Mi Casita Day Care

Our daughter has been at Mi Casita for over a year now, and it has been a joy to watch her flourish under Mayra's care.  She is incredibly expressive, and Mayra has leaned into that - talking with our daughter a lot in Spanish.  They have an incredible bond that is evident at drop off and pick up.  This is a testament to Mayra's care.  The facility was immaculate when we visited, Mayra keeps it that way.  She's also very communicative with us about how Raya's doing on days where we've had any concerns.  I highly recommend Mi Casita.

Sharing a strong recommendation for early childcare with Mi Casita in Berkeley. 

Mi Casita was recommended to us by a colleague. We could not have been more lucky to send our son there. Everyday at drop, Mayra took time to understand our child's needs (lack of sleep, teething, grumpy etc). She was so intuitive and caring with our son and all the children there. Our son was nourished (she cooks them healthy meals every day), stimulated (reading, playgrounds, language learning, you name it!), and always happy. When our son switched to nursery school from Mi Casita, we saw an intense decline in his behaviors and happiness for the entire year he attended the school (so much so the teachers insisted he had behavioral problems which we know now is not true since he has left the nursery school and is back to his happy-self elsewhere). The nursery school was fine but paled in comparison to the routines and support at Mi Casita. Many times we wished we'd kept our son with Mi Casita instead of starting nursery school at 2yrs old. We whole heartedly recommend Mi Casita. It is, hands down, the best place in Berkeley. We continue to have playdates with other kids from this daycare and feel so, so lucky we were able to bring our son here for so long. Mayra is truly the best!

My daughter has been at Mi Casita since she was about one and it has been amazing! Mayra is so warm and kind with the kiddos. My daughter walks in happily every morning. Somehow she seems to come out cleaner and more tidy than when she went in...very impressive for a daycare for toddlers! Mayra feeds them snacks and meals.  Highly highly recommend.

My son has been in Mayra's care since he was 11 months old (just turned 2!). The minute we met Mayra and her husband Byron, and saw the lovely set-up they have in their house, we knew it was the right place. Mayra is incredibly warm, funny and playful. She cooks the kids delicious, organic meals. The daycare is right next to a great playground at San Pablo park. My son talks about his caregivers all the time, telling us stories of their playtime. Snag a spot if you can!

Our 18 month old has been going to daycare with Mayra and Byron for about 6 months, and I sing her so many praises. There is so much love from how she greets us in the morning and afternoons, to the little stories she shares about his development, updates on his eating and naps, and when he’s home sick she checks in to see how he’s doing. It’s also obvious how happy and comfortable he is with them, when I see how he glows when we drop him off. It’s also a very small number of kids at her home daycare, so they're getting lots of quality attention. I trust Mayra and her daycare wholeheartedly, appreciate the care she gives, the food she prepares, and would encourage any parent to bring their child to her if she has an opening. 

I highly recommend Mi Casita Day Care and we love Mayra so much. Mayra so warm and welcoming to kids that we never felt my son had his first day, it always felt he belonged there. He hardly cried whenever I left him there in the mornings. My son always loved the food at his day care and was always well fed. Whenever we picked him up from daycare he was always happy and tidy. I can surely say the Mayra always maintains the hygiene of her facility and all the kids. She always keep us updated with what they ate, nap times, etc. Unfortunately, we had to move to a different city and with teary eyes we had to say good-bye to Mayra. I am sure If we plan to move back to Berkeley, Mi Casita will be our first choice for Day Care service. 

Highly recommend Mi Casita! I was nervous to start my daughter at daycare at 11 months. Mi Casita was very welcoming and comfortable and I could always get updates on how she was doing throughout the day. They took such good care of our daughter, it made me hesitate to move cities although we ended up needing to. I was nervous because she hadn’t ever napped away from me, wouldn’t take a bottle, and wasn’t the best eater, but all of those things improved and for easier winder Mayra’s care. 

Our son, Kai was lucky to go to Mi Casita from when he was about a year old until he was ready for preschool. We couldn't be happier with our experience there. Mayra and Byron have created a warm and nuturing environment where little ones can thrive. I can see the love she feels for the kids by the little hugs she sneaks in and the big smile on her face every time we drop off Kai. He always comes home well fed, rested and happy. In the beginning when he was first adjusting he would often wake up early from his nap. Mayra was the best at helping him go back to sleep and would bring him into a different room if he needed. Mayra and Byron look out for all the little things, too. They always notice if his nails are getting a little long and would clip them so he wouldn't hurt himself. Also, sometimes we dropped him off and his hair was disheveled and he would come home with his hair perfectly combed. I also really appreciate that they have a mix of infants and toddlers at Mi Casita. When Kai was a baby he could look up to the older kids. And now that he's one of the older kids he's really taken a liking to and appreciation for the babies. We also love that Mayra and Byron speak only in Spanish to the kids. I've been trying to learn Spanish for the last five years, and I can't believe that Kai already speaks better spanish than I do! He can completely understand others when they speak to him in Spanish (but he just laughs at me when I try). I can't say enough wonderful things about Mayra, Byron and Mi Casita. 

I don't have anything to share that hasn't been already, but I want to add my total endorsement of every wonderful thing that has been said about Mi Casita.  It's the warmest sweetest place, and Mayra takes such joy in every kid.  Both my kids toddled joyfully in the gate every morning.  And ate provided healthy meals and learned great Spanish! Jump at any chance to go here! 

If you have a chance to enroll your child at Mi Casita, take it. Myra and Byron have created a loving and nurturing environment for children at Mi Casita. As a first time mom, I was nervous about sending my daughter to daycare and the added concern of COVID did not help. My daughter enrolled at Mi Casita at 14 months in January 2021, and after a few days of being cared for by Mayra, I lost all of those anxieties. My daughter had a huge smile on her face in the photo updates that Mayra would send us during the day. Within a week, she would get excited and try to put on her own shoes once she heard it was "time to go to Mayra's". My husband and I really looked forward to pick up when we would get a chance to chat with Mayra. You can really tell that she loves taking care of children and that she appreciates the personalities of each child, and really believes that each child in her care is special. My daughter really thrived at learning Spanish; she was able to count to 10 in Spanish before English! Another great perk of Mi Casita is that Mayra prepares home cooked meals and snacks. When Mayra would share the lunch menu, my husband and I would joke about how jealous we were that our daughter had a heartier lunch than us. I am also happy to report that during the year my daughter attended Mi Casita, Mayra never had to close due to a COVID exposure at the daycare. We recently moved out of the area and had to say good-bye to Mi Casita and my daughter will still ask me where her daycare friends are and tell me that she misses Mayra and Byron. Mi Casita is a really special place. I cannot recommend it enough. 

Back in 2015, as a first time parent who almost took a year off from work, I was more than nervous/felt tremendous guilt of returning to work. While pregnant, I put my child on the waitlist at the daycare at work (6 floor building and the daycare/preschool was on the first floor). In my mind, it would have been perfect. Drive to work with my kid, visit them at lunch, and then just go downstairs to pick the up after work. Well, things don't always go as planned. Although, they were on the waitlist during womb time, it became clear that there wasn't going to be room for them as there were no spaces.

A few months after my child was born (I would say 6 months) I began looking for daycares. I called countless daycares (in-home, university, non-in-home, ones at churches, nanny share, non-nanny share etc.). I made charts and took tours (yes, I love researching, reading reviews, making pro and con lists etc). I was feeling very disheartened as the places we visited just weren't the "one." You just know once you step foot in a place if it is for you.  That all changed when we visited Mi Casita. The moment we visited (on a weekend as to not have strangers with kids currently there), we knew we had finally found our child's home away from home. We called a few parents and they raved about Mi Casita.  We began taking our baby twice a week to get them used to being away from us and by the time I went back to work full-time, they were used to going. Of course, I was super sad the first two weeks but knowing how well taken care of and how loved they were, made it better. Mayra and her family became like family. She loves the kids. They get home-made healthy meals everyday (something less to worry about) which was great.  I never worried about my child not eating. In addition, Mayra got her on a consistent nap schedule as well as provided snacks.  Mayra always provided receipts for payments (which I used for my health savings account at work). 

When we had our second girl, in 2017, it was a no-brainer and she, too, went to Mayra until 2019 when she started pre-school. Although spaces opened up at my work and it would have been easier for us (by this time we were doing two stop-offs, Mi Casita and my older daughter's pres-school and they were nowhere near each other.) to have put both of them at my work, I did not want anyone buy Mi Casita taking care of our second child. She stayed at Mi Casita.

Another thing that was important to me was the fact that my child would be exposed to Spanish (I grew up speaking Spanish). My husband does not speak Spanish and it was great that communications with Mi Casita occurred both in English and Spanish (Spanish for me and English for him). During pickup, Mayra would go over the day and let us know of anything we needed to be aware of. 

The other day we were out walking around dinnertime and it smelled delicious outside. My now 5 year old commented that it smelled like Mayra's house. She remembered the great meals she had at Mayra's. We still keep in touch with Mayra as we consider her family. 

You will not regret using Mi Casita. 

Mi Casita was my dream come true. Mayra's home environment is safe, beautiful, and her toys are fun and seem to really help the children engage with each other. My kid ran to Mayra every morning and was always in a great mood when I picked him up. I enjoyed drop-off and pick-up, because Mayra is funny, compassionate and a pleasure to talk to. She always took the time to fill me in on how my son was doing, and the funny little things she noticed him doing during the day.

I couldn't agree more with the other rave reviews here about the healthy food and the warm environment.

Mayra and Byron take children's emotional and physical safety seriously. I feel completely confident that when he cried, she comforted him like her own child.

She has always taken health seriously, and during the COVID pandemic, Mayra has been incredible. She is safe, cautious, and also transparent. 

If you’re lucky enough to land a spot here, don’t hesitate, grab it.

I would like to start with: I highly recommend Mi casita! We were so lucky 5 years ago when we found Mayra's Mi casita. The moment we entered the house and met Mayra, we knew this is the place for our little one. We have been with Mayra for the last 5 years. All our 3 kids grew up with this safe, warm and loving second home.  Mi casita is part of our family and even our first daughter is still thrilled to hug Mayra when we drop off our two younger ones. Another great thing about this daycare is the healthy and homemade food that Mayra provides (you can meet her at Berkeley Bowl during the weekends shopping only the best ingredients for her little daycare guests). Come join the Mi casita family! 

My 1st kid went to Micasita from 1-3yrs old. Right after seeing our 2nd kid’s heartbeat on a sonogram, I texted Mayra to get on the waitlist. He just started, and once again we are thrilled to be part of the Micasita family. I feel so safe knowing my baby is with Mayra and Byron. Micasita is spotlessly clean and emotionally warm. The homemade food turned my big kid into a great eater.

We feel really lucky to be part of the Mi Casita family. We have toured more than a dozen day cares before we toured Mi Casita. The moment we entered the house, we knew this is the place for our little one. Mayra and Byron are a couple and they are amazing with kids. The ratio is perfect too (1 adult with 2~3 kids). My daughter started when she was 11 months. She was crying all day long in the first two days, but it only took a week before she fit in. She has been there for almost three months and already got her best buddy! 

I'm so happy that we found Mi Casita. My husband and I are able to focus on work without worrying about her during daytime, because she is always so happy when I pick her up (sometimes she even doesn't wanna go home...). Mayra makes homemade food for the kids with lots of vegetables and fruits every day. Mayra also communicates really well with parents, telling us routines as well as all the exciting improvements on a daily basis. 

Another good thing is Mayra being really cautious about kids' safety. The first time I tried to contact her for a tour, she wouldn't let me tour during daytime (second time yes) because it may not be safe to allow a complete stranger drop by when kids are here. This left me very good impression. Imagine my daughter was here, I would be worried if some strangers just drop by.

So if you are looking for a second family for your little one, Mi Casita is absolutely a no-brainer! 

Mi Casita has been a wonderful, warm, and loving environment for our son. He started at 10 months old and is now 2.5. Mayra provides loving and attentive care and takes such amazing care of the children. She nurtures a respectful and kind environment that truly is my son's second home while I am away at work. The hours are great (7:30-5:30) and the size is just right. Mi Casita is very clean and stocked with well chosen toys that encourage imaginative play. My son took his first steps at Mayra's house and she was just as excited as I was! At the end of each day she lets me know about his day and genuinely seems to care about the details. Mayra also makes the best snacks and lunch for the children! Lots of vegetables and fruit and from scratch soups, stews, pasta, quiche! This has made my day so much easier knowing that his meals are not only health and delicious but all prepared by Mayra and shared with other kids in a family-like meal setting (such a time saver and reduces stress in my busy day). Our family does not speak Spanish at home but my son understands so much because of the Spanish language immersion environment at Mi Casita.

Our family is getting ready to move soon and we will truly miss Mi Casita. I am so grateful to have found Mi Casita after a long and extensive search and visiting MANY daycares. :) Highly recommend!