Starry Family Day Care

Before the pandemic, childcare was in short supply and the one we had lined up from our first child pulled the rug from under us. On a desperate whim, we contacted Starry Family for a tour – this ended up being one of the best decisions we've made for our children.

Starry Family has now looked after our two children for almost three years and we couldn't possibly be happier with the care we've received. Our oldest attended Starry Family from 12 months through around 36 months, and our youngest attended from around 4 months through one year. Here's where we feel Suzanne and Mei really stand apart in their care:

- Patience and gentleness: Mei and Suzanne's interaction with the children is genuinely caring and patient. We've perceived this not only during pick-up and drop-off, but in the depictions that our oldest child gave of his time spent at daycare – there was never a time our kids have been hesitant or uneager to be dropped-off
- Curriculum: instruction is in English and Mandarin (and Cantonese, by request) – we love that our kids came back singing songs and reciting phrases in multiple languages; the daycare has recently expanded so there's a dedicated nursery for the babies and a daycare for the older kids
- Nutrition: meals are very well balanced and include fruits, vegetables, and home cooked dishes. Foods like mandarin oranges and avocados – which we haven't seen at other daycares – are frequently on the menu
- Comprehensive communication: text updates come regularly, along with photos of activities. Any notable items (e.g., deviations in sleep schedule, changes in schedule, etc.) are proactively communicated. Communications made via text are particularly effective since they employ Google Translate to overcome any language barriers
- Thorough accountability: each child's schedule is meticulously documented in writing and sent home at the end of each day. Mei and Suzanne will take the time to also walk through any topics upon pick-up so virtually nothing goes unnoticed
- The kids love it!: the most important of all – we've tried other childcare with our oldest, but when we saw how perpetually happy he was at Starry Family (e.g., excited to go in the morning, tired, happy, and replete with stories when coming home), we knew we had found our place. This continued on with our youngest who equally loved her time with Mei and Suzanne.

I cannot speak more highly of our experience with Starry Family. Notably, after our oldest aged into pre-school, we ended up moving across to the other side of the city from Starry Family. But later, once our youngest required childcare, we were more than willing to make the trek across SF to ensure that she was in trusted hands with Mei and Suzanne (we've since moved her to a closer day care, but if logistics weren't an issue, she'd still be at Starry Family). We recommend Starry Family to everyone we know, and those families who have ended up there have similarly loved it.

If your family is in the market for a daycare, I would highly recommend giving Suzanne and Mei a call – we're endlessly happy we did.