Sunshine Daycare

Sunshine Daycare has been an incredible experience for my daughter, who attended from 16 months to 30 months. 
I cannot express enough how much I appreciate the care and love that Sara, Marina and Zarina provided during her time there.

The daycare offered a nurturing environment where my daughter not only felt safe and loved but also connected with her Latin American roots by being in a space where she could hear and speak Spanish daily. This was very important to me as it helped strengthen her cultural identity.

The staff at Sunshine Daycare were always careful and attentive, ensuring that she was well taken care of with no incidents throughout her stay. They went above and beyond, including creating adorable and neat hairstyles for her. The healthy, delicious meals they provided were a huge relief, as it meant I didn't have to worry about preparing food.

Another fantastic bonus was the daycare's proximity to San Pablo Park. It made it easy to arrange playdates with other parents and children after daycare, which not only strengthened my daughter's friendships but also helped my husband and me build relationships with other parents. This created a wonderful sense of community that we truly cherish.

I wholeheartedly recommend Sunshine Daycare to any parent looking for a loving and culturally enriching environment for their child.

My son attended Sunshine daycare for about 9 months between nanny care and starting preschool. Sunshine Daycare provided a warm and caring environment that made me feel safe and secure. My child ate well and tried new foods, and enjoyed lots of play time and signing. Sara and her team are experienced caretakers and know just what the kiddos need. We enjoyed our time there and would definitely recommend Sunshine to anyone interested in a small in-home daycare experience. 

My son attended sunshine from about 20 months until just over age 3 and we all loved it so much. I love the in home family dynamic with some spanish speaking mixed in. The biggest thing for us was the provided meals since my son is a picky eater but he would always eat whatever they served so it was a huge relief for me. I loved seeing him make friends with all the other kids and he always came home singing new songs that he learned there and tell me how much fun he had. Overall we were very happy with our experience with Sunshine and greatly recommend it!

My son will be going to preschool in August, and Sunshine has some spots opening up so want to recommend this for anyone who needs care 8am-5pm in a loving, warm home environment. Something that was very helpful for me is that after they are 12mo Sara feeds them all their snacks and meals and my kids both are very easy eaters who will try things, I think this has a lot to do with how well she cooks and how many different foods they get exposed to. For the little ones you provide your own milk/formula and whatever baby food you prefer. Her home has a beautiful outdoor space and the kids spend lots of time playing outside, also singing, and they both my kids have very sweet friendships from their time at Sunshine. I've loved Sunshine and am really going to miss it and recommend it highly!! You can read more about Sunshine on BPN or here: https://www.sunshineberkeley.com/ and fill out that form to connect with Sara.

My son is currently at Sunshine and my daughter (who is now in preschool) still talks about it! My kids (each attended from 6 months old) always have such smiles on their faces both at drop off and pickup which has always felt so wonderful to me. I love that it's family run, and in such a warm, lovely home with such a gorgeous back yard (the kids spend lots of time playing outside, which I love!) Sara really focuses on the kids having healthy naps and lots of sleep which I love, and lets me know when they are starting to be ready to transition from 3 naps to 2 to 1 so that we can keep a similar schedule on weekends. We really love everything about Sunshine, the fact that they provide all the food once the kids turn 1 (we would provide them with our formula and baby food before that), are so caring and warm towards our kids, communicate very clearly, and the backyard is such a kid wonderland. I found out about Sunshine through a friend whose daughter went and really loved it, and I feel so glad. It's been the perfect place for our kids.

I can't say enough positive things about Sunshine! My son attended for about a year, from 15 - 27 months old. All of his basic needs was well taken care of: the teachers helped him learn to nap there super quickly, and not only that, they helped his naps get much longer and more restful; and they provided all lunch and snacks. In addition, the teachers were warm and caring and gave him with the secure, loving caregiver relationships that I wanted for him. It was so fun discovering what new songs, dances, and other skills he picked up during his time there. I also appreciated how Sara makes everything very easy for the parents. Her policies are simple and straightforward and communication with her was direct and easy. We will miss Sara, Czarina, and Marina very much!

Sunshine is great! Sara, Marina and Czarina have created such an amazing, fun, clean place. I sent my daughter there from when she was about 8 months to just over three and my son has been going since he was 5 months and is still attending. Sara is super experienced and I absolutely feel like I am in good hands with her.  Both kiddos loved going there— would always happily walk right in at drop off. I love that it’s family run, and Sara was a great resource for me as a first time mom, and it’s so helpful that they provide lunch too! I’ve noticed that the parents who send their kids there are pretty cool too, which is an added bonus for get togethers outside of daycare. 

Our son attended Sunshine from 4 months to just a little over 3 years. It is an amazing space. My son would happily walk in without giving us a second glance or even waving goodbye. It gave us such peace of mind to know that he was well-cared for, happy and engaged during the day. Sometimes it felt like weekends or holidays would go off the rails: no naps, picky eating, crazy bedtimes -- it was a relief to know my son would at least nap and eat consistently at Sunshine. Sara is calm, patient and experienced, and her space is incredible: the home is kid-friendly and her backyard is huge and has fantastic play structures. I also appreciate that she serves lunch! I learned that other families on the street have also sent their kids to Sunshine, which gives me comfort that it's such a staple in the neighborhood. 

My son has been attending Sunshine Daycare for two years, since he was five months old. Sara has built an amazing community at Sunshine. My son is always so happy to see her and her mother Marina each morning and comes home well rested and well fed. I am particularly grateful these days for the care she takes to create a safe and clean space for the children in her care; she wears a mask, has parents drop off/pick up kids at the door without going inside, and the kids spend much of the day in her large backyard. Sara has a particular knack for getting kiddos to take long, restful naps -- something my sleep-deprived self particularly loved when he was a baby and not napping for longer than 30 minutes at a time! My son is now moving on to preschool and we will miss Sara and her family dearly. I can't recommend her and her wonderful daycare enough.

Our daughter absolutely loves being at Sunshine! Each day she gets ready to go school, she lights up and talks about her teachers and friends. The facility is very clean. Sara and Marina are nurturing and kind, and everyone seems peaceful, happy, and loving. The backyard area is huge and they all love to play back there. One of the best things has been the provided lunch and snacks which means I don’t have to worry about packing something and I know they are eating nutritious food (like beans and rice, my daughter’s favorite). I would highly recommend the school! Finding a great place for your child to spend their days is the most satisfying feeling. I have enjoyed knowing my daughter is in great hands. 

My daughter attended Sunshine Daycare as a baby until she was ready to advance to Preschool with her older brother. I am so grateful for the nurturing and loving care my daughter received at Sunshine. I have unfortunately had to go through several different daycares and nanny-shares before finding Sunshine. I can say based on this experience, Sunshine is of exceptional quality, professionalism, and care. Young children are kept in similar aged groups. The indoor play area has an adorable selection of age-appropriate toys and soft padded floors for beginning walkers. The spacious, shaded, and peaceful yard is better than any park. The kids are fed homemade and nutritious food. Sara is very attentive to the children and we could tell that Sara and our daughter have a special bond. Our daughter was always happy to be handed off to Sara, and at pick-up she was always in clean clothes (often the same clothes she was dropped off in) and had a clean diaper. I recommend Sunshine to any parent looking for a high-quality, safe and loving daycare for their child.

Sara and Marina's Sunshine Daycare is a treasure. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to enroll our child there. Sara and Marina are experienced, warm, calm care providers who skillfully take care of a wide range of kiddos. The kids clearly have a wonderful time at Sunshine and develop adorable friendships. For our family, some of the biggest pluses were: 1) Spanish language exposure, 2) homemade food provided, and 3) an amazing big open backyard and covered porch area for the kids to play in. Our kids have attended a handful of different daycares over the past years, and Sunshine stands out for how smoothly and simply (in a good way!) things run. Thank you Sara and Marina! 

Both of my kids went to Sunshine, and we miss it now that they have aged out. Sara and Marina are so loving, both kids were always very happy to go to daycare. They are both highly experienced with babies and toddlers and gave us so much help as parents working through various developmental and behavioral issues, and  I knew that my kids were safe and well cared for, and that they were having fun in Sara's bright, clean house and amazing backyard. She also gave them great lunches and snacks (many mornings at drop off, delicious smells of Sara's cooking would come wafting out the front door and I knew my kids were having a better lunch than I was). Sunshine is a loving, nurturing and safe environment and we are so grateful to Sara and her family for taking such great care of our kids when they were little! 

My son went to Sunshine from August 2018 to November 2019, 1-2.5.  It was an exceptional experience.  She started him on a two nap schedule, in the nap room which has cribs.  Then when he was ready to do 1 nap with the older kids, she started by snuggling with him on the floor (they sleep on crib mattresses), until he got the hang of it.  I honestly thought that would not be possible, but he made the transition and had good naps.  She worked with his picky food preferences.  She taught him how to be gentle with babies.  And he just got so much love and nurture there.  We feel very grateful to Sara and her whole family.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Sunshine was the most amazing place for my two kids. Sunshine was in our family for almost four years -both of my kids attended from the time they were six months old until they were two and half. I couldn’t have imagined a better start to their education. Sara and Marina are absolutely wonderful with the kids -it feels like they were a second family to both my kids. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions at all. 

Sunshine has been a part of our family since our daughter was 4.5 months old and our son was 6 months old. In my search for a daycare before going back to work, Sunshine stood out as being clean, nurturing, and an amazing space for our little ones to play and grow. A plus was home cooked meals! Sara and Marina loved our kids as their own and the relationships that they built with the kids were priceless. There were so many warm hugs, laughs, and happy smiles when they arrived at the door or left for the day. After both pregnancies, we were so grateful and relieved to know that each of them would be in good hands. Sunshine also helped us through so many milestones in the kids’ lives - bottles, potty training, eating solids, early learning, etc. They were extremely supportive of any requests  we had and had a vested interest in the kids’ development. We feel extremely lucky to call the Mendezes family and would recommend Sunshine in a heartbeat.

Our daughter attended Sunshine from 18mo-2 years. She enjoyed herself and grew so much in the time that she was there. Sara and Marina are extremely trustworthy, dependable and professional. We didn't hesitate to leave our daughter in such caring hands. Sara's home is very clean, she feeds the children healthy foods and the yard is an amazing space for the kids. Nearly 4 months later, our daughter still asks to go back to "la casa de Sara"! 

Our son attended Sunshine from 4 months old until 2 years. We have so many great things to say about Sunshine - love, professionalism, convenience to name a few. Our son was always happy at drop-off and pickup times. From the very beginning I felt complete confidence that he was in good hands. Really nice to have consistency of caretakers - Sara and her mom Marina, and sometimes Sara’s daughter. I couldn’t imagine more convenience - all you have to bring is milk and bottles (if kid still using a bottle), and Sunshine takes care of washing the bottles, and provides lunch for kids who eat solids. Heads up, the contract has a zero tolerance biting policy. Overall we were very happy with Sunshine and will be sending our next kid there. A spot opened up early at Little Own School (Sara’s other daughter’s preschool nearby) for our son.

Sunshine and Tia Sara are like family. We felt super comfortable leaving our little one at the program from day one. Very clean and well organized. The whole house is set up specifically for the child care; very professional. They have an amazing back yard with a play structure (no need to go to a park!) and plenty of room for the kids to run around. They feed the kids which is a huge plus and their sleep schedule works like clockwork. Would recommend it to everyone!!

I sent my lovely and LIVELY daughter to Sunshine, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. I work with children myself, and the most important thing to me when looking for a child care placement was a location where my child could engage in both gross play as well as tabletop or fine motor play. Sunshine has an amazing outdoor structure, as well as a fully covered patio (with a ball pit!!), ensuring that my very active kid always had outside time, rain or shine. In addition, the amazing teachers became like family to my little girl, and she still talks about them. Our family loved it so much that we ended up sending our daughter to their day school, Little Owl (which is also a gem). My only reservation with recommending Sunshine is that there won’t be an opening when our next kiddo is born:). 

I've sent two of my children to Sunshine, both starting at the very young age of 9 weeks old. Sara, her mother and her daughter-in-law have provided an incredibly safe, nurturing, and fun environment for my girls over the years. I worked closely with Sara through the breast milk phase, supplementing with formula when needed, transitioning to cow's milk and solid foods. Sara worked with me on potty training, transitioning away from bottles, and behavioral issues that came up. She was always straight-forward, honest and readily available to partner on any skill acquisition or transition that came up. I always felt respected and that my concerns and desires were being addressed and met. 

After both girls transitioned out, there were times that I needed supplemental care here or there. When Sara was free for an ad hoc babysitting session, my girls were always delighted to go back and "play with Sara". They would fly into her arms for a giant hug and not want to leave when I came to pick them up. For me this is the best testament to the staying power of the experience my girls had at Sunshine. They felt comfortable and loved, while I felt that my parenting needs were being met and reinforced. 

We had a wonderful experience at Sunshine for nearly 2 years. Sara and her family create a loving and safe environment for babies and young toddlers. We appreciated immediately the security of the home (entrance is through a locked gate), the crawl-safe floors, and the sparkling clean toys. They worked very well with our pumped milk supply at first and helped introduce cows milk, sippy cups, and solid food when the time came. We also loved that the kids get outside every day. They have play space on their covered back porch, so they get out rain or shine.

It should also be pointed out that the kids mostly hear Spanish at Sunshine, making it a great start to bilingual education. As the kids approach 2, they start working on letters and songs. And you'll know your child is getting loving, personal attention when they come home with intricate hairdos! All in all, Sunshine was a great place to start our little girl.