodate children with egg allergies. They do offer 1/2 fee if your child is out the whole week due to illness or vacation . You are allowed 2 week per year. This was great, to bad it was because my son caught a stomach virus on his first week of attending daycare. He was out sick for two weeks! Hey it happens when children are kept close together. They also offer professional pictures, which I will say are pretty nice. To bad we did not get any notice. But I will admitt picture turned out great. In part thanks to the cook/teacher who took the time to fix my son wild curly hair. Why we left... I received a courtesy phone call from the infant teacher telling me that my son was crying hysterically and she didn't know what to do. As she was telling me this I could hear a child crying at the top of their lungs. I was thinking that there was no way that it was my child as I never heard him cry like that. But then I heard him call out for me.!! My heart sank and it took all my strength not to cry at work. I had my son checked on he was pacified by another teacher. Fast foward to when I go pick him up. I find acting director in classroom, one little boy is crying his head off , a little girl wandering around and my son rocking himself face down on the floor. The director tells me he is sleepy thats why he is like that. I go to pick him up and he is crying , not making any noise just tears streaming down his face. When I asked the director what happened today, she acted like nothing out of the norm. Her explanation made no sense, the time was off, they tried to say my son was sick , that they couldn't take his temperature, that he wouldn't take a nap. So here is what I think happened. My son toddler class didnt have enough children so they put him in infant class where pretty much infants just sleep. He refused to nap and infant teacher tried to force him to nap and that were it went down hill. Of course I will never know what happened because my son is to young to talk, and the explanation made no sense and the waiver of two weeks notice says it all. Last thing billing was crazy , acting director had a hard time understanding that we had a $130.00 credit and did not owe $55.00. I had to breakdown to her by each week. At the end my account was zeroed out , our credit of $130.00 was not given and I have a child with separation anxiety. I would not recommend this center for infants or toddlers. read more

Thank you to Kindercare for staying open with precautions during COVID-19 realizing those of us in the medical field can't do what we need to do for our community without childcare!! read more

My son's time here was short-lived. I took him out of the school after a months time. I would call and leave messages to check on my son, in most cases I would not recieve a call back. I repeatedly told the teacher my son did not drink regular milk. I wanted the school to only provide him with water during the day, however each day on his daily log it was noted he was given milk TWO times a day, both for breakfast and lunch. He would come home severely dehydrated because he was rarely given his water. (THIS WAS DURING THE SUMMER, IN SEVERE HEAT.) I would even leave his sippy cup from home in his cubby with water and each time I would pick him up the cup would still be full. When i addressed this with the teacher I was told "the school has to offer the kids milk to recieve meal funding". I was paying full price tuition - $215 a week for only 2 days a week, however the teacher's remark to me was as though my son was on a an assistance program to attend the school and he had to follow a certain meal program. I should have the right as to what my child eats and drinks. I even brought in a Dr.'s note which was disregarded. This was the final straw for me. Tour the school. (They take walk-ins so go unannounced, this is the best time to get a real feel for the school. Extremely different experience from when you have a scheduled appointment.) The kids under 2 are morbidly sad and lifeless in the classroom. The classrooms are tiny and good luck having your phone calls returned. $860 for only 8 days of care in the month wasted. read more

I spent 2 days looking at over 15 different local daycares and THOUGHT I found the right place. The environment was great, teachers seemed nice and kids seemed happy. So, on that level I can not judge the actual care of the facility but I can judge the customer service and lack there of. When I met with the center director she seemed great but a little rushed towards the end, I made a second appointment with the center director so my son could come back and also see the facility. When I arrived she seemed irritated, said she couldn't meet with me and that someone else would have to tour me. "Ok Fine" not a problem we all get busy but her demeanor threw me off especially to see that irritation in front of the children. We made the decisions to enroll our son despite what had happened from a customer service standpoint thinking maybe she was just having a bad day????? I was told someone would call me to start the enrollment process, no one ever did. I called several times to talk to the director to ask when could my son start and what was the next step (as I needed time to prepare and also give a sufficient amount of time to let my current nanny go) still NOTHING! I even emailed and still NOTHING! That was 1 month ago and the center director "as promised" has still never called. WOW! Thankfully I found a wonderful place RJ's preschool/daycare at the Joan Kroc center which was very accommodating through each visit, kids seemed very happy and playful. My son starts on Monday and I am so excited!! read more

Bottom line: My kids have been there since they were 3 months old (they're now 2 years old). They love (and more importantly, I trust) the teachers they've had. There have been 3 directors since we've been there and the newest director (Ms. Celia) is the most organized one thus far. I'd recommend them to my friends with infants, toddlers, or 2 year olds (but I don't know anything about the teachers for older kids). The details: I have twin boys and they've always been a handful. They were born almost a trimester early, so we were/maybe still are a little bit helicopter parents, plus as they've gotten older they've gotten rambunctious. Kindercare has always been good to us and our boys. I know of at least 3 other kids that have been there since my boys started almost 2 years ago, so we're not the only ones who are happy with their care! THE GOOD: 1) I TRUST the ladies who watch our boys. Ise, Barbara, Shay, Lily, Sandra, etc (when they were infants/toddlers) and now Erika in the 2's room... I know that they legitimately care about and mentally challenge our boys so that they'll grow. Before COVID we could go in and talk to the teachers and see them and our kids in their element for a few minutes. There is zero question in my mind that these ladies have our boys' best interest at heart, 2) They have kept eggs out of one kid's diet due to an allergy I told them about (I would see in the daily report for that kid that he had "Fried rice (no egg)" which tells me that they remembered). 3) We wanted our kids to have a snack at 4 pm, even though they don't offer a snack at 4 and they said, "Sure, we'll feed them whatever you guys bring in". I think they might have forgotten to feed the boys their 4 pm snack once or twice, but hey, after 1 year of this, that's not bad. Plus, on days where I forgot to bring their snack they provided their own food, no questions asked. 4) We tried that "3-day" potty training method with our kids. The book mentions that many daycares won't let you send your kid commando and that they are forced to wear pull-ups. Not at this Kindercare. Celia (the current director) basically said, "Just tell us how many accidents you're okay with and as long as we haven't run out of clean clothes and shoes, we're happy to follow your lead." 5) Every time we've given them a head's up that we're going to pick the kids up early for an appointment, they plan ahead and make sure their diapers are changed and ready to roll on time, 6) We also had occupational therapy come to daycare for both boys until they were about 1.5 years old. Kindercare helped her find a quiet place to do therapy with each boy, helped provide snacks when we were working on chewing, and our OT never had anything bad to say about the care she observed while there. 7) We are trying to keep a lower sugar diet for our boys (basically, minimal sweets like cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, etc), and after seeing a pic of my boys enjoying some Kool-Aid on a picnic-themed day I asked them to avoid sugary stuff. Now I get a head's up email whenever a parent is bringing in sweets (like for a birthday) or they have popsicle day and am given the option to either a) let them partake, b) bring in a substitute so that my boys don't feel left out (Celia's suggestion), or c) authorize them to offer our boys fruit from their kitchen instead. 8) LOTS of pictures of your kid! It used to be every couple days, but ever since COVID it's been like 1-3 pics (per boy for me) each day! 9) They are open basically every day except the most federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. For working parents, this is a godsend. THE NOT-SO-GOOD: 1) I would agree with other reviewers that before COVID it was hit or miss when you called their phone. Now with COVID (or maybe it's bc of the new director?) they always pick up because that's how you notify them that you're there to pick up your kid(s). 2) When our boys were learning to walk they got a lot of bumps at daycare. I get that this will happen, but we had to push to get them to place bumpers on the bookshelf edges that one of our boys kept falling on (it's not that the daycare didn't want to, the director just didn't know how to procure the materials... also, this was with the interim Director that people have mentioned in other reviews). 3) I wish they provided fresh fruit instead of canned fruit, but I get how difficult that would be with all of the children of different ages that they have to feed. 4) They no longer do the 1/2 off tuition when you go on vacation (used to be a max of 2 weeks per year), but with COVID that doesn't really matter right now. Final note: I really like this new director (Celia). I think if she would have been there the past 2 years this probably would have been a 5 star review. Literally the only reason I decided to write a review is because I saw how they were rated on Yelp and felt like other parents wouldn't give them a fair shot! read more

Ms. Gloria is AMAZING with the babies and toddlers. She is very calm and relaxed with them. I have no doubt that these kids can become overwhelming but she handles their needs so well! My daughter has been attending about 7 weeks. And it's safe to say that she's gained my trust with our daughter. read more

Where do I start. Kindercare spring valley was the best decision I could have made for my child. My 3 year old loves attending this daycare. My mom was taking care of him but after having my daughter she couldn't handle both children. We would have some trouble with his behavior, not sure if it was jealousy for the new sister or wanted more attention. We have seen a great improvement in everything he does, his behavior, his independence, learning to share and playing with other children. The teachers have said he is well behaved in class. We love receiving updates throughout the day which usually includes pictures, what he eats, sleeps etc. My son has developed so much and he's only been attending for about 6 months. Ms. Celia the center director is honestly the best, super organized and always there to answer questions/concerns. I know my son is in good hands when we drop him off, the whole team is awesome. I appreciate everything they do. I'm looking forward to sending my daughter in a couple years. I highly recommend sending your child to a daycare that not only takes care of your child but also teaches them so much! Thank you again Ms. Celia and team! -Maricela Velazco and fam. read more

I have 2 kids that go to this Kindercare. One started 2.5 years ago, the other started at 10 weeks old. They both love their teachers and we have had no problems. They offer fun additional classes and teach the kids so much! One of my children just graduated from pre-school here and they had an amazing graduation ceremony/party. Highly recommended!! read more

My daughters been going here for a while. The director Amanda is super friendly and always makes sure she talks to you.