My daughter loves going to school thank you Stepping Stones!! She would give them 5 stars herself, now that she can count forwards and backwards. My daughter started just before turning 3 so she is in daycare. The teachers are loving and amazing. They have a routine for the kids which is good because my daughter has grown so much & understanding. Routine is so good for her, she knows what to do and what to expect. I feel like the teachers genuinely love and care for our children. They treat us like we are family. All the teachers, even other classes know my daughter and our family. Yes it's a family affair!!! We love to drop her off together! && yes ... they potty train! That's a super plus!!! Admin staff is great too. They took care of ME the first few days! I didn't think my daughter was ready. The teachers carried her away & said "bye mom" && within two days my daughter was like "bye mom." I said my daughter won't sleep during 12:00 to 2:30 pm nap time. Well within a week she was taking long naps. I am amazed at what they do!!! The communication is great with Stepping Stones. There's an app where they share pictures of the day of activities they do, when sleep etc. They remind us when the school is on vacation. They also really value their teachers too, which is a good! There are a lot of safety and health protocols in place that I really appreciate too. They wash hands before going into different areas, if she goes home sick she doesn't go in the next day. (Not part of the review just a heads up: her immune system is getting stronger. She would get sick super often in the first few months so our family is a monthly telehealth family!!!) Location is OK. There is a parking structure that I get stuck in often, which isn't Stepping Stones fault but if I put the ticket in enough times, it eventually lets me out! They provide parking so if I have to go into the lot I can get out free. Also, the machine is broken occasionally. The good thing is there's two entrances. So it's not that bad. If I could I would give them six stars. read more

I was so happy and lucky to experience such an amazing preschool! Excellent daycare! Building is clean and spacious. Meal plan is well thought and nutritious. They made my son feel very comfortable and cared for. He learned lot of new things to help him prepare for kindergarten. Highly recommend this place for your kids! read more

Our time is coming to an end at Stepping Stones Academy due to relocation however we absolutely loved our time here. Ms. Kiran and Ms. Bedika was so kind and sweet to us from the very start and our sons teachers in the Explorers class was nothing but delightful and caring for our son! He's already grown and learned so much since starting. Drop off and pick up is very convenient and we LOVE the updates of photos and videos throughout the day! We look forward to opening the notifications to see what he's up to, it definitely keeps us at ease. All the staff at SSA is so loving and kind, we are so sad to go! Mahalo SSA read more

Stepping Stones Academy - One of the cutest updates from staff 3 - Elementary Schools Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Horrible school do not recommend! They will not look after you kids properly staff is lazy and facilities are horrible

We were so lucky to have our son start at Stepping Stones when he was two months old, and since then he has had an amazing two and a half years progressing through the Infants, Toddlers, and Explorers classrooms. The teachers have done a great job helping our son meet milestones and develop his verbal, motor, and social skills. Stepping Stones uses an age-appropriate curriculum that includes art projects, story time, playground fun, free play and much more. The school also brings in outside presenters on a variety of topics, such as music, yoga, and farm animals, just to name a few examples. We also love that our son is able to participate in Soccer Shots once a week, in which soccer coaches come to the school to lead the kids through drills and games. Most of all we appreciate that we get daily pictures or videos of our son during the activities. SSA is great about providing summaries of the day's lesson and skills learned so that we can stay up to date on everything he's doing. One of the best parts about Stepping Stones is the very accommodating hours. Drop off is as early as 7 am and pick up goes until 530. We really appreciated that these school hours are realistic for working parents. We also found that the Lunch Bunch program was very convenient, and our son loved the school lunches that were provided. The staff and teachers have always been so nurturing and patient with our high-energy son. We don't know how they do it, but we appreciate all of their hard work! In particular, we had great experiences with Ms. Christie and Ms.Lei of the Infants Classroom, Ms. Cheryl, Ms. Keri and Mr. Noah of the Toddlers II classroom, Ms. Shantel in the Explorers Classroom, and Ms. Sheryl. Ms. Kiran is the Kakaako Director, and she helped us so much with enrollment, orientation, and any admin issues that came up along the way. SSA is truly a family, and we have been so lucky to get to know and bond with the staff, teachers, children, and other parents. We are so thankful we found Stepping Stones and would definitely recommend SSA to other new parents, especially those living in town! read more

Given our busy life now as a family of 4 it has taken us awhile to post this review. We wanted to recognize & thank the infant room and especially Ms Christie & Ms Leilani. Our older daughter joined SSA at 1 years old so we didn't have a chance to experience the infant room with our first child. This being said, we were worried leaving our youngest at daycare from the tender age of 3 months recently. It didn't take long to see however, how quickly our baby warmed up to Ms Christie & Ms Leilani. Ms Christie & Ms Leilani are true gems and professionals, the type of teachers that are hard to find at any levels of education these days. They put their heart & soul into the classroom, projects & babies they look after & the reason for making this school special. Thank you again Ms Christie & Ms Leilani, my entire family & I appreciate you both so much! read more

All of the teachers are so friendly and knowledgeable. I loved their App that allowed me to see what my 1 year old was learning each day. The safety protocols for sign in and out were very good. Excellent communication, clean and safe environment, and caring teachers and admin. Disclaimer: Only drawback is there is no outdoor play area, but it was the perfect place for my baby when he was 0-1 years old. read more

Shoutout to the infant classroom - Ms. Christie and Ms. Lei, you guys are the best! My son has been attending Stepping Stones Academy (Honolulu location) since he was about 3 months old. I was so nervous to send him because I knew it would be an adjustment for all of us. But Ms. Christie and Ms. Lei, along with the other amazing infant teachers did an excellent job of helping us transition and welcomed us with open arms. I cannot say enough how wonderful the infant teachers are! They are so loving and kind and take really great care of my son.   So far we've been having an amazing experience and look forward to seeing my little guy grow and develop at SSA. read more

It's taken me awhile to write this review for Stepping Stones Academy (posting this means we are sadly leaving SSA). My daughter has been part of the SSA family since she was 2 months old, and has thrived under the amazing tutelage and care of the Stepping Stones o'hana. Stepping Stones Academy has provided the most amazing care of our daughter during her 4+ years of instruction. My wife and I can say, without hesitation, that Stepping Stones has absolutely helped our daughter rapidly grow physically, socially and intellectually over the past 4 years. It's a bitter sweet moment for us as we say goodbye to the many loving teachers and friends of Stepping Stones. From an early education standpoint, the skills taught by Stepping Stones Academy were absolutely integral in helping our daughter thrive. From baby/toddler age, she learned how to socially interact with others (e.g. adult handling from multiple care givers, playing nicely with others, etc.), to preschool and Jr. Kindergarten (e.g. alphabet, writing, numbers, etc.). The early education enrichment played a major role in our daughter being accepted to all three private schools we applied for (yay!). From the logistics/location viewpoint, Stepping Stones Academy has one of the most convenient drop off/pick up locations for downtown child care institutions. There is ample street parking (reserved for SSA) for pick up and drop off, as well as a covered parking garage for overflow. Doors are opened promptly at 7 AM for morning drop off and pickup time of (no later than) 5:30PM are a huge help for working parents. Teachers provide daily updates and pictures so you can track your little one's day (and progress) by the hour. Finally the staff. The amazing people at SSA have been a dream to work with and have always placed our daughter's education at the top of their priority. Ms. Sheryl, and Ms. Kiran answer all emails and questions promptly, and provide interactive support in helping families find the right balance for their child's needs. Ms. Leilei, Ms. Cheryl, Ms. Matilda, Ms. Bedika, Ms. Echo and Ms. V (and so many other teachers, I know I'm missing you and I apologize), thank you SO MUCH for all you've done to shape our little one. Know that she moves on to bigger opportunities because of your loving care and guidance over these short 4 years. She's so excited for a "big girl's" school, but at the same time she's so sad (as well as her mommy and daddy) that she'll be leaving the safety and security of Stepping Stones. Thank you one and all for the amazing care you've provided us over these years. We will miss you so much, but are eternally grateful for the love and support you've provided our family. Our deepest Mmahalo, Rhiley, Rhinelle & Jason read more

I absolutely love this school and the teachers. First I felt that the school was very safe with the friendly staff.It has a very homey feeling and the child to teacher ratio is great! I know that my children are personally taken care of.The teachers really make an effort to engage the kids and develop them in a very individualized way. I can see the growth and learning every day! I would recommend this place to everyone with little ones. read more

$1500/month for them to fingerpaint.. no learning, No curriculum.. just an expensive babysitter

Stepping Stones Academy has been wonderful for all of our family members! The teachers really care about the children and their development. He is welcomed warmly every morning, and he has made huge development progress in all aspects since he joined. The parents can see how their child is doing and are given digital updates throughout the day. We even get to see his photos everyday! Thanks so much to the hard-working Stepping Stones team! This has been one of the best choices we've made since we came to Hawaii! read more

Stepping Stones Academy - Elementary Schools Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My son has been enrolled in Stepping Stones for nearly two years and this is an absolutely outstanding daycare + preschool facility. If you are considering SSA, then you are probably also looking at similarly priced childcare options. My husband and I toured Cole Academy's downtown location and also seriously considered Strode Montessori, an in-home daycare option, and a full-time nanny. We chose SSA because during our tour, every single staff member made eye contact with us, said hello, and seemed genuinely interested in meeting our family. The employees seemed to enjoy their jobs and we felt it would be a good environment for our son. We've been through it all with SSA and I am most impressed by their commitment to hygiene and keeping the kids safe. These policies were well in place before the current coronavirus crisis, so we generally do not worry about my son getting sick. He did get really sick during his first week there (and passed it on to about five people in our family), but now, aside from a runny nose every so often, he is generally healthy. The school is very strict on their hand-washing policies, requires children to have their own set of indoor shoes (no outside footwear can be worn inside), etc. Educationally, they have done a great job with my son. When we first enrolled they mentioned they had a "curriculum," but that was the furthest thing from my mind. In hindsight, you can see that they were working with my son from the time he was a baby. His vocabulary, comprehension, and social skills are very advanced and our family, including his grandparents, credit SSA for this. While there is probably no mother who would say that their child is less than a rock star, I will say that we have gotten so many questions from friends and family about what we have done for my son to be as advanced as he is. I know this is generating a few eye rolls right now, but SSA has really done a great job and we recommend this place to everyone we know! read more

It was a fiasco to get my little boy into preschool from the moment we started trying. But this steppingstones felt like a life jacket. And while my little boy was always high energy with a softie heart, he sure did need some refinement. I can not be more pleased with the teachers who make him feel safe and at home. For the patience and tolerance and shaping and molding that he gets. I didn't know i needed this little boy in my life. We never thought we'd find a community that nurtures like stepping stones does. They work with my little one and they are accessible and helpful when it comes to working with me. Worth every penny. Worth every hoop. Worth every effort. Worth everysmile. My son is soooo happy. read more

Stepping Stones Academy - Jr k preschool getting cultural. - Elementary Schools Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My Daughter has been attending Stepping Stones since she was around 6-7 months. Unfortunately, our time at the school is coming to an end do to financial reasons. If you are looking for a school that has built a great curriculum and created an atmosphere for your child to thrive in a small community. Then this is the child care for you. If I could, my daughter would be staying here until she is of age to graduate. The workers are amazing and treat us like family. They took the time to know mom and dad that made you feel part of something bigger than just care for your child. I appreciated the communication even through covid and the protection that was always safety for all. This location also welcomed you with a great sense of aloha. My daughter from the time she went to the time she left never cried once. When the door opened she walked straight in and fell in love with her friends and teachers. I am going to miss all that they gave from time and extra curricular activities that go beyond the clock of 7-5:30PM. My daughter felt loved and I could tell she felt safe. The pictures, the app, the process to sign in, always made us as parents know that our child was safe and having fun! Working in child care is tough and I give credit to the time and dedication this wonderful staff has always given time and time again. My wife and I will miss sending our daughter to stepping stones. It is with heavy heart we are saying goodbye to such a wonderful place. Working in education I can tell how hard this staff works in all the activities. My daughter comes home with many arts and crafts along with dancing and many words she learned along the way. This review was hard to write knowing we are walking away from a great place. read more

My son absolutely thrives at Stepping Stones. His advancement and the activities they do to engage him and grow his brain are unmatchable! Hes so happy each day when I drop him off and pick him up. It feels like each person there loves him and supports us, and are dedicated to our mission to raise an amazing person, catered to his well being and future. I'm so pleased with his development and all he continues to learn. So very grateful to be part of this community. read more

I am so thankful we found Stepping Stones Academy. Our son had difficulties at his previous preschool, and they gave up on him. The folks at Stepping Stones conformed us, and said they could help. Now over a year later our boy is doing incredibly well. This is all thanks to the patience and teaching abilities of Ms. V, Ms. Kelly, and all the wonderful staff and teachers at Stepping Stones. Our son looks forward to going to preschool, he asks on weekends if he can go. His communication skills have improved so much, and he's better at expressing his emotions in a positive way. I can't express enough how thankful we are for Stepping Stones. I have no idea where our child would be in his development if not for the people at Stepping Stones. read more

My son starting going to stepping stones since he was almost two years old , he learn so much that he was able to skip a grade at his current school he was there till he turn 4 years . I particularly love the staff Mrs. Kirian is the best I love her dearly she understand the kind of parent that I am . My daughter was going there for few months when she was 9 months till she turn 1 year then for medical reason we pull her out , but now she is a happy 4 year old and she is there in the junior class , I loved all the teachers . Mrs Arlin was one of the greatest person I came to meet , now they have different staff but they are extremely friendly and honestly I don't think you can't find a better place in Hawaii . People does complain about the price and all the policy's and stuff but think about it , taking care of your little one is priceless , teaching them to write , read, potty training, etc is priceless ........ I love rules and I love to follow then .... when I took out my daughter I didn't bother calling for any money back that is brainless policy's are to follow as well as rules ..... will never say Mrs Kirian is rude she is the sweets person ever I love her kind heart for our kids . Don't judge people only because they are following protocol...... Will recommend steppingstones stones with my eyes close ..... Before I choose to send my kids here I took a month to look at daycares , and other facilities and I came to the conclusion that steppingstones stones was the best . read more

My son started in the 3's class a little over a year ago and has moved into the 4's. What I love about the staff is that they are so loving. My son went to another school that was the exact opposite (chaotic and stressful), so I definitely know what a bad preschool is! The teachers write reports everyday that are sent home with the child that explains what they did all day and if they ate well and napped. (As if they don't have enough to do already!!) It is a great thing that you can use to prompt your child to talk about what they learned as 4 year old like to say they did nothing!! They have thematic curriculum's that incorporates reading, writing, math and hands on activities. They also include the parents in lots of activities for Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patty's day, Easter, etc. The facility is at the bottom of an apartment building and is very convenient if you work in town. The facility is fully enclosed and air conditioned, so it can get chilly. There is a nice indoor play structure that is kept very clean and a bathroom with lots of little toilets! Only challenge is parking! There is a marked zone at the curb to park, but the stalls are sometimes taken by residents leaving parents to circle the busy block for parking. Cleanliness: two thumbs up Professionalism: two thumbs up Facility: two thumbs up Curriculum: two thumbs up Overall: Very happy parent read more

See all

Can't comment on the quality of child care because we weren't even given a chance, despite multiple follow-up emails as requested by the administrator to do so. Our initial visit was very positive and promising; the director Ms. Singh gave us a tour of the facility and was very helpful in answering our laundry list of questions. We never felt rushed or brushed off during this visit, and felt that Ms. Singh did a fine job with giving us a thorough tour. She told us multiple times to keep in contact if we were serious about sending our child here, because the "waitlist" was full and they only keep serious buyers on there. No problem, we totally understood that and told her we'd be in touch. A month after the visit, we sent an email to Ms. Singh letting her know that we appreciated the tour the previous month and that we're looking forward to sending our daughter there in the near future, so please keep us on that serious buyers only list. Nothing, no response. Sent another email two weeks later, and the same, no response. Finally, sent a third email about 3 weeks after the second follow up email, and again, no response. This is unprofessional, and extremely hypocritical considering the message we were given after our initial visit; "stay in touch and keep us informed so that we know you're serious about sending your child here", is what Ms. Singh told us multiple times when we initially toured the location. What could have stopped me from posting a review like this? Simple; a reply with just a line or two stating no availability and thank you for following up about our serious buyers list. But no, it's easier to just leave your prospective customers on read and be a hypocrite. Not looking for any follow up from anyone at this business, since it probably won't happen anyways. Be better about your communication to prospective customers, so that they don't have a crappy experience like the one I've described here. read more

Our son started Stepping Stones when he was 9 months old and the care he received at the infant section was excellent. Small place but loving and caring. Once my son turned one year old he transitioned to the next group. Now, I'll have to be honest and the attention to detail and communication I was used to in the infant section was not the same. However, I communicated my concerns with the director and she was amazing, she listened to all of my concerns with empathy and quickly made the changes I communicated. Once my son turned about 15 months he was moved to the next group with Ms. Keesha and we loved it! I really appreciated all the activities, the pictures, videos, lessons plans, communication and learning environment. My son has flourished in this classroom. Unfortunately, we will be moving our son to a different preschool school as we want more outdoor space and closer location to our home. I wanted to review Stepping Stones as they have provided such a wonderful support and loving environment for our son since he was an infant and now a toddler. We will miss the Stepping Stones academy ohana. I'm so grateful and thankful for all the love and support they have provided our family. Mahalo Stepping Stones! We highly recommend! read more

My daughter was sent to the toddler class in the middle of the pandemic. Pros: 1. Some Friendly staffs: Ms. Keesha was fantastic! Her recap and photos of the day have always been very delightful to read. You could tell that she's passionate being a daycare teacher and that she truly loves her job. She's approachable, friendly and sincere person. Also, Ms. Cheryl, the admin assistant has always been helpful and courteous! Cons: 1. Not a quite considerate day care- I would say. Due to the pandemic, they don't allow parents to visit the school. I can only drop off my baby at the door, which I could totally understand. However, first time going to school was already hard for my baby. While she was still having a hard time adjusting to a completely new environment, almost every morning, it would be a different staff member coming out to pick up my baby at the door. This has only frightened her even more - seeing a stranger and to leave her parents! And this could simply because their short staffing? But still, being a daycare, I would think that they should be considerate enough to think of having 1-2 consistent staff to take care of a newly enrolled baby. But obviously, they are not. 2. Staff was on their phone while they should keep an eye out on the baby. Within not even a month or so, I received 3 incidents report re: my baby's injury. Keep in mind - One of the reports was not given to me until I asked because I first noticed a bite wound on my baby. I would expect them to watch my baby while she was there so that she won't get hurt during the day. That's part of the reason why I sent her to the daycare. There were a couple of times when my husband and I went picked up my baby, we saw the teacher were on her cellphone and just let the babies run around. All those injury reports of my baby's could've been avoided if she was under supervision! 3. The director could learn better on how to listen to others instead of keep defending for herself and the facility. Kiran is responsive. However, she could also keep talking and going on and on and doesn't listen. 4. There are some unfriendly staffs. The assistant of Ms. Keesha, I forgot her name already, had never smiled over the time when my baby attended there. I mean, being a daycare teacher and no smile to the baby, how could my baby be happy and to like you? 4. My baby was able to adapt to the school after a few weeks. She didn't cry after I park and was happy throughout the day. However, after she was re-class, again, due to the Covid, they had to change her teachers-yes, after she just started to get used to the school. She would cry and being moody after I picked her up. She cried so hard when I dropped her off. And after I left, she could cry for hours, which was after she already got used to the school! I don't know what exactly happened to her. But I would think- somebody must have done something differently to cause her change. All in all I would not recommend SSA- HNL. read more

We have been sending our baby boy here for the past couple months and we are really happy with Stepping Stones! I was really hesitant to send him here due to covid 19 but they are clearly taking the steps to be as cautious as they can. The staff there is always so friendly and they have already made me feel like "family". They just updated to use a new application to send updates and pictures of my child while he's at daycare. The app works great and is just another example of them taking the steps to socially distance while keep up with technology! Everyday I drop my baby off he seems happy to go and play with all his friends. He's always tired after daycare, and I know it's because he has had a day filled with activities and play time which is great for his development. I'm happy I chose Stepping Stones as our daycare for our son. read more

I highly recommend sending your son or daughter here. I have been sending my son here since he was only a few months old and we love it! Everyone there is so friendly and organized. His teachers Ms.lei and Ms. Christie are amazing! They are so helpful, thoughtful, and dedicated. My son enjoys going to daycare and learns so much from them. He always has a huge smile on his face when I drop him off and he enters the doors. My husband and I also feel so relieved to never have to worry about him since we know he is in great hands! read more

We sent our son here from 18 months to 3 years. We love this school and the teachers are amazing! I highly recommend this school. Every day we received an email update about what the children did and a bunch of cute pictures of their various activities. We also receive a daily personal update re diapers/toilet, what they ate and overall mood. I wish stepping Stones would open more locations! read more

We are very happy with Stepping Stones Academy. Our son started in the infant room and progressed through to the toddler room. At every step along the way, the care our son received was exceptional. The staff was caring, professional, and quick to address any concerns. The teachers truly care about the kids and did a great job providing a fun play environment and creative learning activities. We highly recommend Stepping Stones Academy. read more

We love Ms. V and Ms. Kelly. My daughter is generally slow to warm up to strangers and had a tough time transitioning into daycare from being home or at work with me. Ms. V changed my daughters life, made her feel safe and loved and encouraged her to come out of her shell and try new things. It was almost an overnight change in her excitement to go to school. Ms. V documented my daughters progress with cognitive, social and emotional development and gave us a full portfolio of her growth during her time in Ms. V's class at the end of the school year. I think I'm more heartbroken about my daughter moving onto the next class more than anyone else! We'll never forget Ms. V and Mrs. Kelly. read more

My daughter went to SSA from about 4 months (infant room) to 18 months (explorers room). I agree with other posters that Ms. Christie and Ms. Lei did a wonderful job of taking care of my girl. They, along with others like Ms Ciara (not sure if she is still there) made me feel at ease with leaving my baby at daycare. She was always happy at drop off and pick up. I also appreciated the online updates and photos. The teachers (Ms Stacia and Ms Ellie) in the explorer room were great, too, but I'm not sure if they are still there. My daughter was always doing fun activities and bringing home the most impressive artwork :-) Before Covid, they used to regularly have events that included parents such as holiday potlucks. It was nice to meet other parents and spend time with my daughter at these events. We hope we can get our son in the infant room soon! It really says something when the teachers (even after 2-3 years) are still there! read more

My daughter started in the infant room at Stepping Stones several months ago. I'm sure that when she started, I was looking for things to be wrong with this place because that's what mothers do when they think that nothing can ever be good enough for their little person. What can I say? I love Stepping Stones for my daughter. In the months that she has been here, I honestly have never once walked in when she was crying, which sort of leads me to believe that she just never cries because she is really happy there. Moreover, I have also never, EVER walked in and felt like the teachers could have been more than what they were doing. They are ALWAYS working hard--changing diapers, warming bottles, feeding the babies, or rocking them to sleep, and there is always at least one teacher who is literally sitting on or crawling all over the floor interacting/playing/talking with the babies. I have to hand it to them. I'd go nuts hanging around so many babies all day. And I'm sure they don't get paid enough for what they do. My daughter is graduating out of the infant room next week, and I hope to see her do well in the next class, too. The teachers from that room asked me to fill out a questionnaire about my daughters likes/dislikes/what I want her to learn this year/concerns, etc. They immediately read it and approached me to talk at length about how they were going to work on the different things I had mentioned, which indicated to me that they had read it pretty carefully and cared about what I said. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I also got the impression that they were genuinely glad to have her moving up into their class. What more can I really ask? Stepping Stones is still a daycare and your baby will definitely pick up all the bugs s/he can, esp during those first few months. We were in the drs office all the time! But you know, they either get sick now or they get sick when they go to kindergarten. So they end up in the drs office at some point or another in any case. Additionally, I will admit that the parking situation is tricky on occasion. I sometimes park in front of a fire hydrant and run in and run out. I'd say this happens about every 1 in 8 visits. If you're not in a huge rush, it's okay. I can imagine this being super annoying, though, for parents trying to get to work in the morning. Still, it's worth it. Hope this helps you feel at ease about bringing your child to daycare. read more

My son J seems to love Stepping Stones Academy. He started there in the infant room in February 2014, when he was six months old. My husband's work schedule had changed, and he was no longer able to care for J during the day while I worked. Both my husband and I felt we had let our son down, somehow, by not being able to care for him ourselves, 24/7. We were so wrong to feel that way! Stepping Stones Academy has been a great fit for J (and for us, as parents). The hours are great- 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. We never feel rushed dropping him off or picking him up. When we pick him up, J is always happy and clean. The teachers there fill us in on what J did that day. They give us a written summary of when he ate, napped, peed/pooped, etc., even what book they read to him or what sign language sign they taught him that day. They'll also verbally update us on what he's done, whether it's cute (laughing with another baby as if they're having their own conversation), or a little bit naughty (stealing other babies' snacks). The teachers in the infant room (Miss Cheryl, Miss Lynn, Miss Lei, and Miss Jane) are so good at what they do. I can't imagine how they juggle three or four babies at a time, but they do it, and they do it with finesse. They seem to genuinely like the babies, and we feel so fortunate that J is getting very loving care. Even teachers from other rooms (the Toddler/Wobbler rooms) say "hello" and "good-bye" to J and play with him throughout the day. He loves it. J also really seems to like the other babies in the infant room. When he started Stepping Stones Academy, it coincided with a point in his development where he appeared to crave interaction with other babies and kids. Stepping Stones Academy has fulfilled his social needs well. He comes home at night satisfied and tired from playing all day long. read more

2 years into it and loved Stepping Stones every step of the way! My son has been with them since his baby days, went through all the rooms in the toddler side, absolutely loved his teachers through out. Big kudos to them for their loving and honestly caring ways! Stepping Stones is not only an appropriate, clean, well organized, safe and peaceful place, it's an ohana, the village it takes to raise a child, and an awesome, positive, good-hearted, considerate, social child especially. I know it'll sound a bit cliche, but they really became a big important part of our life and i'm forever grateful for this new extended family we gained. It goes without saying that Stepping Stones will be my choice for my future little ones as well. Practicalities: low staff rotation, good staff-child ratios, good parking, great parent-teacher communication, awesome engaging activities, excellent care! read more

The caregivers are wonderful, hardworking and attentive. They genuinely love children and I could not ask for more. You can really tell that the caregivers are awesome by the way the children adore them... kind of makes me jealous sometimes, haha! At first I wasn't comfortable sending my LO here, because it wasn't the "Mercedes" of day care facilities (and being a first time mom, I only want the best!), but after touring some of the bigger name places (ie Cole Academy), and even some of the lesser known ones, I chose to send my LO here because the facilities are bright and CLEAN and the children all seemed happy! I'm so happy we chose Stepping Stones because my daughter is happy, healthy and always pooped out from having too much fun! read more

My son Jared returned to Stepping Stones in September 2020 after being at home with me during the lockdowns related to the COVID pandemic. His new Pre-K teacher was Ms. Anca, she is an amazing teacher and person. Ms. Anca truly goes above and beyond for her students, working tirelessly to provide them with memorable learning experiences and to celebrate their birthdays, preschool graduation, and other fun holidays throughout the year. My son grew so much admiration and respect for her and learned so much in her class. Ms. Anca was always approachable, caring, and helpful to us parents as well. During the summer when his older brother was on break, my son had days where he didn't want to go to school because he saw that his brother wasn't going. At drop-off, Ms. Anca went out of her way to help him feel comfortable and happy with coming into the classroom. I also want to mention Ms. Jamey who was always positive, happy, helpful and wore a huge smile (noticeable even though wearing a mask!). Thank you Ms. Anca and Ms. Jamey for helping to prepare Jared for kindergarten and for all you did to make his learning experience during an ongoing pandemic enjoyable and memorable. Thank you Stepping Stones for always ensuring clean, fully stocked facilities, excellent communication with us parents, and having such wonderful teachers and staff. read more

I'm very disappointed in the lack of communication and follow through. I requested to schedule an appointment and received a response from the director Kiran Singh almost immediately. The emailed indicated that I would be contacted in a couple days to schedule an appointment and if I had any questions or concerns to contact her. Three days went by and I had not received any follow up. So I contacted the director via email, waited another two days, nothing. So I sent another email, two more days later and nothing. I finally called them and left a message on their machine and I still have yet to receive any call back or email response. It's a shame because I had heard good things about this place but the lack of communication is worrisome and I will no longer be considering this place for my daughter. read more

All three of my children went to Stepping Stones Academy as infants & toddlers between 2011 and 2017. We love the director Kiran and the staff here! The teachers genuinely love and care for the children, and even shed tears when our kids transitioned to their new schools. The location is very convenient, and they make an effort to make sure parents have adequate parking. You can also make payments via credit card (yay, reward points). I highly recommend! read more

This daycare is excellent! My son has been attending for over four years and we have had nothing but good experiences throughout our time here. The staff is very friendly and it is evident that they care about the students and that they enjoy what they do. The administrators, Ms. Kirin and Ms. Sheryl, are some of the nicest people I've met (funny too!). Ms. V, who teaches the 3-year-olds, tailored the curriculum to meet my son's interests and skills (she saw that he was interested in math and taught him to add and subtract at an early age). My son's current teacher, Ms. Anca, goes above and beyond to provide engaging activities for the students (all the teachers do!). The soon-to-be preschool graduates learn how to introduce themselves and make friends when they get to kindergarten, as well as what to expect from their new surroundings. It's comforting knowing students are well prepared to move on to their new schools! This center is clean and well organized and has an excellent communication system- an app where they post announcements and upload your child's daily activities and fun pictures and videos. I highly recommend Stepping Stones Academy! read more

Our daughter is enrolled in Stepping Stones and we absolutely love it. She started daycare for the first time at 19 months and we were worried about the transition. Our daughter runs into school in the morning with a smile. Stepping Stones has incredible teachers (particularly Ms. Keesha!) and a great facility. We can't say enough about Stepping Stones and only wish we had found it sooner! read more

Our baby started at Stepping Stones a few months ago and we are so pleased. You will not find caregivers who are more genuine and caring anywhere else. Stepping Stones is so clean, well-managed, and the children always look so happy when I go to pick up my baby from the Infant Room. Ms. Kiran is the director and is always responsive with our questions and communications with her. Our baby seems genuinely happy with Ms. Cheryl, Ms. Lynne, Ms. Lei, Ms. Jane, and the whole team in the Infant Room. I don't know how they do it, and like the other reviewer said, we couldn't ask them to do anymore for our baby than they already do. We know it's a scary process trying to find a place to trust for your little one. We are very happy with Stepping Stones and glad we enrolled our baby here. read more

Positives: 1) Some caring staff 2) Clean facility Negatives: 1) Parking is bad 2) They are often short-staffed 3) The director is hard to get in touch with and does not do a good job of addressing parents concerns Overall, I would not recommend the daycare portion of Stepping Stones and feel that there are better places for the amount that they charge. read more

This is the best center for your child. Teachers and management are excellent! I can tell my children are always well cared for and kept busy through the day. I joke that they're busier than I am. My son has been there for the past 4 years. Now my younger daughter also attends Stepping Stones in Honolulu. My friends tell me preschool horror stories (no names) and I always tell them, send them to Stepping Stones! never had a problem. Whenever I have questions, the director is always ready to assist with a smile. They are really all such caring professionals! If you want world class childcare, Stepping Stones Academy is THE place!! read more