KinderCare, Irvine

Like most parents, Cyndi R. doesn't like to take chances with her child's wellbeing. By the time her son was 13 months old, Cyndi had interviewed roughly 20 childcare providers—but she noticed something different when she walked into the local KinderCare. The staff here greeted every child by name and, as she peeked into each of the classrooms, Cyndi noticed engaged instructors leading one-on-one lessons. The center's Assistant Director even took the time to answer all of her questions, both before and after she decided to enroll her son.

The thing is, this isn't a unique experience. KinderCare now has more than 1,700 centers, and parents across the country share similar thoughts on their local educators. To hear them tell it, it's the commitment of those teachers that makes all the difference. Twice a year, KinderCare hosts the largest early childhood teacher-training program in the country, and every center pursues national accreditation. All of this translates into the development of social, emotional, physical, and intellectual skills in infants and children up to 12 years old.

That may seem like a lot of skills to entrust a daycare with, but KinderCare is more than just a daycare—in fact, it's better to think of it as a learning center. During daycare, kindergarten, and before- and after-school programs, KinderCare's educators lead activities that focus on six different areas, including math and science, language and literacy, and the art of opening a tricky juice box.