Smart Start Child Center

I love this place and my three daughters go there. First of all, Smart Start is run not by a loving grandmother who happens to like children but by a smart and young woman who before her own kids worked as a social worker and later decided she needed a more home based business. Christina is not only smart but also warm, patient and very communicative. At her home she created an awesome space for the daycare with a big yard, playground and a small garden where kids plant and harvest veggies and fruits. She also offers, at no additional charge, a food program that’s nutritious and diverse. All moms who pack their kids lunches know what a choir it is. My kids start their day with a breakfast, then have a snack at 10 am, lunch at 11:30, and an afternoon snack at 3 pm. In addition, the daycare is basically always opened. Even on Christmas Eve it is opened half day! And Christina closes her daycare only for one week in the summer during which no tuition is due (again AMAZING). If you need care during that week her staff can help you with it. Speaking of which, her staff is just as smart, devoted, loving, fun and very good with understanding how to teach kids discipline and good habits without suffocating them. Christina makes sure that she and her staff take courses in child development and in general she’s very on top of things. TV is only on when it either rains and kids have a total cabin fever or if it’s too hot to be outside. But even then TV is in small amounts. Other than that kids spend most of their day outside and this is also where they eat, which if you know kids is something that they love. Lastly, I always get an accurate download about my children’s behavior. And if there is a problem we talk together about how to fix. All in all I LOVE this place.

After visiting many many many childcare sites we finally found the place for us– and I guess good things do come to those who wait.
After meeting a number of people that said all the right things but clearly didn’t have the environments, experience or education to be able to fulfill their promises, we were so happy to walk into a warm, loving and very child friendly environment at Smart Start. Christina and her team of care providers are constantly looking for new educational activities for the children, believe in learning through play, healthy meals and a lot of outdoor fun.
It took some time for my little one to warm up to the idea of being away from mom, but they were patient with us and supported us through this tough transition. Smart Start has an awesome music teacher that comes to play with the kids, a great child to teacher ratio, and really all the things you want for your child when you have to be away from them. We’re so very happy to have Christina and her team, helping us raise our little one.

We had originally had our little one at another home daycare here in Glendale. When we came back from Christmas out of state, we discovered that we had to find another place for her quick as our current provider was suddenly moving… AHHHH! How stressful! We were told about Smart Start and found that they had a spot for our little one. After visiting, I knew right away that this was the place for our little nugget. The inside is bright, inviting and CLEAN! No weird «daycare» smells. In addition, there is a great covered patio where everyone eats and also can do art projects. The yard is one of the biggest selling points… I wish it was my yard… fruit trees everywhere, which they pick and eat from. Tons of space to play. There is an actual play structure as well as another patio for riding toys and playing ball. They serve the kids great food. Much of which is homemade and super healthy. They are very open to anything that you have to say about what you want your child to eat.
Now to the most important part… the staff. Christina is the owner and she impressed me right from the start. This lady knows her stuff. I asked her a MILLION questions. She really put thought into the answers and had reasoning behind everything. She is educated, highly trained, bi-​lingual (Spanish) and an all around awesome person. I felt 100% confident leaving my child with her. Any issues that come up with our little one, I ask her advice because she has so much experience with all of it. The other staff members are all great as well. My little one developed a special bond with one of the staff, Zonia… I can’t say enough good things about her. She even babysits on weekends if you need someone.
I would recommend this daycare to anyone!