When you bring a child into the world, more than anything, you want them to be healthy, happy, and safe.
When you cannot be there with them, you need to choose the best care provider possible so your child can continue to be in a nurturing and educational environment. Most parents need childcare, but how many know where the best day care centers are in their community?
The Paseo Club is a social club in the Santa Clarita Valley. We offer a full-service fitness center, pickleball and tennis courts, and a junior Olympic pool. Many of our members are working families, which is why we offer child care right here at the club.
Our child care program, Kids Club, is a fun, welcoming place for your baby or child to be when you need to take some time for yourself to exercise, visit, and relax.
Choosing the right day care center is a difficult decision. We wrote this article to help you find day care in the SCV. Learn what features to look for in a day care center, what questions to ask the providers, and which day care centers are the best in Santa Clarita.
What should a parent look for in a day care center?
Day care centers should take pride in personal connections and learn all there is to know about your child — their interests, needs, personality, allergies, and more. The day care center should have a philosophy for caring for children that matches your own.
The director should have many years of experience and have staff that is committed long-term. This will help your child have stable and consistent relationships with their care providers.
The facility should be clean, in good repair, free of possible choking hazards, and have many fun and engaging toys and supplies for young children. Ideally, they have a pleasant outdoor area for free play and games.
What should parents ask when interviewing at a day care?
When you are researching day care centers, you should plan to meet with the owner or director to interview them. Come with a list of questions and tour the facility so you can see the facility and its grounds in person.
Common questions to ask are:
- What hours are you open?
- What is the rhythm of the day?
- What is the staff-to-student ratio?
- What is the experience of the staff?
- How much staff turnover do you get?
- What is the philosophy of the center?
- What is your cleaning/sanitation policy?
- How do you communicate with parents?
- What are the ages of the children you care for?
- Is this a pre-school-based or play-based program?
- Has the staff been background checked staff and are they certified in CPR?
The 6 best day care centers in the Santa Clarita Valley
The Santa Clarita Valley has several day care centers to choose from. Some are independently run, while others are part of a regional chain. The day care centers are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Kids Club at the Paseo Club
Kids Club provides personal and attentive care from experienced staff. They accommodate children as young as 3 months to 12 years old. Their staff-to-child is 1:6, with multiple staff members present at once.
Their center is divided into two rooms — Kids Corner and Kids Club. Each room is situated with toys and activities for suitable age ranges. There is a large outdoor play area. Kids enjoy special events such as themed “date nights” with dinner, while parents can go off-site.
The monthly pass option is very affordable. An hourly rate is also available. They are open seven days a week.
Kids Club is only for Paseo Club members and is provided while parents use the Paseo Club facility. They offer a variety of learning activities but are not a curriculum-based facility. Children can stay for a maximum of 2.5 hours per visit.
2. La Petite Academy
La Petite Academy has four locations across Santa Clarita. They provide transportation from school to the facility for after-school care. Their center serves babies 6 weeks and older through 12 years old. La Petite is a STEM educator, providing science, technology, engineering, and math lessons.
The tuition covers meals and snacks. They are open only during the week and have one location in Saugus. The child-to-teacher ratio is larger than in some other day cares.
3. The Learning Experience
The Learning Experience is a program for young children six weeks through kindergarten age. They do not offer care for school-aged children.
They provide their proprietary LEAP program that instructs children in sign language, math, science, technology, and phonics. They rely on technology and computers for lessons, which some parents prefer while others do not.
They are very safety-focused, including having cameras in every room and a FOB entry into the center. The Learning Experience has day care centers all across the US, but there is only one center in Santa Clarita.
4. Montessori of Santa Clarita
Montessori of Santa Clarita emphasizes a nurturing, stimulating, and welcoming environment for all children. They care for children as young as six weeks. They have a baby center, toddler and preschool program, and an after-school program for older children.
They teach according to the philosophy of Maria Montessori, providing activities that engage and strengthen the children’s senses by exploring the world around them. They have indoor and outdoor spaces, including a community garden.
There is only one location in Santa Clarita. They are open Monday through Friday from 7 am to 6 pm.
5. Sunshine Day Camp
Sunshine Day Camp has seven locations at elementary schools across Santa Clarita Valley. They offer education-based preschool, recreation-based afternoon care for school-age children, and summer camp programs during school holidays. They have a 1 to 10 staff to-child-ratio - lower than the industry standard.
There are some transportation options from nearby schools if your child does not attend an on-site school. They provide snacks and offer homework help for your budding student.
Tuition is charged weekly. A security deposit and registration fee is required.
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6. Tutor Time
Tutor Time has four locations across SCV. Their childcare and learning center program is for babies from six weeks old through 12-year-old children. They teach an educational program to help your child excel in academics. Their preschool program is for children ages three through five-year-olds.
Parents can watch the live stream of their child at day care to stay abreast of their activities. They provide transportation from school to one of their facilities for after-school care. Their child-to-teacher ratio is a little higher than some of the other centers in the area. They are open Monday through Friday.
Selecting the right day care center for your child
Day care should teach your child social-emotional skills, learning through play and movement, build their self-confidence, and should provide your child with a strong foundation for academics.
Finding the best day care center for your child is essential for their development and your peace of mind. You want your child to be attended to, engaged, and nurtured in a caring, home-like environment.
In this article, we provided information about how to assess different day care centers and which the best ones are in the Santa Clarita Valley. Remember, you are encouraged to ask for recommendations from the day care so you can speak to other parents about their experience with the facility and staff.
The Paseo Club knows that being a parent is a tireless job. Between work, kids, meals, and errands, there is little time left in the day. That is why we have the Kids Club on-site. Kids Club offers quality play-based care for your baby, toddler, or child so you can have some time to hit the courts, the weights class, the pool, or any other part of the club that suits your fancy — including the spa.
The Paseo Club has been serving families (and others) for twenty years. We are here to support you and your family in health and community. Check out one of our 60+ fitness classes each week. Enjoy a social event such as Pinot and Pilates or Wine Down Wednesday. There is always something fun to jump into at the Paseo Club!
If you are not yet a member, now is the time to reconsider! Schedule a tour of the club so that you can visit all eight acres of the facility and meet members and staff. The Paseo Club is your home away from home.
