Seeking Advice re Baby at Child Education Center
Hello Berkeley Families! Our baby daughter is 7 months old and was recently accepted into the infant program at Child Education Center (CEC). We'd love to hear from current or recent families with babies at CEC about what their experience has been like. We'd also love any advice on transitioning a baby from full-time one-on-one care at home with parents to full-time care at a daycare with other kiddos. We know this will be a big transition for our baby and want to do all we can to make it a smooth one.
Many thanks!
Mar 29, 2022
Parent Replies
My baby is 5 months old and has been at CEC for a month. We are very happy with the program. Baby is thriving, has a strong connection with their teachers, and is happy at drop-off and pickup. The transition was very smooth, possibly because our baby was on the younger side when we started— CEC also had guidance on transitioning from full time home care to classroom care. We did a few half-days before going straight to full-day care, but they’re flexible and will accommodate whatever you need based on your child’s needs. Our baby also is a strong independent sleeper, which helped with the transition to napping at daycare. Best of luck, and perhaps we’ll see you soon :)
My daughter started in the busy bees class at CEC at 11 months. They really know what they are doing and are very loving. This was in 2018, so pre-pandemic. I was nervous at first to see 1/2 the classroom with walkers, while she was not ready to walk. But they kept the infants in the other area until they were ready to mingle with the 'bigger' babies. She was learning to walk within a couple of months. She really bonded with her teachers -- that's the great thing about kids, they are probably more ready to bond with others and meet other kids, while us parents are doing all the worrying! Enjoy CEC, it's a great community and has weathered the pandemic much better than other sites.