Cheburashka Home Daycare
Berkeley, CA
- License records show this daycare was closed in Dec 2022 by the Ca. Department of Social Services for serious license violations.
I strive to provide an enriching and supportive environment for your precious child. I have over thirty years experience raising, caring for, coaching and teaching children. I strive for an adult to child ratio of 1:3. I provide quality organic food and will accommodate most special dietary needs. We have a diverse group and foreign language speakers are encouraged and are in good company. The radiant heat allows ample fresh clean outside air. Daily outside play & park most days. I emphasize learning letters and numbers, drawing and tactile art, and participation in singing and dancing, and Russian and Armenian languages. I encourage social interaction between varying ages. Please call me and we’ll set up a visit.
License # 013418948
Cheburashka Home Daycare is a true gem. We were lucky to get a spot for my son when we moved to Berkeley over a year ago, and he is still enrolled at this daycare. Vicky and her assistants are warm and welcoming people, and they provide the children with home-cooked breakfast and lunch, consistent nap time, outdoor play, plenty of learning activities, and lots of love. Under Vicky's care, our son has grown into an adventurous, joyful, and bilingual two-year-old that has lots to say (and sing). We are particularly impressed with how he will now try any food, when he used to be a very picky eater. All of the families that attend the daycare are COVID-conscious and adhere to mask wearing guidelines. We feel extremely grateful for our daycare family during this challenging time.
Cheburashka Daycare may be the best kept secret in Berkeley. Vicky Scott (aka Vika), her family, and assistants provide a warm welcoming play-based environment for the kids with delicious home cooked meals, and a semi-structured day including exercise, nap time, arts/crafts, singing, and plenty of play. The kids celebrate holidays and birthdays together (in pre-covid times Vicky organized trick or treating for them on Fourth Street), go for walks to local parks (again, in pre-covid times), and have a weekly trip to an indoor playground owned by Vicky's family. There is very little turnover here, so your child is able to form secure attachments with the caregivers and other kids. Vicky is so popular with many of her ‘graduates’ that the older kids come back to visit her in the summer.
Our daughter had thrived at Cheburashka and loves Vicky- she often asks for her on the weekends. She has also picked up quite a bit of Russian, which Vicky helps us translate. The daycare is Russian immersion, and there is a mix of international and domestic families. Location is great (close to BART), hours are convenient for working families, the kids sleep in actual cribs (not portable cribs or on the floor), the food is delicious, and there is a good mix of ages (the older kids help mentor the younger ones and the younger ones look up to the older ones.) The property is lovely too- a good size enclosed outdoor space with fruit trees and toys for the kids to play and a safe indoor space for meals, crafts, naps, etc. The day starts in the family’s large kitchen with Vicky preparing eggs, kasha, pancakes, fruit salad, etc. and often ends outside on the deck with the kids playing outside and adults talking under the covered awning. Thanks to Vicky, our daughter will try almost any food, has great table manners (they all eat together with real utensils), is physically and mentally ahead of development for her age, and loves going 'to school.' We feel very fortunate to have found Cheburashka and look forward to sharing this local gem with other covid safe families.
Vicky Scott offers affordable, warm, home based and play center based daycare with great hours for working parents. Located walking distance from North Berkeley BART. She also has a private indoor play gym in Richmond, right on San Pablo at the 80 west on ramp that the kids can go to, once a week, or when the weather is bad. The kids get homecooked breakfast, lunch, and snacks. They have a lovely, shaded outdoor play space at the home, and your kids will learn Russian! This daycare is a well kept secret, the Scott family will treat your baby like their own. Also a great mix of ages, with COVID- responsible families. Highly recommended. Vicky has openings so please call her ASAP!
I would look into home-based daycares. Both of my sons went to Cheburashka Daycare. The food is amazing and home-cooked. The teachers are warm and caring. They have a nice tree shaded yard plus they go every day to one of 2 parks. Also they are walking distance to North Berkeley BART. Owner is Victoria Scott 510-287-6873. Working hours 8-5:30pm with very few days off.
Victoria
There is a Russian daycare, walking distance to North Berkeley BART station and 2 parks. Cheburashka, the owner is Victoria vscott [at] emf.net
Both of my boys went to this daycare. Right now they have many French children as well there.
Best of luck,
Victoria
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Feb 2015
RE: Berkeley in-home daycare for only 2 year olds?
At 2 years of age, my son made a transition from a nanny to Cheburashka home daycare (Vicky 510-287-6873). It is located walking distance from the North Berkeley BART station, so my husband can park his car and drop off our boy in the morning. The location is also between 2 parks: Cedar Rose and another small playground. The daycare has its own courtyard, where children can play, under captains of trees. Several days per week a preschool teacher come to educate and enrich older children. I like the small size of the daycare, since it lowers somewhat the frequency of colds. The provider, Vicky, cooks fresh meals: in the mornings children eat omelette with vegetables or cooked milk cereal. Lunch is often soup cooked from scratch. Children sleep in the real proper cribs, not on a floor. After that, they eat again. Also, since it is a small daycare, Vicky is very accommodating of individual needs of parents, such as part time or full time. The daycare offers date nights for parents, when the children be can picked up very late in the evening. Best of luck on your search Victoria
June 2014
Re: Part-time small daycare in Berkeley
I like the home-based daycare my son goes to. They are super flexible in terms of part time schedule and timing. I like that they home home made soup every day, and several snacks every day, so no need to pack the food. The kids sleep in real cribs. They spend time in the yard shaded by trees, and go to playground often. Even though it is technically not a preschool, kids get one lesson per day. Sometimes, music, numbers, letters, colors, they do projects. The owner offers parents' night out every Friday for an additional cost. The daycare is open 8 to 5:30. The cost is also good. All kids are together, I think the max is 14 or so. Usually, one teacher looks after smaller kids, and does a lot of hugging and loving. The other 2 are managing the older crowd. The owner and most of the teachers speak Russian, now they have one purely English teacher as well. The location is on Chersternut, a couple of blocks from Cedar. It is walking distance to North Berkeley Bart station. The name is Cheburashka 510-287-6873 Victoria
May 2014
Both our son and our daughter have been at Cheburashka Day Care for the last 3 years, since they were about 1 year old. We feel fortunate to find such a loving, nurturing day care---and I visited at least a dozen day cares before deciding on Cheburashka. The kids are happy and fed well (mostly organic food). The caretaker/child ratio is 1:3 or 1:4 with 8-12 kids total. The teacher, Vika, who comes 3 days a week to teach kids preschool skills, is very creative. We have been impressed with all the projects that our kids bring home. Most importantly, Vicky, the owner, treat the kids like her own and our kids love her equally. Cheburashka has been our kids home away from home. One last perk, a lot of international kids there and both our kids learned to speak Russian though not a requirement (our son is trilingual). As our kids are graduating to Kindergarten and preschool respectively this summer, be the lucky few to snatch a spot at Cheburashka. A most deserved recommendation from a tiger mom like me. Jessica
Jan 2014
Re: Good quality day care in North Berkeley
My son is attending Cheburshka daycare/home-care, since he was 2.5 years old. It is located near North Berkeley BART station and the city park. The home-cooked meals are included. Children take a nap in real cribs. They spend a lot of time outside in a fenced yard shaded my several trees. Every week they go to the park and make crafts every week as well. They have the same set of teachers so kids het used to them very well. Above all, it is extremely reasonably priced. Best of luck, Victoria
Dec 2013
Hi, I need feedback on Cheburashka daycare (located in Berkeley), as I am considering sending my child there. Any thoughts,impressions on this daycare? I have read the two or so reviews on BPN about this daycare, but would love to hear more. Thank you very much! Amy
My son is 2.5 years old and has been going to Cheburashka since June 2013. We love it there. The meals are home-made. They have fresh soup every day. Other meals include yogurt, fruits, and cooked cereals, not breakfast styled ones. The daycare has its own gently shaded yard. Every week they walk over to the city park nearby. Children sleep inside proper cribs. They make art projects couple of times a week. Teachers help with potty-training. Teachers are sweet and loving. Best wishes Victoria
My two year old daughter has been very happy at Cheburashka. Over Thanksgiving, she asked to go to daycare because she missed Vicky and the other kids. I love the age range of kids, and though we do not speak Russian at home, she speaks fluently there. My daughter has also become a very good eater, they provide mostly organic breakfast, lunch, and snacks, which they cook for the kids. They were fine with using cloth diapers her first year there, and are now fostering her interest in potty-training (no pressure though). I am happy to answer any questions you might have. Best, Rita
Aug 2012
I had a wonderful experience with Cheburashka Day Care. Both of my daughters attended for several years, starting as infants. They are now both very healthy and very well adjusted socially, which I partly attribute to Vicky's commitment to the kids' development. My kids were always good eaters, but I know several parents were concerned about their child's eating habits and growth, and Vicky very consistently turned them into well-fed happy eaters. Most of the food is organic, from the daily scrambled eggs and potatoes breakfast,to the the wonderful soups that she cooks fresh daily. I was very happy with how both children gained confidence in dealing with other kids, many of whom are international and from multilingual homes. There is plenty of outdoor play in the yard and trips to the park. Staffing is typically 1:3 or better. Vicky and her workers are all bilingual Russian, so this is a great place especially if you want your child to learn Russian, or at least be exposed to it. You can reach Vicky at(510)287-6873
Maria
July 2012
Our son thrived at Cheburashka home daycare located in North Berkeley, just a few blocks from the North Berkeley Bart station. The care providers are very kind and made our son feel like a part of the family from day one. Not only was he well cared for, he was fed well (organic foods), potty trained and learned how to speak Russian. You can reach them at: vscott [at] emf.net. Good luck with your search! Jen
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