Little Ducklings Daycare
Community SubscriberEl Cerrito, CA
To see Department of Social Services records on this facility, click on its DSS Facility License # below.
We are Little Ducklings Daycare, a licensed family daycare nestled in the heart of the El Cerrito Hills! We are accepting children ages 0-5 to come join the fun!! We offer a quiet nurturing and educational environment. Our fun-filled educational program geared to prepare your preschooler for kindergarten and years of learning to come. Our Exciting curriculum includes reading, creative arts and crafts. We provide 2 hot, healthy, and delicious meals and tasty snacks throughout the day. Our daycare areas includes a 1200sq.ft indoor class room and play area and over 8,000sq. ft backyard with a newly installed super slide jungle gym play structure, large grassy field, and a garden where each child plants their own seeds.Open Mon-Fri, 7:30-5:30 pm.
Little Ducklings has been a wonderful experience for both of our children. We started the younger one there, and ended up moving our older child in when the Pandemic hit. There is a thoughtful Pre-K program for the older kids that is both fun and educational. We’re fortunate to be part of a great community of families who we’ve become good friends with and continue to get together even after our kids have gone off to separate schools. Our younger child is still there and comes home every day with a huge smile on her face and so many happy memories.
The indoor space is well lit and full of a large variety of toys and games, there is almost always music playing. The outside area is spacious and the play structure is well shaded. Sausan and her team are thoughtful and caring with the kids, from providing healthy, well-balanced meals to helping with sunscreen.
Sausan is a wonderful caregiver, her 25+ years of experience is in constant display as she navigates a room full of 0-5 year old kids with both grace, kindness, and gentle authority. I’d highly recommend Little Ducklings to anyone.
Little Duckings has been such a blessing in our lives. Our daughter attended Little Ducklings from the ages of 8 months to 5 years and our son is still attending. Sausan's care in building empathy and creative problem solving in the children is amazing. She builds an educational environment full of love and our children have thrived within her care. Sausan also puts lots of effort into pre-school activities that are age appropriate. Our kids are constantly coming home sharing facts about the solar system, animals, colors, numbers, and more. Additionally, Sausan has been there for us in times of need this past two years during the pandemic. We trust her completely! Couldn't recommend a better preschool!
The community of families and parents is a huge plus! At the beginning of the pandemic, we all got together to discuss mask wearing and safety. It was respectful and we created a community full of intention. We've also become close friends with many of the rad parents at Little Ducklings!
Forgot to mention, Sausan serves healthy food for breakfast and lunch! Huge bonus not to have to pack food.
We feel incredibly lucky to have found Little Ducklings! Our daughter started there at 2 years old when she was exposed to lead at her previous daycare. It was a very stressful time for our family, and Sausan put us at ease and made us feel certain our daughter was in good hands. The facility is well equipped with toys, play structures, books, etc. and Sausan and Aesha keep it SO clean!
Our daughter is four now and has really enjoyed the preschool projects they do each day. She comes home with something new to share every day and is so prepared to start Kindergarten next year. Sausan is such a warm and thoughtful teacher, who really knows how to help each kid succeed. Our daughter knows her letters, can count way past 20, and can write and sound out a lot of words. We considered putting her in larger preschool program, but we had a second child who joined Little Ducklings a little over a year ago, and having one drop off in the morning is so nice. We also really like that our older child has learned to share and look out for the little ones, and that our kids have many of the same friends. Our son loves attending with his big sister and often runs back down from the car to get “one more huggie” at the end of the day. He calls Aesha “MY-eesha” and she’s just his best friend.
The community of families is also a wonderful aspect of Little Ducklings. We have become friends with our kids’ friends’ parents and it’s really nice!
I can’t speak highly enough of this wonderful place and if there’s a spot open, you should definitely take it!
As the pandemic struck last year and the center our one-year old was at closed permanently, we were fortunate enough to get a spot for him at Sausan’s Little Ducklings Daycare. She and the community of families there put in place a careful set of precautions that has avoided any covid-19 cases in the daycare, including temperature checks and masking (as well as vaccination for the caregivers).
All the good things mentioned in the other reviews still hold true. Sausan and her assistant Ayeesha (who took over a few years back) are both very loving, caring, patient, and wonderful caregivers, thoughtfully treating every child according to their age and development. Sausan’s love for her work and the children shines through, and she has so much experience taking care of young children (she has been running Little Ducklings daycare for 26 years!) that we immediately felt completely comfortable trusting her with our son. Even when we show up right at 7:30am Sausan is ready and waiting, with breakfast and the space prepared. And when we show up later our son is greeted by name and with excitement by the other kids. There’s a WhatsApp group where the friendly parent community engages, and Sausan often shares pictures and videos of the kids playing, dancing, or celebrating birthdays. Many of the kids are siblings, and most have been there for a long time, which is a testament to the great environment at Little Ducklings. As is the fact that when we pick up our son he races across the room to make sure both Ayeesha and Sausan get their goodbye-hugs before he leaves.
The daycare space has actually been upgraded since the last review, with a large new room built as an extension to the house. It’s a big, bright, beautiful space, well-equipped, and right outside there’s the large yard and separate playground structure area, all entirely fenced in and secluded. In terms of facilities it feels more like a center than an in-home daycare, yet is very reasonably priced and provides all meals.
Sadly, with office and work travel returning we can no longer make the commute work, so are moving our son to a closer daycare. He and we will miss Sausan, Ayeesha, and all the others, and hope to visit from time to time. It sounds like his spot has already been filled, but we highly recommend reaching out to Sausan about potential future openings if you’re looking for a great daycare for your child(ren).
Sausan Ali is our son’s second mom! We started sending our son here when he was 4.5 months old and my maternity leave was ending. After touring a few daycare options (none of which made me confident that my son would be attentively cared for), we found Little Ducklings. Sausan immediately made us feel at ease and it was clear how much she loves her work. She worked with us easily, as we wanted to cloth diaper and she already had a whole system in place for how to make it seamless and easy. Most importantly to us, the composition of kids is diverse and Sausan is easy to communicate with, so it’s not hard to find out what my son’s experience was each day
Children get breakfast, morning snack, a homemade lunch and an afternoon snack. Every day, the kids get lots of outside time and often go down to the “playground” in her beautiful and safe backyard. There’s also a sizable deck, where the kids play and where we have our monthly potluck parties to celebrate any birthdays for kids that month. Once a week, there’s an opportunity for a movement and music class with Viola Pelligrini. Sausan and Zahara (her second in command) also emphasize small manners like saying “please” and “thank you” and apologizing if they’ve done something wrong. The size of the group is small enough where we know every child and their parents, and it’s been a huge peace of mind knowing that our son is making some deep, long-lasting friendships at Little Ducklings.
I like that I can keep my son at Little Ducklings until kindergarten if I wanted, but unfortunately, we’re moving for new jobs and the commute is just too lengthy. You know you’ve found a great place when the daycare provider is just sad about you leaving as you are; Sausan seems like she will genuinely miss our son, which means that she truly cares for him as much as I thought she did. If you can get a spot, take it!
I highly recommend Little Ducklings Daycare! Our son Adrien started attending when he was 2,5 months old and he's been there for about 3 years now. I actually found out about this daycare on the Berkeley Parents Network and was impressed by the touching comments from various parents. We're a French family, living temporarily in the Bay area (post-doc at UC Berkeley), and were looking for a loving and enriching environment (with flexible hours) to take care of our youngest child. We never regretted our choice. Sausan, the owner, and Zahara, her second in command, have provided our son with everything we could ask for. They transmitted key values (respect, sharing, love, to name a few) and helped him grow into this independent and assertive toddler. Adrien is now bilingual (he learned English completely from the daycare since we speak French at home). The location and facilities (large deck and yard) are amazing for active toddlers!
If you get a spot, don't hesitate for a second and join the fun!
We love Little Ducklings! Our daughter Lily started there when she was 7 months old and has enjoyed every moment of it. We will be moving away and are very sad to leave little Ducklings. When I drop Lily off in the morning she literally jumps out of my arms excited to see her friends and Sausan and Zahara. When I pick her up in the afternoon she is always happy to see me but there have been many times that she clearly would prefer to stay and play for a bit longer. Lily is our first child and Sausan has been a wonderful guide through this first year of life. She has so much experience love and compassion. I could not imagine a better place to help care for Lily :)
Little Ducklings is a wonderful family based daycare. My youngest son started attending when he was 6 months old and Little Ducklings quickly became a home away from home. Over the years, we noticed that many of her previous families kept in touch and would come back and visit, as the relationships that were cultured were ones of true caring.
As my son grew older, Sausan's curriculum grew with him, and she introduced more and more preschool activities, bring home projects and lessons every day. In addition, Sausan has taught our son great social skills, and has gently encourage our son to be a role model for the younger kids. We are soon graduating to kindergarten, but I can confidently say that my son is ready for school because of Sausan.
If you're looking for a warm and caring daycare/preschool, then I highly recommend Little Ducklings!
I very highly recommend Little Ducklings for your young one! My son started there when he was 5 months old (he's now two and a half), and we have been so happy all the way through infancy and into toddlerdom. Sausan is loving, attentive, and knows the kids so well. She has a deep understanding of early childhood development, and I trust her inherently. Her assistant of many years, Zahara, is equally a wonderful part of the experience there, and also a loving presence in the kids' lives. The preschool program does a great job at preparing the older kids for kindergarten, while still giving them a chance to spend lots of time playing. The outdoor space is wonderful-- very spacious and open (with beautiful bay views that the parents likely appreciate as much or more than the kids!), and allows separate safe play areas for different ages. And she has chickens! The fact that all meals are served as part of the program is a huge time saver for families. In addition, they foster community among the parents by having potluck birthday parties every couple months that families come to, and occasional family outings as well. The relationships formed there clearly last well beyond the time the kids are in the program-- Sausan often has older kids and families stopping by to say hi and keep her updated about how they're doing. We love Little Ducklings, and any young child would be very well served there!
Hi,
My name is Pascha Brown and my son currently attends Little Ducklings Daycare. He's been there since he was 4 months old. Sausan is the owner and Zahara is the other teacher who works with her. They are both really good with interacting with the kids, you can tell they love what they do. The environment is safe and clean. Sausan also provides the kids with music lessons from a lady named Viola Pellegrini, which is awesome for my son because he loves music.
They have a beautiful outdoor playground, one for the younger kids and a large play structure for the older kids. She also feeds them breakfast, lunch and snacks and the price is reasonable. Lastly, each child gets to celebrate their birthday because she organizes birthday parties on Fridays from 4-6pm. It's really fun, because we get to connect with other parents and bring a potluck for the parties. I highly recommend Little Ducklings if you are currently looking for a daycare in the El Cerrito area.
If you can get a spot at Little Ducklings Daycare, you should feel extremely lucky! The space is welcoming—a large, completely fenced and sheltered deck is where the younger children play every day (except if it rains), and the older children also have access to the backyard and play structure. Sausan, the owner, is a conscientious business person, so the practical side of contracts, payments, and advance notice of holidays is easy for busy parents to manage. Most important, she and Sahara--the second, full-time caregiver--are wonderfully kind and caring teachers. My daughter has been attending there since she was 8 months old. Now 3, she knows “please” and “thank you,” “my turn,” and much more—and she has learned them from the heart by attending Little Ducklings.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Nov 2014
I would like to take time to write a review about Little Ducklings Daycare in El Cerrito, owned by Sausan Ali. It is located in the EC hills, close to Moeser lane. The home has a great big yard with tons of play space for every age, a wooden deck, grass, and a large play structure for the bigger children. Sausan takes children ages newborn to preschool age (she does preschool with the older kids). The tuition is very reasonable and includes snacks and warm meals (not diapers/wipes). The daycare is open throughout the year and only closing for major holidays and two weeks in August.
My daughter has been in Sausan's care for 1.5 years and we had only good experiences. Sausan has lots of help, including amazing Sahara, sometimes even previous children who attended Little Ducklings Daycare and are now teenagers, help out in the afternoon hours with the bigger children. Now that should tell you something. There are always parent get-togethers almost every month to celebrate birthdays.
When I picked my daughter up, I felt that every day she has learned something new. She has never cried and looked forward every day of staying. Which is all I wanted for her - a safe, cozy, warm, learning inspired space. I am leaving because my daughter is going to a bilingual preschool, but we are sad to leave. Little Ducklings daycare has now 2 open spots! Susanne
June 2013
Sausan and Sahara have been taking care of my 18-month old, Zoey, since she was 3 months old. I can't imagine a better, more loving, nurturing, supportive, FUN, caregiving setup. The only reason I was able to go back to work was because I knew Zoey was in such good hands. She never cried when I left her (though she DID sometimes cry when I picked her up, and it was time to go home!) It's a group of awesome kids, awesome parents, and so much more pure love than I saw at any other place we considered. Sausan runs her daycare with love and care. She's patient and kind, and the kids listen to her, love each other, and learn to treat each other with kindness and friendship. It's a joy to watch your child learn those values! We're moving cross-country, and leaving Little Ducklings behind is the hardest part of our move. We're going to miss everything about it. But I'm excited to say that there's now an opening for a lucky family!
July 2012
Sausan is truly nurturing and loving. I have sent my son there since he was 18 months old and he is now 4. My son never made it easy when I left (thought he always settled down right after the door shut) and Sausan supported my exit by holding and comforting him the entire time. She greets every child with a smile. She even knows the different knocks on the door and can identify which child is knocking.
She provides older kids preschool activities every day. On rainy days they have lots of toys to play with and on clear days she keeps the kids out side almost all day. For older kids she has a nice size playground. She opens up sandboxes and lets them play in water on hot days. She is constantly creating new projects to keep their interest and playing music to keep them dancing. Families often stay with Sausan from babyhood through graduation. She recently had a graduation and reunion party where kids that are now teenagers returned to say hello.
I would recommend Little Ducklings to everyone seeking a nurturing, fun and happy environment for their, baby, toddler, or young child. Contact: Sausan Ali, (510) 701-8484
July 2012
I would like to recommend our wonderful home-based daycare/preschool, which has been part of our family's life for 7+ years. The school is run by a warm, caring and highly experienced owner with the help of her equally nurturing assistant. Here are a few highlights:
- Hours are 7:30AM to 5:30PM, open all year, with the exception of holidays, two provider days and two vacation weeks in August.
- Warm meals and healthy snacks are provided.
- The space is filled with toys, books and art supplies and includes a large deck with outdoor toys, as well as a spacious backyard with a play structure.
- The kids' days are filled with fun and educational activities, such as writing, drawing, gardening projects and art, as well as plenty of free play time.
- Once a week instructors from California Gymnastic Services conduct classes at the school.
The main point I would like to stress is that this place has truly become a home away from home for my kids. My oldest ''graduated'' three years ago and to this day his face lights up when he has a chance to go for a visit, which is the only evidence I need to know that this is a truly exceptional place for the little ones. Please feel free to contact the provider, Sausan, at 510-701-8484 or email me if you would like any additional feedback.
Anna
Nov 2010
Sausan Ali has become part of our family and although our boys are graduating this month, I know this will never change. There are hardly words that describe the professionalism, experience, knowledge, care understanding and joy she offers. In the last five years, she has never closed unexpectedly; she has always greeted the parents and children at the door each morning with authentic joy and enthusiasm to begin her day caring for our children. She demonstrates her support of working parents through her flexibility and accommodations within her accredited and recognized program. Having our children in a home environment has provided a nurturing structure that fosters learning, social development and play. On the occasion, that am able to pick up the boys outside of our normal schedule and peak into their day, I am in utter amazement at the exemplarily behavior of not only our children but all of the children. As a parent, you are in awe of how she is able to accomplish this order and realize she has earned this respect through consistency, love and patience.
July 2010
Our daycare provider has a rare opening: Shahin's Day Care in the El Cerrito Hills. It is an in-home, licensed day care center lovingly staffed by three wonderful mothers. Plenty of space for the kids to play: the large indoor area in Shahin's converted garage, an outdoor play area with baby and toddler-appropriate structures and riding toys, plus a large sandbox and swing set area. Shahin prepares delicious meals that the kids devour. Between our two sons, we've been going there for over 2 years and couldn't be happier or more comfortable with the set up and with everyone who works there. Shahin is on Cutting up the hill from the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station. She takes infants through about age 3 (until they are ready for preschool). She's open Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.
Shahin
July 2010
Little Ducklings has 2 openings, ages 2-4, P/T or F/T. Mon-Fri, 7:00-5:30PM. In the El Cerrito Hills.
I looked at a lot of places to find the right spot for my son and it wasn't until I met Sausan and talked to the other parents that I felt I found the right match. Sausan and her assistant, Zahara, are exceptionally warm, patient and nurturing caregivers who truly enjoy working with little ones. When we started, DS was terribly shy of strangers and hated leaving my side. Now he's almost 3 and is brimming with confidence, easily strikes up a conversation with strangers and is 90% toilet trained.
LD provides: - a warm, clean and cozy indoor space with lots of toys - a beautiful outdoor play space - a daily preschool learning activity - breakfast, lunch and snacks - optnl Fri Toddler gymnastics class
All at a very reasonable price. Perhaps the best testament to LD is the fact that many of the kids there are the younger siblings of kids who used to go there. Contact Sausan, cell 510-701-8484, alisusan [at] yahoo.com to schedule a visit and see for yourself. Or email me if I can answer questions. Phi
July 2010
My kids' wonderful home daycare/preschool has several openings. Our family's relationship with the daycare dates back to 2005 and it has been and continues to be a great experience for us and the kids. My oldest graduated a year ago and whenever we schedule occasional visits, his excitement has no boundaries, which to me is the best indicator of the school's quality.
This is a mixed-age daycare (infants to pre-K) run very professionally by an experienced owner with the help of an assistant, both of whom are extremely caring and diligent. The premises are clean and safe, which is a given. Kids receive nutritious meals, work on projects, spend time at a play structure in the yard, play on a large deck, etc. Once a week there is a gymnastics session conducted by visiting California Gymnastics Services staff. If you are looking for a cozy, family-like environment for your little one, I highly recommend you contact the owner, Sausan Ali at 510-525-0193. Please feel free to contact me as well if you have any specific questions or would like a more detailed feedback.
Anna
June 2009
I would like to recommend our wonderful daycare provider in El Cerrito that we have been with for 8 years, Sausan Ali. She currently has openings in her in-home daycare off of Stockton in the El Cerrito hills for kids between the ages of 2 and 4 years old. The daycare is located in the in-law unit of her home and consists of two rooms, a kitchen area, and a bathroom. She also has a large deck where the children play, as well as a playground, all overlooking the beautiful views of the bay. She usually has about 8-12 kids ranging from babies to pre-K and she takes care of them with the help of her very caring and friendly assistant, Zhara. Sausan is one of the most loving and patient people I have ever met and clearly adores all kids that come into her daycare. If you are looking for your child to feel like they are at home with a big loving family everyday while you are at work, this is the place to go. If you would like anymore information from me or other parents attending Sausanb melegrrl [at] yahoo.coms, please e-mail me and we would be glad to share more of our experiences. Sausan's phone number is 510-525-0193.
Sarah T.
April 2009
Our wonderful home daycare/preschool located in El Cerrito will have four openings for ages of 2 and up at the end of this summer. Both of my boys (4.5 and 2) have been attending it since they were 4 months old and all of us couldn't be happier. The owner, who has many years of childcare experience, is very nurturing, attentive and knowledgeable, as is her assistant. The vacation schedule has been the same for the last four years and there are no unscheduled days off. The daycare provides food and preschool supplies, so parents just need to bring diapers. There is no teacher turnover (we've had the same assistant for approximately 3 years) and most of the kids stay there for a long time, so they have a chance to form long lasting friendships. The owner's name is Sausan and you can reach her at 510-525-0193 or alisusan [at] sbcglobal.net. I would also be happy to share my thoughts or provide additional information.
Anna
March 2009
I would like to recommend our wonderful daycare provider in El Cerrito that we have been with for 8 years, Sausan Ali. She currently has openings in her in-home daycare off of Stockton in the El Cerrito hills, and she accepts children from 6 weeks to 4 years old. The daycare is located in the in-law unit of her home and consists of two rooms, a kitchen area, and a bathroom. She also has a large deck where the children play, as well as a playground, all overlooking the beautiful views of the bay. She usually has about 8-12 kids ranging from babies to pre-K and she takes care of them with the help of her very caring and friendly assistant, Zhara. Sausan is one of the most loving and patient people I have ever met and clearly adores all kids that come into her daycare. If you are looking for your child to feel like they are at home with a big loving family everyday while you are at work, this is the place to go. If you would like anymore information from me or other parents attending Sausan's, please e-mail me and we would be glad to share more of our experiences.
Sarah T.
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