Top 10 Best Daycare and Preschool in San Mateo

When choosing a daycare and preschool in San Mateo for your child, you will want nothing but the best. However, the availability of numerous options can make your search quite overwhelming. A great daycare and preschool is beyond providing a safe and nurturing environment. Thus, a good daycare must also facilitate the development of your children’s cognitive, emotional, and social skills.

Based on my experience living and caring for children, San Mateo offers a vibrant community and amazing educational institutions. So, you can be sure to find daycare options in San Mateo catering to different requirements and preferences. It has all you are searching for. Whether it’s a play-based syllabus or a Montessori approach, you will find many daycares and preschools meeting your values and expectations.

I also believe that early childhood education is very important. As it lays a foundation for lifelong learning and development, you would want to drop in your child at a place that fosters creativity, confidence, and most importantly curiosity. With that reference, I am sure you will find a daycare and preschool in San Mateo with state-of-the-art facilities, experienced educators, and programs aiming at fulfilling the early development needs of young kids.

In today’s post, I will take a look at the 10 best childcare providers in San Mateo. Plus, you will get some tips for choosing the most excellent San Mateo Daycare for your child. The list I made for you here is based on various factors including educational curriculum, staff qualifications, safety measures, facilities, and, parental reviews. With this, I hope I can help you make a better decision. I am sure by the end of this post, you will have a clear idea and information of what each daycare has to provide you with.

How to Choose the Best Daycare and Preschool in San Mateo?

First things first. How to choose the best daycare and preschool in San Mateo? There are a few prerequisites to this. After all, your children are the best, and they deserve the best care.

1. Child Safety Measures

When shortlisting daycare options in San Mateo for your kids, their safety is the top priority. I recommend and strongly advise you to look for educational institutions with the strictest safety measures in place. No compromise here. By security measures, I mean secure entry systems, regular safety drills, and staff capable of handling emergencies. Additionally, for added peace of mind, it’s apparent to look for CCTV and secure playgrounds. Plus, a facility compliant with local safety rules and a low child-to-caregiver ratio will provide a safe environment.

2. Educational Programs and Syllabus

Reviewing the educational program also comes into play when choosing the right daycare and preschool in San Mateo. What I did was evaluate the syllabus to ensure that it is appropriate for the development of my child. A high-quality curriculum balances learning with play. The right school will surely develop your child’s social and cognitive skills. 

I strongly suggest you look into the educational philosophy of the daycare. For the San Mateo preschool curriculum, it’s either Montessori, Reggio Emilia, or play-based learning. Overall, an enriched syllabus with music, art, physical education, and language learning is the best for your child.

3. Teacher Qualifications and Experience

What makes a daycare the Best daycare in San Mateo is qualified and experienced teachers. Not only do the teachers must hold relevant childcare degrees but also have experience working with kids. I recommend asking about the ongoing professional training and development. As per my experience, I can say that the more experienced the teachers are, the better the nurturing environment your child will get, encouraging curiosity and learning. What I did when choosing a daycare for my child was to observe the classroom interactions to get a better understanding.

4. Facility Cleanliness and Maintenance

Education and fun learning is one thing. However, you can’t neglect cleanliness and maintenance. These are crucial for the health and well-being of your child. The bottomline, everywhere in the daycare from the classrooms and restrooms to the common areas must be clean and well-maintained. Choosing a daycare that has a regular cleaning schedule and cleanliness policies including sanitized toys and handwashing stations is necessary. Plus, proper building and playground maintenance is a must for preventing accidents.

5. Parental Reviews and Ratings

Looking at parental daycare ratings in San Mateo will surely give you valuable insights into the daycare or preschool. Before enrolling my child, I searched reviews on websites including Google, Yelp, and parenting forums. Doing so will give you the experiences of other families, which speed up your search. Before finalizing a daycare and preschool for your child, I recommend reading feedback on staff attentiveness, quality of education, and environment. Plus, you can also get a firsthand experience of the preschool by asking other parents or visiting during operational hours.

Top 10 Family-Friendly Daycare and Preschools in San Mateo

So, now you are equipped with the knowledge to find the best daycare and preschool in San Mateo for your child. However, still fitting the searching and sorting into your busy schedule can be tough. Not to worry though, I covered the top 10 daycare facilities in the county for you. Let’s take a look.

• Kidsmart Academy
• Learn and Play Montessori School
• Vieira’s Daycare
• Daisy Early Learning
• Abc Kids Daycare
• Sunrise Family Daycare
• Peekaboo Daycare
• Big Sis Daycare
• Joyce Kids Care
• Mighty Tiger Preschool

1 Kidsmart Academy

If I had to say one thing about Kidsmart Academy, it would be all the fun and learning under one affordable daycare in San Mateo. This prestigious 20+ experienced daycare facility in San Mateo provides the best daycare, after-school, private tutor, camps, and enrichment classes programs for children.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare, after-school, private tutor, camps, enrichment classes, fun	5/5

2. Learn and Play Montessori School

This locally-owned and operated daycare and preschool in San Mateo is one of the best for your child. With certified teachers and 15+ years of experience, you can ensure that your children are in safe hands.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Toddler and childcare, daycare, kindergarten, preschool, virtual learning	4.7/5

3. Vieira’s Daycare

If you are looking for an affordable daycare in San Mateo with experienced teachers and top-notch facilities, then Vieria’s Daycare is right for your child. Plus, the bilingual approach is best for some non-English speaking children.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare	4.5/5

4. Daisy Early Learning

This daycare and preschool in San Mateo claims that your child will have a fun and learning experience. Plus, the Regio Emilia approach, 3 years of experience, and certified teachers ensure your child has an enjoyable experience.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare, preschool	4.6/5

5. Abc Kids Daycare

Choosing Abc Kids Daycare for Early Childhood Education in San Mateo is one of the best choices. Not only does it offer good infant-care, toddler-care, preschool, pre-kindergarten, and school-age children/summer programs but the fact that it is family-operated ensures a home-like atmosphere for your child.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Infant-care, toddler-care, preschool, pre-kindergarten, and school-age children/summer programs	4.7/5

6. Sunrise Family Daycare

What I like about this daycare and preschool in San Mateo is its safe and convenient location. However, that’s not all. Your child will get a nurturing and safe environment, engaging and educational activities, and will stay under the care of experienced and certified teachers.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare	4.7/5

7. Peekaboo Daycare

Peekaboo Daycare is one of the top preschools in San Mateo that excels in the low child-to-caregiver ratio. It’s perfect for your kids, especially if they are transitioning from parent care.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare, preschool	4.5/5

8. Big Sis Daycare

This daycare and preschool in San Mateo offers one of the best daycare and child drop-in programs. Plus, the fun and learning approach offers a unique experience to your child including music, art, and reading circles.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare, drop-in	4.6/5

9. Joyce Kids Care

What makes Joyce Kids Care one of the best quality daycare centers in San Mateo are two things. Firstly, you can be sure that your child is in safe hands here. Secondly, your little one will be quickly prepared for preschool.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Daycare, preschool	4.9/5

10. Mighty Tiger Preschool

This daycare and playschool in San Mateo is one of a kind. The Mighty Tiger Preschool offers some of the best academics and play-based learning areas for your child. From arts and crafts to reading and much more, this preschool ensures that your kids learn in the most creative ways possible.

Programs Offered	Parental Rating
Academics, play-based learning areas	4.7/5

Read Also – Top 10 Activities for After-School Programs

Conclusion

With that, I hope that now you are ready to find the best daycare and preschool in San Mateo for your child. Early childhood education is important as it lays the groundwork for lifelong learning and development. So, there should be no compromise when looking for a daycare facility for your kids. You must shortlist only the facility with the best certified and experienced teachers, clean and well-maintained areas, strict child safety measures, and enjoyable high-quality learning programs. In that context, I can recommend no institution better than Kidsmart Academy for the overall learning and development of your child.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. How much does a Daycare in San Mateo Cost?

Ans. As per the recent updates, the average cost of childcare in San Mateo is $28.89/hour. This is the starting rate. However, if you are looking for affordable daycare and preschool in San Mateo options, you should search in these cities.

• Pinole, CA ($21-27.33/hour)
• San Ramon, CA ($23.89-36.67/hour)
• Boulder Creek, CA ($24.14-29.43/hour)
• Danville, CA ($24.23-35/hour)
• Newark, CA ($24.63-37.75/hour)

Q. How to Choose the Best Daycare and Preschool in San Mateo?

Ans. You need to remember these few tips for choosing a daycare and preschool in San Mateo for your child.

• Child Safety Measures
• Educational Programs and Syllabus
• Teacher Qualifications and Experience
• Facility Cleanliness and Maintenance
• Parental Reviews and Ratings

Q. Which are the Best Daycare and Preschool Options in San Mateo?

Ans. To help you find the top daycare and preschool in San Mateo, we shortlisted the best 10 below.

• Kidsmart Academy
• Learn and Play Montessori School
• Vieira’s Daycare
• Daisy Early Learning
• Abc Kids Daycare
• Sunrise Family Daycare
• Peekaboo Daycare
• Big Sis Daycare
• Joyce Kids Care
• Mighty Tiger Preschool