The Gift of Kids Daycare and Preschool

My son attended Gift of Kids from the age of 1 to 5, and our experience was truly exceptional. The owner, Jennifer, is very accommodating, reliable , friendly and supportive--especially during the challenges of the pandemic. Her outstanding communication kept us consistently informed and reassured. The nurturing environment/ staff created a great space for my son to thrive socially and academically. I recommend Gift of Kids to any parent seeking great childcare!

I cannot speak highly enough about the wonderful, caring people at this daycare. The owner is deeply committed to running a top-notch establishment, and I have tremendous respect for her dedication. My 2 1/2-year-old has been to two other daycares before we found this one. One was fantastic, but we had to leave when we moved; the other, unfortunately, was a nightmare (the one near Bella Bru). Our child was constantly sick there, and I was repeatedly called out of work for the most trivial reasons. It was incredibly disruptive.I happened to be there when the incident mentioned by another reviewer occurred, and I can assure you, they're not telling the whole story. It's not surprising that a child would stay by the fence when they see their parent, but it's frustrating when some parents contribute to problems, only to turn around and claim innocence while pointing fingers and stirring up trouble.We've been with this daycare for over a year now, and we've been extremely pleased. The teachers are all fantastic, and we have complete confidence in leaving our child in their care.

This is one of the best daycares that I've had experience with. Having 3 kids and having lived in several areas around California this is by far the best one I have sent my children to. Jenn the owner is fantastic! She is caring, sweet, and experienced. She knows what parents need and want for their children to experience in daycare. - They have an app which notifies you of the daily activities, meals, and updates. They "over communicate" in a good way. I know what my son eats and how much he eats every day. I know when he is changed, when he naps, if an incident has happened, what they are learning, and if there is a change in their menu all through the app. - Meals and snacks are included in the tuition. It's great because they provide a variety of nutritious foods. I believe they have very fair tuition rates in comparison to other daycare in the area. I had to research a few as the first daycare my son attended closed abruptly. - They always have fun events for holidays and they have several parent date nights on the weekends. They offer extracurricular activities like dance and soccer shots to name a few. They have picture days which can include siblings! - They spend lots of time outdoors and have a very spacious facility inside and out. I believe the building is on about an acre and so the outdoor space is large and fun for kids. My son does lots of arts and crafts, water activities during the summer, and learns songs & dances. They have recently gone through some turnover and everything is communicated very well to the parents. The teachers that are there are so kind to my son and even teachers who are not assigned to my son's class know him and call him by name. I was sad to see that there are some reviews that judge this Daycare based on a short intro interaction. My son has been going for a year and we are very happy with his progress with social interactions and his ability to adapt to new environments. I'm so grateful for the Gift of Kids Daycare!

Run Away doo doo doo doo doo.. (from baby shark) is all I can think when I think about my visit to this mad house!If you are in El Dorado Hills you will see their ads plastered all over local magazines, community spaces etc as the "#1 ranked daycare/school"So as parents wanting to get the best for their kid, we visited them sometime back to see if we can get our child in. We were told there is a waitlist so we need to schedule a visit if we are really serious.We walk in and there is chaos everywhere! Owner says she has to run an errand (we have an appointment for school viewing set up) she passes on that job to the front desk lady who was nice enough to walk us through.They have a policy where you drop your kid at the gate and they will bring them in/out. So as parents you really don't get to see what is going on inside.The classes are interconnected and we could see chaos from one end to the other. Kids were banging on tables, running here and there. Teachers were just standing there looking totally spaced out. There was one class with about 15 kids with one teacher and the front desk lady had to call one teacher to help & show us that they have good ratio. The teacher comes and just stands in the side folding a diaper and as we turn away goes back leaving the class as chaotic as it was before.Overall it was so noisy & so unstructured that we don't see any value out of this daycare for us.After our visit I looked at the yelp reviews as well as on greatschools and can tell why they are what they are. Mismanaged & disorganized!It is a hard NO for us.

We looked into the Gift of Kids Daycare about 3 years ago, just prior to my son being born. This was our first child, so we were a bit nervous about sending him to any daycare facility. After looking into all of the daycares in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, we decided on the Gift of Kids for a few different reasons. First off, it had very competitive prices, if not the best in the area. The owner, Jennifer, was willing to work with us on what days our son could attend due to our constantly changing work schedules, and we also knew someone whose children already attended the Gift of Kids and they spoke highly of the program. From the moment our son began attending The Gift of Kids, we were very happy with the professionalism of the teachers, and the caring and support our son has received to date. Our son is now 2 years old, and like any 2 year old he is a challenge to handle! They have worked with him and helped develop him over the last 2 years. His language skills and knowledge are well beyond where I thought they should or would be at this point. Most important to my wife and I, with any business, is the leadership aspect. The owner, Jennifer, is very Type A and has her hands in every aspect of the business. She is normally there most of the day and is aware of everything that is going on. She was quick to handle the changes with COVID as well. She knows all the children, parents, andI believe runs what appears to be a pretty tight ship. She is always making improvements as well to the facility. During the 2 years our son has attended thus far, there have been a few minor issues that have come up. We have brought those issues to the owners attention and corrections or changes have been made almost immediately, which is exactly what you want and would expect in this type of profession. Trusting someone to take care of our child was a challenge initially, but we are thankful that we sent out son here and by next summer we will be sending our 2nd son to Gift of Kids.We could not be happier overall. The prices are really good considering our area, and the owner and front staff are excellent! We recommend looking into Gift of Kids if you are in need of a daycare! Feel free to reach out to us as well if you have any questions!Kyle & Brenda

Best daycare in EDH hands down. The owner and teachers are very attentive and care about the children and their development.

My 23 month old son started daycare for the first time at this horrible place and less than 3 weeks from the first day, they left my son locked outside by himself. We were lucky that I was off that day and I decided to watch him how he is adjusting. It was a hot day and imagine what could have happened to my son because of the heat if I did not intervene. They did not even know until I went inside to pull my son out. I emailed them a few times past months for refund but no replies.This could been your son or daughter....

This is the best daycare around, no questions asked. I think it shows how passionate Miss Jen is about childcare. I'm always amazed at how she and the staff can remember all of our names and know what our little one likes and dislikes. That's attention to detail! The teachers are awesome and Miss Kat, Miss Sarah and Miss Gaby are absolute treasures.

I never use this app but I felt inclined to review because children are involved. My husband and I came to tour this place a few weeks ago and we were shocked at the owner, Jennifer. She seems erratic and unprofessional. She was more inclined to talk about her fitness routine rather than the actual facility. She did not know many of the children's names and focused the tour on a room my son wouldn't even be in? Overall the place was hot and smelled weird. Go somewhere else. Do NOT recommend.

My son started school there this past spring of 2023. I had no issues until recently, 2 weeks to be exact. A volunteer will be starting there soon, real soon. That woman (the volunteer), who was best friends with my sons father was our full time babysitter. She started watching my son when he was about 3 weeks old up until he was 1 year old. My son had become a part of her family, holidays, events, family dinners, day trips, etc.... One summer evening, the volunteer got into a verbal and physical altercation with her sister who was holding my 19 month old son in her arms-preparing a snack for him. The volunteer pulled a knife out and had it 1 inch away from her sisters face, 2 inches away from my son. Then she proceeded to repeatedly punch her sister in the face and kick her. After the vicious beat down, the sister took my son and hid in fear. The volunteers intention wasn't to harm or injure my son, but she absolutely could have and that was enough for me. Mental state? Clearly gone! When I arrived to pick up my son, I had seen the physical damage that the sister endured and the volunteer laughed from her bedroom window at what she had done. I filed a police report in the county of El Dorado hills immediately and they responded as it was child endangerment. I was not able to press charges as I was told by the officer I'm not the victim, the sister would have to press charges, which she declined. I understand why, as they are siblings. I encouraged her to do so as it was a scary situation for both so us and I was in full momma bear mode protecting my cub. This woman who I entrusted my sons life with, who is my entire world, didn't protect him but instead put him in danger over a petty fight with her sister. After the traumatic evening, I have never been the same. Im unable to leave my son with anyone. The fear, anxiety, tears that overwhelmed me driving from Elk Grove to el dorado hills, not knowing if my son was okay, did he get injured, the mental state he must be in, where is this crazy woman who could behave in such rage in front of a child....it was the scariest moment in my life. I was terrified!!! Mind you, this woman has 2 DUI's, she received the 2nd dui earlier this year- currently, she no longer has a DL. When it was brought to my attention that the volunteer had applied to volunteer at the school for college credits, I immediately called Jen (the owner) and spoke with her. She said "I didn't know, you guys never said anything" and that she will wait until the background check came back. I explained that I never thought the volunteer would apply as a volunteer as she has a job at the Benz dealership in el dorado hills. I'm letting you know now because I'm not okay with it and I need to keep her away from my son. Jen asked me to wait until the background came back and we will speak. This morning, on my way out from dropping my son off, Jen asked to speak with me. She informed me the volunteer will be completing her hours at the daycare and will be there 4 days a week, she is making her own hours, she will be a couple of rooms over, she will not be allowed near my son, she has no other schools to volunteer at (which is a lie, there are other schools) and said let me know what you want to do! My son attends school 5 days a week, you are not able to guarantee me that she will not see him, be around him. Jen shrugged her shoulders. explained to Jen, I understand the background check, what I'm not understanding is...where is the safety for my son? Where is the honor for the parents who pay for their children to be here? She shrugged her shoulders and kept saying "she doesn't want to get involved". I offered her the police report and Jen said "it's here say". I have the texts where her sister told me what happened. Jen said "I don't want to get involved, she has picked her hours". ITS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING THAT A MOTHER, THE OWNER OF A SCHOOL FULL OF CHILDREN CAN STAND AND LOOK AT ANOTHER MOTHER AND INVALIDATE HER FEARS AND FEELINGS FOR HER CHILD. ITS DISGUSTING HOW SHE, JEN CAN STAND THERE AND TELL ANOTHER MOTHER THAT A VOLUNTEER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A CHILDS SAFTEY, THAT A POLICE REPORT ISN'T WORTH READING. I COULD NOT WRAP MY HEAD AROUND HOW DISMISSIVE JEN WAS ABOUT THE SITUATION. ITS A D*** SHAME AND JUST PLAIN DISGUSTING!!! I will NEVER refer this school to anyone. I would never subject a family nor a child to a school where the owner herself, Jen, can allow something like this. I too thought she was a great human, kind and helpful, but after all this...now I just think she a disgusting woman!