It Takes A Village

We love «Miss ‘Stina»! My son just loves his days at ITAV. When I get there to pick him up, he’s never ready to go. As a parent, that is a very good sign that your child is having a great time. Miss Cristina puts so much thought and effort into all of the activities she plans for them each day. You can tell she truly loves what she does. They have a theme everyday with activities, an art project, and a storytime book all tied to the theme. This is much more than just a daycare. The children are learning each day. They’re playing. They’re having a blast. And most importantly, they are nurtured and cared for. I would recommend ITAV to any parent without hesitation.

As any parent, you worry about leaving your kids with someone. You don’t know if the care giver genuinely cares about taking care of your kid, or just sees them as just a job. It takes A Village is definitely a place you don’t have to worry about those things. My son loves Mrs. Cristina and the care she provides. Here are the highlights of my experience with using her daycare:
Like having a 2^nd mom
— I don’t have to worry about dropping my son off. Mrs. Cristina teaches the children basic manners, does arts and crafts, and other fun activities with the kids. Above all she looks at each child as an individual and tailors her approach to each child. Her questionnaire when you apply for the daycare reflects her interest in getting to know each child, their interests, and what they like to eat. I enjoy the organic type of approach where children can develop at their own pace vs. the Montessori type of environment where everyone must conform to standards.
— She even sent me a hand written thank you card in the first week with stickers of monsters that my son constantly talks about.
Organized
— Mrs. Cristina is extremely organized. I get my daycare receipts same day and when I come to pick up my son all his stuff is ready right by the door.
Meals and Snacks Provided
— Mrs. Cristina provides healthy and nutritious meals; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As a working mom, that saves me a tremendous amount of time, and I know that my son has something good to eat.
Large Play Area (Like A Mini Toys R Us)
— It is huge. They have a big backyard too. My son’s eyes light up like I’ve taken him to Toys R Us for the day. As soon as we get there he takes off for the toys without even so much as a goodbye. So no separation anxiety, unlike other places I’ve taken him to.
Great Communication
— At the end of the day Mrs. Cristina mentions any concerns or comments and gives a brief overview of what my son did that day and any arts and crafts they did. It’s nice to know what your kid has been doing and what they ate. I also get notification of upcoming news/​events weekly via e-​mail. They also have a Facebook page where she posts updates (with parents’ permission) on activities the kids are doing for the day.
— You can also reach her by e-​mail
very quickly. She usually responds within 30 mins or less.
Affordable and Commuter Friendly Hours
— Above all she’s actually affordable. I’ve gone to at least 10 other daycare centers asking about pricing, services, et c. and almost all of them charged at least $ 75+ for hours between 8am and 5:30pm, and they don’t even provide meals. I got a quote from her for less than what I would have paid at other daycares. Payments are due at the beginning of the week, which is much easier to space with paydays instead of having to fork over the whole month of payment.
— She also doesn’t charge when she goes on vacation, and only charges half the cost to hold your child’s place when you go on vacation. All other daycare providers I’ve gone to charge me when they go on vacation, and I have to pay someone else to provide care, so I’m double paying. And with childcare so expensive most times I end up just taking time off instead of paying another person. It’s ridiculous! Cristina does charge for certain holidays, which is understandable, and at least they’re the same holidays I get off for work, so I don’t have to scramble to look for alternative daycare.
— Her hours are also great for working parents who commute. I commute to Foster City from San Jose, so I needed a daycare that I could drop off at 7am and pick up at 6pm.
Happy & Tired Kid At The End of the Day
— My son is tired at the end of the day, and having already eaten dinner at Mrs. Cristina’s he goes out like a light when we go home. After a long day of work that is a god send.

Our boys LOVE going over to Cristina’s house! There are so many cool toys there, they never want to leave! Cristina takes excellent care of them and offers them nutritious snacks. She’s also CPR certified, so I know my rambunctious boys are safe with her.

What a wonderful place this is to bring your child! You’ll leave your child in good hands where you know he/​she will be taken care of by a caring mom just like you. I know Cristina is my daughter and you might say «she has to say that» but I would not be writing this review if I did not believe that. Here your child will play many different activities, eat nutritious meals, learn how to share with other kids and just be as happy as you expect them to be. When my grandkids go to Cristina’s house, they never want to leave because they have so much fun. You will not regret sending your kids to this lovely daycare! And have you looked at the price? $ 200/​week for full time day care (35 – 45 hours/​week). Very very reasonable for the kind of service Cristina will provide for your child. Minimum wage today is $ 8/​hour but she does not charge very much because she knows how financially hard it is on parents when they need daycare for their children. One of the reason she is a stay-​at-​home mom… she cannot afford daycare at the price other people charge!

Our two boys always have so much fun here that they don’t want to leave when I come to pick them up. It’s so nice to not have to worry about whether our kids are in good hands or not. We can drop them off with confidence.