We LOVE this school! Family owned, The teachers love my kid like their own. It's been an incredible experience thus far and we are grateful our kiddos is in good hands! read more

It's a great school and the teachers are really nice. My son truly loves it there. The only concern is that it's not on the cheaper side, yet we've been asked to pay an additional $50 for cooking activities and also provide some supplies. I believe that with the tuition being charged, it should be the owner's responsibility to provide classroom supplies, activities, and healthier snack options. Other than that, my son really enjoys his time there. read more

We feel so lucky to have found Starter Set. We love all of the teachers and our little guys is absolutely thriving. His favorite day is Friday, when they cook! Last week was pizza for the letter "P". I truly cannot say enough great things about this school and will be in tears when it is time to say goodbye. read more

Our daughter went to Starter Set from when she was about 21 months until she turned 4. We had a really great experience there. My daughter did not initially take to daycare very easily--cried at drop off for a while, but her crying never prolonged throughout the day, and she was always happy when we picked her up. That said, the teachers there are very caring and create a great environment for the kids. They have a great routine, and the kids are always engaged. I watched my daughter grow so much at Starter Set. It is play-based, but from academic standpoint, they also learn letters/sounds through having a letter of the week, and the older classrooms also get homework. It may sound daunting at first, but it was not bad at all, and now that my daughter is in TK, her teacher said she is actually ahead in her awareness of phonetic sounds. Starter Set also plans lots of activities for the kids including celebrations for the holidays and programs for parents to attend. We loved how it was not a huge preschool, but a nice little community, where all the kids get to know each other and all the teachers from the different classrooms. Highly recommend Starter Set! read more

We chose this school for our 3 year old son because of its location and it's proximity to the local elementary school where our oldest attends. The convenience of being able to pick up and drop off both of our children around the same time has been tremendously helpful during work days. As far as the school and staff goes, we couldn't be more pleased with our experience thus far. The staff and owner are very easy to communicate with and are very responsive. Our son has attended Starter Set for the past 6 months and within that time we have noticed a marked improvement in his speech. At home, we find him singing all kinds of different songs that he had learned at school. He always comes home happy and with no complaints about his day. But the thing that impresses us the most is the genuine love and care that the teachers and staff have for the children. They've done things like give us updates on the funny/sweet things that our child did that day or send us pictures of a him having a holiday meal. What parent wouldn't love that?? Starter Set has been such a blessing for our family. We are so so happy to have found them! read more

My daughter started coming to this school last month, at first I was very hesitant and it was hard for ME since it's my precious child!! Anna was very sweet and understanding, she let me know that doors are open for me to stop by any time to check up on baby! due to my work schedule it was difficult for me to come and check up on my little one , Anna took the time to text me some pictures of my daughter having a great time and letting me know she was doing good. My daughter loves Starter set, the teachers there are great! this place is awesome. read more

Starter Set Preschool & Child Development Center - The kids had a song to sing for Mother's Day! here is my two year old being a good girl and singing along. - Preschools Near Me - Porter Ranch, California

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Our two-year child was enrolled here for six months. This was our first daycare and we admit we didn't do much research and went here very optimistic thinking this place is in a good neighborhood. We did look some mixed Yelp reviews but they are very old (as 2015/2016). There were red flags since the beginning but we gave the benefit of the doubt or just too optimistic. This is not a home daycare but it is a family owned with a lot of manipulation and bending the rules of every little thing possible. Daycare/kid's pictures will be sent/posted but that is deceiving and doesn't tell the full story - don't fall into that trap! So, first really bad sign, when you drop off your kid, even on day one, teachers are busy/running around with something more important (organize/clean etc.) than making eye contact, greet and spend a minute with the kid, make them comfortable. Very chaotic start of the day. We had to beg for it. We have seen small kids crying for hours for many weeks, waiting at the gates for their parents and none of the teachers were bothered or took no action to comfort the child. This place advertises as 18+months old but they would take babies in 2-year old classroom. Problem with that now teachers are busy with the babies all day and your child is simply ignored. When asked, they lied that those babies are older than they look. Also, they do change the baby's diapers in the classroom so the classroom is always stinky. High teachers turnover. We wouldn't even call them a teacher (except some), because they are not approachable, not responsible, forget about loving/caring aspect, we were never been able to trust anything because of what we experienced there. They are either busy or using their smartphones or socializing instead of helping/playing with kids. Teachers were unaware of kid allergies and food restrictions so they fed our kid things they are not supposed to eat. No same teacher every day in the classroom. Teachers have zero internal communication that affects your kid like missing lunch etc. Teacher/kids shifts/classes are constantly changing without any communications. Kids are ignored in the yard. Some teachers are aware of the problems but they have no powers and asked us to go to the owner. Very hostile environment even for teachers. Some shady practices going on here. Some days they will just "forget" to give lunch to kid and the entire lunch box will go back home. Some days they will just "forget" to give water. They do serve food on the table which is wiped with the chlorine wipes. We have seen kids pickup/ate spaghetti from the floor and teacher looked and did nothing to stop. Poor hygiene overall. Sick kids - we have seen extremely sick kids all the time. Our kid missed almost entire fall/winter with many many doctor visits. Parents are not welcomed to stay or walk-in in the classrooms. They will give excuses like the classroom is disturbed, or kids sleeping. High kids turnover - even in just 6 months, we noticed a lot of kids come and go. Some in just a few days. There was some major police activity/sirens (helicopters and many many police cars) recently just across the street and nobody in the school knew anything about it! School is not on lockdown. Anybody can just walk in! We just happened to pick up at the same time. Great safely by the school. Even after six months, our kid wasn't happy and didn't want to go back and cried every single day, making us nervous. To make it clear, it wasn't a problem with our kid. Our kid is very social and settled in a new place pretty quick and happy to go there every day and doesn't want to come back home in the evening. We experienced all this throughout six months, with many unwelcomed unannounced visits. There are more stories but bottom line, there is nothing right about this place. Very substandard daycare. They don't give a shit for your kid. Kids are not abused but they are miserable. Not sure how this place is in business. We hope this review helps current and prospective families. read more

Best preschool ever! I wish we came across this place for our older one too. We looked around for our older one (who's in kinder now) and 99% of preschools we've visited were ran like a business / corporate atmosphere. When we were looking for a different school for our younger one - we came a fess Starter Set. Starter set is AMAZING! They make you feel like family, you don't feel that corporate feeling with them. We've loved everyone we have met there, our 3 year old also loves it there so much so that we switched him from part time to full time. I can go on and on, but if you want a place that truly cares for your child like family, look no further! read more

I love this preschool. My daughter attended for 3 years & is leaving only because she will be moving onto kindergarten next year. She loved her teachers. She was very well cared for. I knew I didn't have to worry about her well being. She is well prepared for kindergarten. I felt like the staff communicated well with our family. I would recommend this school to anyone. read more

I've been bringing my son there for over a year now and we have been extremely happy with the care he's gotten. The teachers are all great. They always great us when we arrive and answer whatever questions we have when we pick him up. He loves all of his teachers and is very happy to go there every day. The people who work there really care about all of the kids and I have appreciated all of their help as he learns and grows. read more

This school is amazing! The staff has been there for years and all of them have such a warm beautiful heart and attitude. I was looking for a long time for a place where my little ones are safe and feel loved and if u are looking for that as well as great education this is the place read more

This is a very special school. The first reason why we picked this school in the beginning was its proximity to our house in Porter Ranch where it is only 3 miles away and it is located in a decent quiet and clean neighborhood. Then the second reason was their staffs. We couldn't make time to visit the place during weekdays but they were kind enough to make arrangement to show us around on one Saturday. The teacher were kind and gentle, especially to the younger kids. One thing distinguish this school from the others is that they would not mind to potty-train your kid even they are not fully trained. We've been to some other more well-known schools, they didn't even want to talk to us after learning our daughter was not fully-trained which surprised us. Teachers/ helpers would do diaper changing and cleaning if necessary. Another thing we like about the school is that it has a good crowd in terms of kids. Most kids are from middle-class families and well-behaved. From all our experiences in the past 3 years, there were no major incident with the kids. All kids were taught to respect each other and they play in a good manners. We also like about they always put the kids well-being in the first place. Power costs a lot in P.R. and this school is not stingy about running the A/C as long as the school is in sessions. Seriously, we've been to schools with only ceiling fan turned on that blow hot air in the classrooms. The Starter Set is 100% air conditioned and they keep it running to make sure the kids are comfortable, especially nap time and the setting is very comfortable, not too cold and not too hot. I think that's very important for parents since kids would not get sick as easy when they are under a stable temperature environment. This is one of the few preschool that introduces homework to their kids when they are about 4 years old. The amount of homework is adequate to keep the kid busy and interested but not too much to give them pressure. My wife and I both think this practice is so important and love the idea. Most importantly, the attention the kids get is just amazing. Due to the small class size, the teachers really know what happen to your kids throughout the days and they clearly understand each individual personality by heart in a personal level. I think that's very hard to find from other places. This school might not be as famous or prestigious, but if you are looking for a school where your kids are loved, happy and taken care of with high level of attention and caring, this is the place you can try. My daughter spend almost 3 years there and loves every single day of the school and my son has just joined earlier this year. We are just glad that we find this school early and saved so much valuable time and energy to look for the right school. I took one star out because of its location. It is on the end of Reseda, all the way up in the hill. The street of Reseda is not busy at all, but just because it is not busy and up in the open hill, some people tend to drive really fast passing by. Parents should take note of the safety aspect when loading and unloading. read more

This school is more than a preschool. I would say it is more like a child development center. About 3 years ago, I was looking around to find a decent preschool for my daughter. Like other parents, we did our homework visiting different schools. The location of Starter Set is in a quiet neighborhood. The campus is relatively small compared to the other schools out there. If you just look at the school from outside, you would probably not even want to go in to check out because of the size is not very convincing. We gave it a try because my co-work had been living in the area for a long time and he told me about this school. He said that most of the kids come here are quite gentle and polite, almost no "tough and rough" kids there. Later on, I found out that is so true! Among the ones that we visited, my husband and I both got a very good impression with the teachers from Starter Set, and the classroom are clean. I think what impressed us the most was the way they took care of the kids, very nurturing. All the other schools that we visited, the facilities were big, but we didn't get that personal touch feeling, they are running the schools like a business, and treating the kids as their products, only talked about the registration fees, tuition, etc. Before we made our final decision, we visited Starter Set couple times. The first time we didn't make an appointment because we wanted to see how the teachers react without preparation. However, the day we went there, the school was closed for school break. It just happened that one of the teachers was there, she opened the door and was very nice to show us around. She was the teacher from Room 1, talked very gently. Just from that visit, my husband and I had already 80% sure to put our daughter there. The next couple times we visited, again, without appointment. We got to talk to the principal, Barbara. Again, good impression, a very nice lady. Like other kids, my daughter cried in the beginning, but after couple days, she was all okay because she was so attached to her teacher. My daughter is a sensitive girl who is not easy to get closer to someone that she doesn't know, but it didn't take her that long to warm up with the teacher. The teacher even lets the kids to cling on herself when the parents drop them off and crying. She really gives every little ones in the class a maximum comfort level. Although the school is small, the teacher-to-student ratio is low. Teachers are able to monitor and oversee the classroom. That's one of the reason why there is no "rough and tough" kids there because the teachers would quickly stop when something goes wrong. The other good thing about this school is that they do potty train without extra charge. When the teachers realized that my daughter was ready to go off diaper, they told me to bring extra clothes in case accident happens. They told me that, "If you don't mind doing the laundry, we don't mind to clean up here." That's very impressive. It didn't take too long for my daughter to be fully potty trained. Although the school is small, the activities that it holds from time to time is not less than those from other big school. They have music class and Spanish class every week during the normal semesters. Other events include school picnic, picture days, Halloween party, thanksgiving feast, Christmas, valentine's day, easter egg hunting, mother's day tea, father's day tea, promotion/graduation ceremony. For some of these events, they would have the kids come out to perform singing and dancing. If you want to pay extra money, they have onsite soccer class, dancing class, and tumble bee gymnastic. Now my daughter is in Room 3, she is having weekly assignment. With that, it encourages her to write and read. That's something that you can hardly find from other preschool. They don't force you to turn in homework, but if you turn in homework, you would get a freebie. The reason that I said it's more like a development center than a preschool because they are helping my son, who has been admitted about 3 months ago. My son has delay development in motoring skill, and I expressed my concern with the teachers and principal, they didn't hesitate to admit him. At the same time he started, my son started going thru the physical therapies to improve his motoring skill twice a week. Each time we meet the therapist, we are given instruction to do certain exercises. As working parents, we don't have much time at home after work to practice with him. So I would communicate with the teachers and let them know what the therapist expects him to practice, and the teachers really follow the flow. Surprisingly, my son has improved soooooo much within only 3 months, even the therapist said that the school did such a good job. Overall, I've had very good experience with Starter Set, and I appreciate everyone there looking after my children. read more

My child has been there 2 years and will be completing the last year before going to Kindergarten. They take very good care of all the children and they feel like our extended family. We have great communication and they are very understanding of the changes our children go through. They make each child feel special. The founder, Ms. Barbara exudes love and so does the entire staff. Her granddaughter is the Administrator and she keeps it running well and very organized. You will not be disappointed with this preschool. It is a safe place for our children. Go Starter Set!! read more

I absolutely love this school. It's a home away home for our girls. We love the staff because they love our kids. They're caring and thoughtful and always go the extra mile for the kids. I love the fact that it's family owned and operated. Every one working there has been working there for years or is family. I couldn't say enough good things about them. read more

My daughter has been attending this school for the past three years and has never once come home complaining. She often does not want to leave at the end of the day. This consistency has been a clear indication that the school is a happy place for the kids. The family that runs the school are down to earth and very kind. The staff they hire have the same kindness. I see constant improvement with my daughter's development. Also, compared to other schools, the amount of sick days is low. I think they keep the place cleaned well. I do not know if any place is perfect but I would consider this school well balanced. A solid choice. read more

I went for a visit to see if I wanted to enroll my 15 month old. There was a wading pool with standing water, dirty water. I don't think so.

my son has been here since he was 18 months old. prior to him, my niece attended the school until she graduated out. all i can say is although there are others who have a different opinion about this place, i would highly recommend it. if you take the time to interact with the staff and understand how they function, they are quite caring about the kids...know all their little mannerisms and behaviors and do keep in constant contact with you and allow you to do the same. my son loves all of his teachers as he has graduated to the next room each year and he has learned a lot in preparation for kinder. they have been flexible and accommodating to myself and other parents who work full time and try our best to get to the childrens events on time. my son has graduated out of this school as of this month, and to the very end, he has always been comforted for nap time when he has requested a teacher to do so. as parents we each have our own version of expectations and starter set does what they can to make both parents and children comfortable while upholding their own standards and policies. read more

I have had three children at this school and they all have loved every minute of it. The staff is competent and caring, they go above and beyond and love the children as if they were their own. They have wonderful yearly traditions including the Annual Family Picnic, Thanksgiving Potluck, Holiday Potluck, Earth Day, Mother's Day & Father's Day and Graduation all are lovely. Every morning when we dropped off our children we were greeted with warm smiles and cheery hellos and every evening at pick up we hear about the fun day. You as a parent need to participate and engage with the teachers, Preschool is like anything in life you get out of it what you put into it. read more

Starter Set is an amazing preschool - it's a hidden gem! As a curriculum consultant with a background in child development and 15 years of experience working with children, I knew exactly what I wanted for my son. On the tour, this preschool met all of my criteria and still has for the last two years. My criteria included a low teacher to student ratio (my son's class has six students and two teachers), lots of independent indoor and outdoor play, gardening experiences, cooking experiences, animal experiences (each class has a pet and they bring in animals like horses for the students to learn about), a wide variety of play materials, the artwork is not cookie cutter meaning each student is expressing themselves creatively, and the teachers provide lots and lots and lots of love. My son is greeted enthusiastically everyday and they let me know if he's having a hard day and what they did to support him (usually involves a hug). This amount of love was especially helpful when our second son arrived and our firstborn was learning to deal with the new changes. Some other bonuses include they take 18 month olds, have a naptime scheduled in, have flexible schedule options, and help with potty training. They have a music, dance, and gym program which is also a huge plus! My son loves to share all of his new dance and tumble moves by the time the weekend arrives. The academics are taught in a developmentally appropriate way (through play) which usually involves artwork, cooking, or music. My son's vocabulary expanded tremendously when he started the school and it continues to grow, which is a good indicator of how much conversation, attention, and input he is having with his teachers. I have come in and observed at different times throughout the day and have always seen my son playing happily with the children, chatting with his teachers, or if he is crying, in the arms of a teacher. My 2 year old states with pride that he has lots of friends at the school and asks often if the teachers can come over to his house and play. The children here are so sweet and eager to greet each other with lots of hugs and kisses. The facility does need some updating, but I believe my son's education are more dependent on his relationships and learning experiences than the walls around him. I observe preschools for a living and I'm always happy to see schools where children are engaged in their classroom, getting messy, and are free to observe and play with their surroundings, especially if it involves animals, water, sand, and mud (this type of play triggers scientific thinking and inquiry). The best learning experiences are messy! To summarize, very happy with the school! read more

I came to tour here in 2016. I was not impressed. It is family owned. It looks cramped, dirty, and the worst was the smell. They had a pet rabbit and the place had stuff animals that looked very old and worn. I heard more excuses on the tour which was a red flag, like "we need to get this fixed and we have to clean the carpet and outdoor play area needs some repairs, etc..." It was dirty and was not impressed by any of the teachers, they didn't smile or say hi during our tour. read more

I'm starting out with 4 stars, only because it's just our third day with the school, but I can tell you right now that I am a huge fan of this school. We switched schools at the tail end of the school year, which was a very difficult decision. Barbara and all the teachers at the school couldn't be more supportive and helpful during our transition. When I went to visit the school prior to enrolling my son, Barbara took the time to talk to me and understand my situation. She didn't pressure me, she didn't bombard me with her opinions, she just listened and explained what her school could do and how they could help. It may not look like much from the outside, but step inside and it's one of the cleanest and cutest preschools I've seen in the area. The staff is fantastic, so sweet and nurturing. Coming out of the situation we were in, the selling point for me was the class size. They cap the headcount at 15. It makes a huge difference. The teachers have control, they know what's going on at all times, the kids are so well behaved...it's not mass chaos like it can be when there are too many kids. My son's previous school wasn't bad, but Starter Set is amazing. It was a hard decision to make the switch, but I couldn't be happier that we went for it. Even my son has already told me that he loves his new school. He's not anxious when I drop him off, he's excited to go and he's excited and having a ton of fun when he's there - and it's only the third day! His teachers played a huge part in making him comfortable from day one. I love this school. I only wish we had discovered it sooner! read more