Lucesitas (Maria Gonzalez)DayCare 2701 Mathews Street, Berkeley, CA 94702

"Both of my children went to daycare here - one starting at 6 months, one starting at 11 months. Between the two kids we were here for 6 years. This is a great daycare for infants, toddlers, and even young preschool-age kids. Every morning when I saw Maria, I felt so much peace of mind about the care my children were getting. Maria is SO GOOD with kids. She is kind, empathetic, and so warm. She teaches them to communicate with each other, problem-solve, and be together in a group. She also provides really healthy, delicious, homemade food every day, and a great environment for napping. I remember the first day I dropped off my first kiddo, I was so worried he wouldn't nap. When I picked up - she reported that he had fallen asleep on the mat in the nap room and slept with no problem! In our community we say "Maria is magic." While she is not magical - she is truly talented with children and enjoys her work so much, and it shows. The Spanish immersion environment is really wonderful and although my kids didn't end up going to a dual immersion elementary school, most kids from their cohorts did, and the experience speaking Spanish was a big boost for those kids. I recommend Lucesitas to any family looking for warm loving safe childcare."

"Our kid went to Lucesitas from age 9 months - almost 5 years, when he started TK. It was an amazing experience for him and we always knew he was happy, well cared for, and well fed when he was there. He made friends there that he’s still close with today, and our family made friendships there that we hope will last a lifetime (and definitely gave us a community of support during the pandemic). Maria and all her staff are sweet, gentle, caring, and responsive to what the kids are interested in. They teach the kids how to share, take turns, get along with others, and take care of each other. Since there are kids from 0-5 there, they learn to be in a family like environment. It was great for our kid, who is the youngest sibling, to have a chance to be like an older sibling at Lucesitas - he loved watching out for the little ones. I recommend Lucesitas to everyone I know!"