Cdcla-Tiny Dots Early Education Center

I have had two children here. One from 6 months of age until she graduated out to kindergarten and another still there since 3 months of age. I feel so grateful every day that my kids have been here. There has been almost no turnover in the staff in over 5 years, which alone is incredible. We toured some great facilities that were suffering because they couldn't keep a director and/or the teachers were unhappy. I think the director does a good job overall. The teachers have been excellent, with almost no exception. Re the complaint abt too little or no educational instruction, my child was reading, knew many Spanish words, was learning abt science and the presidents, counting to 100, doing simple number tasks and was learning to sign all before she left for kinder. The infant teachers taught my us a lot about developmentally appropriate things we could work on with our children (which was a huge help the first time around.) It's expensive, but worth every penny when I look at my well-adjusted, well cared for, happy to go to school each day children! Regarding parent involvement, it's tough, it's a daycare, so most parents work FT and cant make the daytime mtgs. I couldn't!
--Submitted by a parent

My little boy has been at Tiny Dots since he was 5 months and he has now transitioned from the infant room to the toddler room. The teachers are all incredibly caring with the kids and very mindful of parents preferences. My experience are with the infant and toddler room. Teachers try to make everyday activities into learning experiences. For instance, the teacher and toddlers will count to ten when children take turns drinking water from a water fountain and when they are playing with toys they will identify colors and numbers. There's usually a different activity/education exercise every day. Also when I've had a concern (about my son's eating), the director personally came to me to address my concerns because her staff told her about my concerns and she did a great job addressing them. Director Lupe is very hands on regarding any issues that my raise with the kids or her staff and she has an open door policy. Director Lupe ties to get parent participation by having monthly meeting and other activities, Unfortunately, it seems many parents choose not to participate since of the 10 or so meetings I have participated there are never more than a dozen parents present.
--Submitted by a parent

I agree with the gist of the negative review posted on March 24, 2011, in general. I find both the teachers and the other children to be kind, but the facility is incredibly unorganized which is frustrating to say the least. I find the administrator to be near impossible to find when I need her, and when I run into her by chance she is really rather rude and smug and not the kind of person to put me at ease. It is clean, though, and again, the teachers are kind and involved.
--Submitted by a parent

A play-based day care with little structure. Not a learning environment, basic day care, but it is safe and clean. Chaotic and unmanaged facility, accredited status means nothing other than higher than necessary tuition rates. Facility is managed by CDCLA which is embarassingly unresponsive to parent input.
--Submitted by a parent