Pleasanton KinderCare

Just based on my walk thru and observations:
The ratio for the 2s is 1:10– 1:12. For the price, these ratios should be lower. The room they keep these kids in all day is adequately sized but is in need of updating. To expect much more than supervision when the ratios are so high is unrealistic. Especially as they are potty training many of the kids.
The TK class had one teacher on the day I went, because there were only 12 students. But she seemed to be yelling while the kids just ran around in the class. This room was seemed smaller than that for the 2s.
My child wanted to leave the whole time and the assistant director had a hard time dealing with that and shoed is out as quickly as she could.
I would never put my kids here. Left with a horrible feeling.

I am a mom of an 11 month old and my baby boy has been at this daycare since he was 3 months old. Like any first time mom, I was really nervous to leave my son with strangers but there was something about the teachers that made me feel that he would be in good hands.
I had a trial day where when I came back to pick him up, he was happy and giggling and didn’t even realize I was gone. My son hadn’t been there a week and teachers from all other older classes who i hadn’t met, would say hi to my son by name and would tell me how sweet he is. All the teachers in the whole center get to know all the kids, I liked that.
Over the months I have been convinced that I couldn’t find a better level of care for my son. The two infant teachers Miss L and Miss M were so in tune with my son’s rhythms that they quickly realized when he was having a growth spurt and needed more. Everyday I heard about sweet little things he (specifically) was doing and what they were teaching him (working on). Weeks later he would be doing the thing they had told me they had been teaching him. Those ladies are PERSONALLY invested in each baby’s development and care deeply for all those little babies. They are Rockstars!
At 7 months old, my son stood on his own for the fist time and they took photos for me and were just as excited as I was. Who does that!!! I went home and cried that day, realizing that he is in the best hands he could possibly be in. Since then, I have gotten the sweetest little photos of my son washing his hands, enjoying bananas (which at the time he wouldn’t even touch at home!) and my personal favorite, giving himself the Nebulizer treatment (under supervision obviously).
The infant care teachers were so flexible and whatever I wanted to try whether it was a schedule or certain sleep/​eating preferences and all kinds of things, they hopped on board and supported me as far as they could. I was nursing in the beginning and dropped in unannounced all the time. Even to this day sometimes when i miss him I drop by during my lunch.
The center Director, assistant Director & Miss K are also amazing! They do a great job bringing in staff who genuinely care for the kids. They are organized and honest and handle all the financial aspects with parents with such grace. Wonderful people!
Its a pity that we have a culture to only review negative experiences. My hope is that all the other happy mommies and daddies at the center would leave a note about this centers incredible staff.

This place is a joke. Anyone giving this place a good review either works there or is friends with someone who works there. The staff is rude, the teachers are rude. If you want your child actually cared for, do not enroll them here.

I had my children at KinderCare for well over 12 years. I dropped off and picked up at various times of the day. I NEVER saw any child treated poorly, or any different whether their parents were there or not. Brenda was at this Center the entire time my children went there. Speaking of Brenda, in the 12 plus year I was dropping off and picking up my children, I NEVER saw her in a Mini Skirt, or wearing Stilettos. And certainly never mistreated any children. Quite the contrary! I had many friends that had their children at this center as well, and I know for a fact that all these children, and there are many, absolutely adore Brenda. I must say, the review by Tessa C is totally Bizarre! It appears to be some kind of jealous rant that is so far from the truth, that it’s almost laughable! Except for the fact she made it so personal and slanderous comments. Shame on you Tessa C!

This center doesn’t even deserve one star.
I read all these reviews, and the ones that say this center is such a wonderful place, cracks me up!
Here is the deal, I know from first hand that this place is a joke.
–The teachers are only nice to the children their parents are around.
–The teachers insult the children when they don’t know an answer.
They talk to highly of how great their program is, but all the kids do all day is look at books on the carpet, and draw on paper. There is no arts and crafts, science, math, no fun!
This center forces teachers to go in their ten minute breaks, even if you just got back from lunch 5 minutes prior. All they care about is their paperwork and getting their numbers in.
Kristi L walks around snapping at teachers all day, pretending she knows everything. Shes rude to her staff.
The two main bosses, try to con people into attending this school or be a staff member … They have nothing to offer.
Also, teachers must keep their phones off the premises. Uhh? Thats the stupidest thing Ive ever heard.
Their teachers stand in the hallways gossiping all day …
Teachers are left out of ratio constantly.
Teachers who have been there for many years think its okay to take their ten minute break, and come back in 30 minutes.
If your not back right in time, they yell for you down the halls.
I could go on and on … This place needs to be reported for the unprofessional teachers and business staff… The cleanliness, and for licensing with ratio.
If you want your child to have an education, send them to a real preschool, or even a home daycare …
If you want your child to be moved from room to room, threatened, yelled at, uncared for, send them to kindercare!
You make the choice.
I was a staff member for a short time, and this place has some very bad issues.

I wanted to share my unsatisfactory experience with Kindercare, Pleasanton.
I used Kindercare’s services for about 3 weeks which I was transitioning my 1 year old toddler out of a nanny routine.
He has become a lot more active and curious and when his nanny was out sick for 2 weeks, we thought it would be a good time to try a daycare to see how he interacts socially with kids in his agegroup.
The infant and toddler room is a common room instead of being separate like at a lot of other daycares. The needs of an infant are very different from those of a toddler and this is not a good grouping. In the first week, the center director as well as the toddler room teachers made big promises and took us aside and chatted us up about how beneficial it would be to leave him there long term for a more wholesome learning curve that will allow him to settle there better.
Our experience could not be more different than what was promised. We noticed our toddler was completely skipping his afternoon nap, so he went from napping twice to napping just once. Due to this, when we brough him back home, he was a tired wreck and fussed/​cried to no end. We couldnt put him to sleep at 6pm or he wouldnt sleep through the night. Basically, the noise and commotion at Kindercare and the lack of concern by teachers resulted in a messed up napping schedule for our little one.
Besides this, I feel that teachers provide little, is any, personal handling and attention to my ward. They pretend to be cosy and intimate with the child when we come to pick him up and drop him but a lot of parents I ran into told me that that is all a big production. They do not care or have too many kids to handle to be able to do this.
Lastly, I was charged a fees for a days when my child was sick even though he did not step foot in the daycare on those days. They gave me a huge earful of how hard it was to handle him on the sick day before i got there to pick him up, but they refuse to take responsibility for the days they have charged me but not provided any service. I can understand the need to send my child home if he is sick but dont charge me for the days following that day if you are not actually handling him. Unprofessional. Big promises but empty promises.
Do note that our child was sick with 2 different issues — in the 3 weeks he was there. Communicable diseases are prone to happen to kids of such young age in proximity of other kids, so please have a PLAN B in place when your child gets sick. Because Kindercare will dump your ward without flinching at the slightest sign of them being sick. The fact that they get sick a lot at a crowded daycare is how the cycle starts in the first place. For me it meant just taking 4 days off work in the middle of a busy week which really annoyed my boss.
We decided to try out a home daycare this week and we are much happier. With a smaller number of kids (4 instead of double figures), our baby feels more taken care of. We noticed that he no longer throws a fit when we drop him there or pick him up, which he did at Kindercare. I think he was completely devoid of attention at Kindercare which is why he cried so much at pickup and dropoff.
Overall, it was a safe, convenient location to leave our kid at wheile we both were at work, but expect no personal attention at all, and have alternate plans for when your child is sick.

Not the best place in town, in fact its the worst place to send your child. They will treat your kid kindly in front of you but after that they just leave them crying. When they know the parents are about to come they will give full attention to your child. It has happened to me and every time i went in between times i found my son left alone crying or not been attended. They will change diapers only around the time parents are coming to pick kids up.

We have been sending our kids to Kindercare for almost 3 years. The staff are very friendly and really take good care of the kids. All the teachers knows almost all the kids in all the classes. They provide very yummy lunch, my kids love them. They organize lot of fun events. My kids love to go to Kindercare every day.
I have reduced one star for the two reasons, 1. This place is little expensive and 2. They dont have good academic programs.

We’ve been going here for a year now. The teachers are all pretty friendly with a few exceptions. I do enjoy their organized curriculum and extra programs they offer on a fee basis, but reasonably priced. Most teachers show they really care and enjoy working there.
There are a couple of teachers who are useless; there is one in the three’s who does not pay any attention; example is i’ve witnessed obvious bullying and hitting on random occasions i’ve picked up or dropped off my kids and teacher was oblivious to this. Once a crying little boy even went up to this useless teacher and said he was just hit, the teacher ineffectively just yelled out in a nonchalant manner to the entire room, «stop hitting.» which of course every kid ignored. That was so ineffective and made me wonder what goes on when there are no parents in the room. This poor kid in tears basically got brushed away by his teacher and no attempt to investigate and properly address the bully was done.
The food is so /​so, typical american high processed foods, but can’t blame the school for this one since i know it comes from upper management decisions on purchasing the cheapest decent food available. (Note — If any preschool /​daycare ever opens up and serves wholesome real food, preferably organic, i will be all over it and even pay for the extra difference in price)
Now for the admin staff: The director is not that caring and doesn’t seem to make any attempts to interact with the parents as they arrive. She just sits in her office or chats it up with other teachers. I’m sure she does this all day, but at least make it a point during morning, noon, and evening windows of drop off /​pick up to stand in lobby area available to parents who would like to speak to her.
The assistant director is way too busy flirting with most males who walk in. The bill collector lady asks for the weekly dues as if they are court ordered judgments. She leaves nasty notes paper clipped to the sign-​in sheet for all to see who is even one day late on payment, she calls you at home threatening you with late fees if payment is not immediately made, etc etc. This is an expensive daycare and you have to pay weekly when all other bills are set up for monthly payments as is very standard. It’s hard to remember to pay each week; it just seems too often that payment can easily and innocently be overlooked. The bill collector needs to relax and not act like it is her own personal money.
The director should at least consider a bi-​weekly payment instead of weekly; its just way too often. Or go with the standard of monthly billing. I even once overheard this bill collector talking very loudly in the main hallway to a teacher during a busy morning drop off time about how frustrated she gets because of all the parents who don’t pay each week and how much time she has to spend on reminder calls and notices and threats of late fees. Well maybe she should bring this to the director’s attention and work with the parents and not against the parents. It was clear in her convo that many parents overlook the weekly payments so it’s obviously an issue that can easily be resolved if this place went on a normal monthly or biweekly billing cycle. Besides, how unprofessional this was and poor perception skills on her part.
The safety is so /​so. Kids have gotten injured and the teachers /​staff will protect each other till the end on liability. They definitely have each others backs on this one so if your little one gets injured they will complete a useless injury report and call you, but don’t expect any apologies or acceptance of liability. They’re famous for saying, «These things happen» or «kids will be kids» They also forget to put sunblock on kids so many times. I know this because i know the smell of my kids when they’ve worn sunblock. I’ve requested in writing and verbal that sunblock always be applied to my kids before playing outside.
Overall, we like this place and have not left because of the overwhelmingly great teachers who obviously care and do a good job every school day, but its definitely not the admin staff that keeps us coming.
I’m giving 3 stars because most of the teachers are great and caring. But not 4 or 5 stars for reasons mentioned above.

I am so happy my family experienced this Kindercare, we have only been there for only one year and we had to move but during that time the staff there where like family .my son was in the three’s room and the teachers were amazing, the classroom was always clean and inviting coming in and out. i was even surprise of the other teachers in the other rooms would take time to say hi or bye to us as we walked in and out of the center. the office staff are super amazing, very caring, and understanding. if we ever move back to Pleasanton, and have more children, we would go back there.