Seeking a Daycare or Preschool in Albany

4 parent questions ▼

Parent Q&A

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  • Diverse daycare or preschool near Albany

    – Jun 16, 2021
    (3 replies)

    Our daughter is 21 months old, and we need full time care beginning in August.  She won't be two until late September, so it's looking like we may need to find a daycare rather than a preschool, but we're open to both.  Our daughter is Black/biracial, so we are specifically looking for a daycare or preschool where she would have Black peers and teachers.  I have seen other similar questions posed on BPN, but they seem to focus only on preschools and not daycares, so I thought I would ask more specifically.  We're in Albany and are open to Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, or possibly Richmond depending on how far away.  We would love any recommendations, and even better if you happen to know of somewhere that actually has a space available for a just-under-two year old.

    As an aside, we are also open to joining a nanny share nearby for the time being until we find a great fit for a preschool/daycare.  If anyone has a 2-ish year old and is opening to sharing their nanny or starting a nanny share, feel free to send a message.  My partner works from home and is thrilled for the LO and I to be out of the house, so we would really prefer not to host a nanny share.

    Thanks for any recs and leads!

    Jun 16, 2021

    Hi there,

    When we were looking for daycare for our daughter I found a really great place in Point Richmond called the Point Playhouse. The owner is a black woman. I found her really easy to chat with and was highly considering sending my daughter. We ended up going elsewhere because we weren't ready to commit to a daycare given our unpredictable work schedules at the time. I've linked the website. Good luck in your search! https://www.thepointplayhouse.com/

    Hi, 

    We were in the same boat with our daughter and she started at The Good Earth School up in Kensington in February. Our friends daughter who is her best friend, has started a month before and absolutely loved it. They have an 18 month program as well as a 2's program and up until kindergarten. Its an outdoor play-based school run by a biracial couple and a very diverse staff of teachers: latino, black, etc. We have loved it and our daughter had a very smooth transition from being in a nanny share to full time at TGES. They have had a waiting list and are full but will be expanding and may have space in August. Gail and Alan are amazing and if you call to get more info and schedule a tour, they will answer all of your questions and explain their philosophy. 

    Wishing you luck!

    My daughter is Black biracial and will be starting with Willow Tree in North Oakland next month. It might be too far from you but is run by two amazing Black women and I’m pretty sure they have an opening. 

  • TK and K recommendations near Albany

    – Feb 22, 2019
    (3 replies)

    We just moved to east bay and are looking for a TK and K school for my son. Any recommendations? I prefer a school setting rather than a small center at a house. We live in Albany, so El Cerrito, Albany and Berkeley are all good. I tried Nia House but no luck. Looking forward to hearing more ideas!

    Feb 22, 2019

    Honestly, being in the Albany school district is why people pay so much to live in Albany for. I'm just blocks from Albany and my partner and I have discussed moving to get our kids into the public school there. My kid is entering K too. 

    Have a look at The Berkeley School's Early Childhood Center on Francisco. It's a gem. Three teachers in every classroom, sweet campus in a nature setting. 

    Prospect Sierra is opening a TK next fall. My child has been there for 2 years and another starts in the fall. I would honestly trust any program they put together. It is an amazing place. 

  • Infant daycare near Albany/El Cerrito/North Berkeley

    – May 10, 2017
    (2 replies)

    Hi there

    I'm searching for a part time daycare for my baby who will be 4 months old in August. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for daycares in the Albany, El Cerrito or North Berkeley area.

    Thanks!

    May 10, 2017

    We absolutely loved Bouchra's Daycare. http://www.bouchracare.com/

    My daughter has been in pre-school for almost a year now, but she still talks about Bouchra (and "Baba" Najib) all the time. They are very special people-- so much nurturing and unconditional love for babies, toddlers, kids. Very organized, professional, consistent, and convenient too. She's a block from the Plaza BART station.

    I don't know if she is accepting new families, but I highly, highly recommend Amy's Daycare in Albany. Amy Sintchak and her parents watched both of my children when they were young, and we were outrageously happy there. Our kids got a ton of personalized attention. The evening updates were informative. I completely trust Amy and her parents' judgment. A bonus is that our children learned Mandarin. parentsamy9973 [at] gmail.com

  • Pre-school recommendations in Albany?

    – Apr 27, 2017
    (1 reply)

    Hi,

    We are moving to Pierce Street, Albany next month.Can you please any good preschools for our 4 year old son from June onwards? With our income, we don't qualify for any subsidy. Me and my wife are both working so looking for a full time pre-school option.

    Looking for some feedback from parents who are already sending or have sent their kids to Albany pre-schools earlier. Wondering if it's better to enroll him in Albany pre-schools or Berkeley pre-schools?

    Appreciate your thoughts and insight on this.Thanks in advance.

    Apr 27, 2017

    Not too knowledgeable but we're sending our little guy to Albany Children's Center which is close to Albany Bowl on San Pablo. Not too far from Pierce St.