California Ivy League Preparatory

I can't believe that I haven't reviewed this gem yet. Lengthy review.....My wife and I relocated to Bakersfield after I got off of active duty. We're new here and don't have family, so welcoming our newborn into childcare was already daunting. The first place had her in the Kern County heat during the summer for 2+ hrs and second place made us to believe she was chunky. Needless to say, my wife and I lost a lot of sleep stressing about if our baby was safe and loved at day care, I even started working nights to ensure she didn't have to stay at the daycare "Lil Explorer's" for a lengthy period of time. Well, backing up two years ago, my wife and I toured Cal Ivy and she fell in love, me not so much. I was scared that one of their pet lizards would get loose and attack my baby while she was sleep "nonsense because the pets aren't in the classrooms for the babies." Well, low and behold, I called them up for a second tour and decided to give them a try. Instead of the pet lizzard getting loose- the love, empathy, and sense of security came out and drowned my entire family. My baby girl was in the most safe of hands with people who genuinely cared about her. She had such a blast and we were all so sad when she had to leave because we relocated to Houston, TX in August of 2019. God always has the final say! We ended up moving back to Bakersfield in Feburrary of 2020 and they had a spot for her. Our girl ran up to all of the staff and gave them hugs and I, of course because full of tears. It's an amazing experience seeing your child runaway to school and know she is protected and educated. She litteraly ran away from me at the front desk and was playing in her new class. Cal Ivy has been so good to our family and I know they will be good to yours " someone I reffered from another yelp review enrolled their kiddo and loved it." Thank you for always loving my baby and keeping her safe. We're so glad to be back home and have her in the safest, loving, enriching school in town!

This was called the Mercy Child Development Center until they decided to get out of the child daycare business several years ago. With facing impending closure and the possibility of the community losing such a invaluable child care service, Mr. Edward R. Paine stepped up and assumed financial responsibility and now Cal Ivy Prep has become the finest daycare facility in Bakersfield. I know this from personal experience because when my daughter first moved to Bakersfield her son was less than 1 year old and now he is 4-1/2 years old. He has been going to Cal Ivy all this time while his mother was working full time and completing her degree at CSUB. Since we lived locally at the time, I was afforded the opportunity of sometimes taking my grandson to daycare in the morning and picking him up in the afternoon. While spending time at Cal Ivy I got to know many of the the teachers, aids and admin staff. My distinct impression is that they are all caring, nurturing, compassionate and supportive people with good hearts. Oh I'm sure you could find a less expensive place to take your child if that is your prime criteria. However I can assure you that you will not find a finer daycare facility in which to leave the most precious gift in your life - your child.

This was my son's daycare/preschool from age 17 months to almost 3 years old. When we first moved to Bakersfield, we looked at this school as well as another daycare. I was very turned off by the other daycare. I called to arrange a time to visit and when I arrived (at the already agreed upon time). The person receiving us was rude. The kids there didn't look too happy either. Anyway... back to Cal Ivy.When I called before going, the person who answered the phone was very informative. When we arrived, Spring showed us how the school is arranged (from the infant room to Toddlers and onwards in age). It was an organized tour and you could tell they have done this for a while! (They were previously Mercy Childcare). It was fun to see they have a parrot, fish tank and chinchillas! All the rooms were organized and clean. Our son started in the Infant Room. Since it was his first time going into a group setting fromHome, the teachers were all good about picking him up and ushering him in. They always gave us good updates at the end of the day. They always sanitize the room at the end of the day. The gate at the front was always closed which was reassuring for me. During the holidays, they do have a Santa photo-op. Finally, the latest pickup was at 6pm. Would definitely recommend for anyone for looking for a reliable daycare/preschool in the area.

This is my first ever yelp review anywhere, hands down the worst prep school ever. Staff are rude, not clean. They bother parents all the for the most irrelevant stuff. Want a doctors note for any simple runny nose. If kid refuses to have lunch they call it loss of appetite and they reject the kid the second day of school. I work in aa hospital and they made my life so stressful dealing them. Dont waste the money here. Save yourself the 1300$ a month.

Now that I have a child of my own I was looking for good quality child care here in town. Cal Ivy Prep came recommended by a physician that I work with who sent both of his children there. I toured other facilities in the area and was most impressed with Cal Ivy Prep. I am happy to see that this facility continues to be one of the top childcare options in town. One of the biggest reasons I chose this facility over others was how they separate their infants. They separate the babies into three rooms depending on age and development: Infant, Early Transition, and Transition.Infant is 6 weeks to approximately 10 months (or until they are crawling independently and eating baby food or starting finger foods). The room is separated into two areas, Play and Sleep. Each baby has their own designated crib. No sharing of cribs. They follow a strict 4 infants to 1 teacher California requirement. There is a maximum of 8 babies in the room. They even extend this 4:1 rule to the sleep/play areas. So if 1 baby is sleeping and 7 babies are awake, they will pull in extra assistance as 1 of the teachers will stay in the sleep area to monitor the sleeping child. My son was strictly breast milk for the first 6 months and was fed on demand. Because my office is only 5 minutes away, I would come on my lunch break to nurse him. The bonding experience with my son made the transition back to work that much easier. The girls were so sweet and it was great to really get to know the people I trust with my child daily. I really had a great opportunity to observe their interaction with the different children. It was especially nice to see how even the youngest babies can develop "favorite" teachers. You can tell they really care about the kids and the kids enjoy their time as well. Once he started eating baby food, I began making my own. The facility provides baby food (Gerber brand I believe) and it is included in your tuition. Making my own was just my preference. They had no problem with me bringing my own baby food and them feeding it to him.Early transition is for 10-15 months (or until they are walking and eating independently). This is where my son is currently. He eats the school's food for breakfast but I still continue to pack his own lunch. He absolutely loves fruits and veggies so I just figure why not continue that yummy goodness from home? I do plan on him eating the school food once he moves into the next room. He's 13 months now and starting to figure out the whole "walking thing." This room has more toys and activities higher up, encouraging children to stand and walk. They have tunnels, play kitchens, balls, cars, activity tables, push walkers, etc... the list goes on and on. They change out the room daily so it is very engaging for them. They take one nap a day here from approximately 11:30am to 2:00pm. I have tried my best to keep him on the same schedule at home.Transition is about 15 months to 24 months but still has the 4:1 child to teacher ratio. This room has all walkers and finger foods. From there the rooms change based on age. I think this set up is ideal for infants and toddlers. It allows those that become more mobile to move up and decreases risk of injury on the other children. I believe all the rooms in the facility have access to an outdoor play area. Even outside the kids are separated by age, again for child safety reasons. They even have an outdoor area for the infants. It is well shaded and they always keep the babies on blankets. There are many different animals throughout the facility that are always fun to look at! I was so happy to see they continue to have animals around as I actually attended this facility when they first opened and have vivid memories of those animals! All the rooms incorporate art into the curriculum, even infants. I have many "masterpieces" at home! Overall, I have been very impressed and satisfied with this facility. I believe that they care about the kids and take pride in what they do. The front desk staff even greet my son by name every day when we arrive or leave. When choosing a daycare facility there are several things to keep in mind. It is important to feel comfortable with the environment and staff. Make sure to schedule tours of all facilities you are considering. Look at the children (are they happy?), watch the staff, ask if they require staff to be CPR certified. Also, please remember that the first two years in a daycare setting is going to be prime time for exposure to many different pathogens. This comes with the territory. Personally, I'd rather build his immune system now rather than him missing days or weeks of kindergarten. Just know there will be many sick days these first few years but it will pass! Childcare is a difficult decision for any parent. Remember, no one is going to do things EXACTLY as you would at home. However, I believe the social interaction is so important for children! Sorry for the long review! Good luck!

I was super excited that this facility is play based. I was assured that there would still be support of writing and fine motor tasks. However, in the eight months that my son has been there he has practiced his name twice. They showed me the science room and I knew my son would love it. For some reason his class has never been. They do have nice, rounded meals. They do not let you bring in any food though, so if your child doesn't like whatever they are serving for snack (there are no alternatives) they just go hungry. Also, I think it's ridiculous that they force 4-5 year old children to take 1.5-2 hour naps. With the amount they charge to attend, I think a 20 or 30 minute rest would be fine. Overall, my son seemed to like it there and did make friends but I could have paid a lot less somewhere else.

Words (and stars) can not express the how I feel about Ivy League! My two grandchildren currently attend this facility and I am amazed of the leaps and bounds they both have accomplished. Staff is very patient and professional with the children and family members. The children are taught so much. Each day, week and month is planned accordingly with colors, numbers and events. The facility is clean and organized. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who is looking for a safe environment for their little ones.

Bethany D.'s review on 6/20/17 is spot on!!!! Our children are in the same classroom and I couldn't be more pleased with the Cal Ivy Prep's structure of everything!! Being a first-time mom... it can be stressful and worrisome on having someone else watch over your children. From their first day at Cal Ivy, it's been WONDERFUL!!! Here are a few highlights:-- The learning and education experience my twin boys are getting are exceptional-- The teachers love and cherish each child in the room, encourage growth and acceptance of differences-- The overall staff (owner, director, front desk, teachers, aids, kitchen staff, etc) is GREAT!-- The daily menu includes breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. The food choices are good and are not repetitive-- Their holidays are few (much less than regular school holidays), which works well for us full-time working parentsI just can't say enough good things about Cal Ivy Prep - I am so thrilled that my children are in the best hands in town!!

We visited a few daycares and I must say that this place hands down has the most genuine people! They really care about the kids and that's something hard to find now a days! Thank you all for making my son's time there so great he misses it!

Overall great daycare. I enjoy the staff and the environment. My children all have loved going there and I never had any issues. My only complaint and the reason why I didn't give a full 5 stars is because the nap time is a bit ridiculous. Supposedly nap is from 1-3pm. That's 2 full hours!! And even some days when I get there like at 3:30-3:45 they still have lights out in the room. I mean come on. Why would they charge so much money if all they are gonna do is have my child laying down or asleep.