Happy Ducky Daycare

My son attended Happy Ducky from 16 months — 29 months, prior to that he was cared for by his aunt, so this transition was a bit nerve racking for us as parents. We found Happy Ducky on Unilocal!and were so glad we did. Unlike many SF daycares, Lala (or Berta, owner), has a dedicated space for her daycare that is totally geared towards a safe play and learning environment. Lala makes homemade lunches for the kids and because she keeps her ratios low it’s a great environment for kids to begin socializing while still receiving individualization. My son was well prepared for beginning preschool after leaving Happy Ducky. Happy Ducky’s rates are very reasonable and I felt that my son was well cared for there. Highly recommended!

For those of you living in San Francisco and not familiar with the neighborhood, Happy Ducky may seem off the beaten path, but is a gem daycare with very reasonable tuition (unlike SF). It’s actually conveniently located at the SF edge of Daly City right near Cow Palace, so if you live in the Mission or Bernal Heights for example, or commute that direction to the South Bay — it’s close by!
It’s so hard to leave your child for the day, and thankfully Happy Ducky always made me feel very at ease and confident that my son was receiving great, well rounded care.
–Loving caregivers
–Always clean
–Outside visits to playground, ingenious art projects
–Very perceptive to your child: esp if not feeling well, appetite off, bowel changes, etc.
–Knowledge about nutrition and fed the children quality homemade food
–Easy communication regarding any questions, concerns, or special needs
–Really a very sweet family all around!
My son (with his memory like an elephant) is nearing 4 years old, and in preschool now, and still speaks fondly of his time spent there.

This daycare is awesome!
My daughter started at this daycare when she was 22months old and she had attended for 15months until she moved to the preschool.
I was looking for a daycare where they can take care of her only once a week. I searched many daycares and most of them doesn’t accept part-​time and drop-​in care. But this place is very flexible, reasonable, safe and trustworthy. I felt I was lucky to find the right place finally!
At first my daughter was not very happy since it was her first time in daycare. However, Lala helped tremendously with the transition, and soon after my daughter got used to it and felt comfortable. Lala had always been so nice to my daughter like her real grandmother.
I would highly, highly, recommend Happy Ducky Daycare!

I highly recommend Happy Ducky! My son went to Happy Ducky for nearly 2 years until he was ready for preschool. Lala (Bertha) is amazing with the kids and takes care of them as if she was their grandmother.
The facility is clean and well organized and Bertha makes homemade fresh meals everyday which is very reassuring. Chicken soup was my son’s absolute favorite, he would ask for it all the time.
Days include music, reading, playground time and lots of art. I love that she also sends photos on a weekly basis so you can see what your child has been doing each day.

For some strange reason, Unilocal has erased my original review, so here it is again.
Our daughter has been going to Happy Ducky for 20 months (since she was 4 months old) and we’ve had a good experience with them. They are very professional, clean, organized, and have structured activities.
Before we found Happy Ducky, my husband and I were searching different family daycares and did not like the fact that the other daycares were run in their livingrooms, were untidy, and the children took naps in their own bedrooms! In some homes, we got the impression that they allow the kids to sit and watch TV to pass the time.
Happy Ducky’s daycare has its own seperate room in their home just for the kids, and its designed like a pre-​school classroom. The fact that the daycare has its own room in the home reassures us that the kids are given 100% undivided attention from Mily and Bertha. There is no TV :-) They do art activities, educational activities, play games, read, sing, have naptime, and do outdoor activities. Our daughter loves the staff, and they are warm and friendly!

Happy Ducky is a great family day care. We looked at many day cares before deciding on Happy Ducky, and it really stood out as a quality place. It is a very happy, nurturing, fun and organized environment.
— The facilities are spotless and very well organized. Everything is labeled in English and Spanish.
— There is a schedule every day that is a mix of preschool-​type activities (lots of arts and craft, story time, singing, reading, flash cards, dancing), outdoor play (they either go to a local playground or their backyard) and free play.
— Home-​cooked lunches and snacks are provided. They take a lot of care making sure the kids like the food and they make changes based on kids preferences.
— Mily and Bertha are really great with the kids. They are very caring, kind and enthusiastic. They take and active role in teaching the kids not only how to play and interact as a group, but also teach them manners. My little girl now knows how to say please, thank you and sorry.
— They speak both English and Spanish with the kids.
— Mily sends us pictures from the weeks activities every week.
Happy Ducky is a great environment for children, it is loving, fun, safe, structured enough but not too much. Overall its a great place for little ones to learn and play!

My son has been going to Happy Ducky since last November and he absolutely loves it! Many days when my husband picks him up, he says he doesn’t want to go home. Mily and Bertha are very kind and nurturing. They send us pictures every week as well as artwork. I think my favorite thing might be the «clean up» song they taught my son. The other day when I asked him to put away his toys, instead of saying no, he started singing this clean up song and put everything away without complaint. Love it!