Dreamland Infant Center

Dreamland is a block away from our home. It seemed as though it may have been a dream come true. We toured the facility on three separate occasions. We were offered remote access to their CCTV system. Alas, we put our first time parent fears aside and committed.
We had a month and a half to go before our son’s start date and kept an eye on the cameras. What we witnessed alarmed us. The infant to caregiver ratio exceeded the promised 4:1, at one point reaching 8:1 though generally hovering closer to 5 or 6:1; all this for 15 minute stretches and several times daily. Meanwhile section 18 290 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations provides:
Contractors shall maintain at least the following minimum ratios in all centers:
(A) Infants (birth to 18 months old) — 1:3 adult-​child ratio, 1:18 teacher-​child ratio.
(B) Toddlers (18 months to 36 months old) — 1:4 adult-​child ratio, 1:16 teacher-​child ratio I called Anna, with my wife at my side, and confronted her with the information. She informed me I was mistaken. Impossible. I insisted we had seen it with our own eyes, the cameras are encompassing, and asked what would be done. She offered no remedy, only belligerent denial. I informed her we would no longer need their services and requested a full, or at least partial, refund. She nearly laughed. No refunds she informed me.
Over one year later, a slow small claims adventure, a bench warrant issued after Anna failed to appear as a tactic to derail our case, defiant and consistent resistance from Anna and Yev, even going so far as to call and inform us we’ll never get any money from them, and alas most of our money refunded via two court orders with denied appeals, Anna is still refusing to relinquish the final $ 178 she legally owes.*
Dreamland is an affordable option offering limited adult interaction for your little love and owners more worried about finances than the well being or even safety of the babies. Upon visiting you’ll likely sense these stark facts. There are many fish in the sea and this one has seen its day, as you’ll see by the dates of the positive reviews. Cast your net a little broader.
Furthermore, if you have any questions, whether because you had a similar struggle or are on the fence, feel free to contact me. I’ll happily share the details and any proof that’s helpful. The court information is a matter of public record and I’m happy to share our case number to facilitate your research.
*As of earlier this week, the remaining balance has been paid by Yev. (2.26.16)

I am extremely satisfied with Dreamland Centers. My wife and I used their services for over two years with both our children (both of whom started when they were 5 months old).
Dreamland is on a residential street and is comprised of two residential homes converted into the school. One building manages the younger kids (up to 2 years old) and the other building is the preschool, ages 2 and up. As your child grows, ages and develops, he/​she will be moved from room to room within each building. Example — when your child begins crawling, they will be with other crawlers. Same with walking, etc. A benefit of these rooms is seeing kids who are older to know what stage comes next (for your child). Also, the transition is gradual so your child gets used to different kids, rooms and teachers.
As your child gets older, the more activities there are. As an infant, educational and comfort needs are different for a child who is walking and talking. There are regular 3^rd party guests who teach kids different activities such as music and gymnastics. I have found that my children get a great variety of activities from music to art/​crafts to stories, toys and learning — both inside and outside (they have a great use of outdoors behind each building).
All teachers are genuinely interested in the kids. This is seemingly typical for most schools and daycares but it has been nice to be able to discuss concerns and questions with any/​all teachers as well as the management. They also have an online webcam system so I can check in on what my children are doing. This was more so a concern for kid#1 since sending your first child off to school is emotionally difficult — I’ve rarely used it for kid #2.
The hours and vacation days are great at Dreamland. All daycare centers have strict hours for regular tuition (needed to regulate drop off/​pick up, etc). Many are 8am to 5pm. Dreamland is 7am to 5:45pm. Their vacation days (days the school is closed) are minimal, which works extremely well with my work schedule, a job that gives few holidays). All daycare centers charge a flat fee for tuition per month, regardless of holidays or child vacations. To be able to utilize the school to the max (the monthly price) when needed has been a nice perk. Price is comparable to other centers as well. I found it to be in the middle when it comes to price. Since we live in Los Angeles, daycare costs a good chunk of change but I found many other options to be more expensive and find Dreamland to be set at a reasonable price based on the high cost of living in Socal and compared to other centers.
One of the many perks is how the curriculum will grow with your child. As mentioned, there are two buildings, each with different rooms. Per age group, your child will be with other kids their age and be learning different lessons and playing different games. Every 6 to 12 months, they will move up to the next room or building. This transition is not sudden, when a date is set for a full-​time move they make sure your child has weeks of interaction with all teachers and classes so the change is easy. With all kids doing this, your kids will be interacting with the same kids all the time.
In the end, Dreamland offers my kids a safe, entertaining and educational environment. The other children there are well cared for and it’s a pleasure to have my kids interacting with them all day. Concerns I’ve had with Dreamland throughout the last 2 years, which have been far from serious, were immediately responded to and I was given solutions quickly for a swift, happy resolution.
All children have different personalities (as well as adults) and everyone will fit into a system in different ways. Dreamland is worthy of anyone’s interest to send their kids to. As with any center, I recommend taking more than 1 tour (at different times of the day) to be sure it’s a good fit for you. See and visit several different centers — this is the best way to compare the differences and give you a stronger perception of what your preferences are.
EDIT: It’s been about 6 months since my wife and I had to remove our kids from Dreamland to move across the country. Since then we have had our kids in two different daycares while we found our permanent city to settle down in. Having more experience with other daycares (both of which have been positive) I have appreciated Dreamland even more. Aside from there being no concern with Dreamland, there are two added perks I really miss. The first is lunch and snacks being provided. This does not happen in any other school — at least not for free/​within tuition. I am now spending lots of extra time at night managing daily foods, snacks, and proper bowls/​utensils. The other perk I miss are visits from outside educators. My older son always talked about the gymnastics and music that came and visited the school. This happened 1−2x a month each and is something I miss my son raving about 3−4x a month.

My son was in this day care from the time he was 3 ½−12 months old. The first day he caught a stomach virus which gave him diarrhea for several days. From that point on he was continually sick every two weeks with colds, flu, Herpangina aka «hand, foot and mouth» disease which he caught twice, pink eye and a perpetual runny nose.
The second time my son caught Herpangina (spread through saliva and feces), he developed a fever of 105 which led to a febrile seizure. The second evening the fever of 105 returned and led to a febrile seizure again. Both times resulted in being rushed to the hospital via ambulance. The second incident included a «spinal tap» to rule out meningitis and a 4 day stay in the hospital. Together, his father and I missed a total of 2 weeks of work and all that stress of a child being hospitalized.
In dealing with Anna, she never seem to acknowledge that at a daycare children get sick and spead germs that lead to infections etc. Instead, in my opinion, she tended to suggest that whatever my son caught, he caught at home. Very unrealistic, unprofessional and unsettling to say the least. When the above incident occured, my son became sick on the 4^th day of the month. I paid tuition of $ 1300.00 on the 1^st of the month. I asked for a refund or for her to prorate an amount regardless of her policy and she said, «no, I have employees to pay.» I essentially paid her $ 325 a day for those 4 days. My son never returned understandably after that incident.
The caregivers are overwhelmed with 4 infants each. It’s obviously too much work for 1 individual to care for 4 infants at once. I always had communication issues with the caregivers because their first language was not English. I noticed on many occassions that the caregivers would not follow simple hand washing practices. Although I did notice them wearing gloves when changing a diaper, they wouldn’t remove the gloves when picking a child up or touching a bottle. I noticed caregivers wearing their «shoe covers» on their shoes in the kitchen and hallways of the daycare and then continue to walk in the carpeted area where the infants are crawling around sticking minuscule particles in their mouths.
As a parent you accept the fact that your child will get sick. What I experienced at Dreamland as a parent was unacceptable. I always had a feeling I should have taken my son out sooner but I didn’t and learned the hard way.
I DO NOT recommend this place.

I toured pretty much every pre-​school in a ten mile radius of this school and none of them compared. The facility is different for sure in that it’s two converted houses, but despite it’s rough around the edges appearance it’s very charming. The murals they added this year to the exterior walls are awesome and the kids love them. My son has been attending since February and he LOVES it. He talks non-​stop about the teachers and other children. The notion that we send our children there for lack of better options is ridiculous, we send our children to this school because of the amazing things they provide. The meals prepared are delicious, every parent who has had the opportunity to taste the food raves about how good it is. I’ve yet to find another school that does both the music program (another favorite), and the gymnastics program (free shirt). The the tuition rates that pay for all these great things are crazy reasonable. The bunny is completely docile and handle-​able. Perfect for little kids who just love her. They have a garden, do science projects related to gardening, have the cameras I can use to peek in at any time, and a total open door policy. You can come in and join in the activities any time. You’re more than welcome, provided it’s not nap time. All of the staff knows each parent by name, speak excellent English, and their credentials are readily available. They’re posted on the front window of the school. I’ve personally stayed for music and gymnastics, which was a total blast to watch. I traveled 40 miles to work and wanted my son close to me and in good hands, I wouldn’t have picked any other school, this was hands down the winner. I can talk to my son’s teachers every day and every day in addition to the note that gets sent home telling me about his day, what he ate, and what was taught, she can tell me about his interactions with his fellow students, his general attitude for the day, and even if she suspects he’s coming down with something because he’s acting different! I’m un-​enrolling my son to take a job closer to home and literally sick with guilt over him missing out on his favorite part of the day, and with worry that I’ll be unable to find a place that even comes close to how amazing this place is.
P. S. The photographers they bring in to do pictures are AMAZING. Ever photo of my son was a winner and the Antique portraiture place they bring in was phenomenal too. I won’t regret him having attended or spending the money on pictures ever. Especially with how reasonable the picture prices were as well.

Just went for a tour there. OMG… it was like visiting a third world country! The cribs are all over the place in the baby room, and they are the kind of cribs with the metal bars. It the house had a strange odor, something between sour milk and poo. Never going there again.

Dreamland Preschool just had their graduation ceremony today. My son was one of the graduating class of 2013! It was the most memorable and wonderful experience for all the kids + parents/​guardians. All teachers/​staff specially Ms. Maria, Ms. Monica and Ms. Rosie did an exceptionally fabulous job putting together such a lovely performance by these little ones. You guys rock. Keep up the excellent work. Ms. Anna and Mr. Yev, you are the heart and soul of this school. Your passion and vision is inspirational.

Dreamland is fantastic. I have all THREE of my daughters enrolled. I disagree wholeheartedly that there are «two types of families» who go there as mentioned in a previous review. I searched for months until I was satisfied– and I looked at many home day cares too. Anna, who runs the center, is very knowledgeable and friendly and she LOVES children. The teachers are all parents themselves and to me I feel like I am dropping my children off with relatives. I feel secure that my children are being intellectually stimulated and given love and affection all day long. I am a credentialed teacher and I know what good schools look like. They do a great job teaching traditional preschool concepts such as early literacy and math skills, and they also include rotating special classes such as music, gymnastics, soccer, gardening, cooking, and more. All day long these teachers work with my children and teach them how to become good citizens as well. They learn how to share, express their feelings appropriately, and learn empathy as well. Dreamland is affordable too, which is another plus. Seriously, it’s such a happy place full of learning and love. Every time I pick my little girls up they are all so happy! You won’t be disappointed! :)

I have been a parent at Dreamland for almost 3 years. I’m very happy to share that this facility is a very clean place, experienced staff, and always improving the structure, the property, and the activities for the children. My child comes home daily to share her experiences with me. Just a few weeks ago, the staff developed, Celebrate Children’s“s Week. Fro five days, the had different days of celebration. For example, Monday, Messy Day. The kids experienced with paints, crafts and down right get dirty activities. Tuesday was silly day. The children wore mismatched clothes, costumes, danced, and wore crazy hair styles.
I highly recommend this center to parents.
Venecia B.

I have to agree with Alyssa’s review. We are first-​time parents, as well. Anna’s directive that we look at other facilities and the invitation to drop by whenever we wanted (which I did) helped us make the decision to go there. We are pleased with the experience so far! The staff members are very nice, listen, answer questions and offer advice. They are very loving and caring towards the children (I can tell by my baby’s smiles when she interacts with them). It is nice to have the on-​line monitoring system available. The other parents I’ve met in her room have been nice and friendly. I would recommend Dreamland to other first-​time parents!

As first-​time parents, my husband and I were very nervous about leaving our baby just «anywhere». However, we had to find a reasonably priced option that left us feeling confident that our son would be cared for by loving and experienced individuals. We toured Dreamland Infant Care Center and were very pleased with our experience. Anna was informative and actually pressured us to visit other facilities to make sure that this was where we wanted our son cared for. The daycare staff were friendly, experienced, and seemed to really love what they did. I’d much rather have an experienced mother caring for my own child than someone who has better credentials on paper, but no real-​life experience to back it up. I feel that this facility is the «village» you’re always hearing about as a mom. The «village» that is nearly non-​existent now-​a-​days. These ladies are moms. They love kids. They know when babies aren’t feeling well, how to make them laugh, and how to encourage their growth both mentally and physically. Most importantly, they care about the kids they are taking care of and they care about the families. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this facility whole-​heartedly with the current staff they have on hand. We just love them.

My daughter has attended Dreamland for a little over a year and I can recommend them without hesitation. The staff is very professional/​personable and the facilities are always sanitized. My wife and I are very happy with the attention given to our daughter as well as the environment maintained for the children. A+

We looked at this center for our son. it is the saddest daycare we saw. the person who gave us the tour was not informed to answer our questions. I asked her how often they sanitize the toys for the babies, she said once a week… there was a baby alone in a crib, and my husband first thought it was a cat because no one was paying attention to it. I would not be comfortable to leave my child here. there are a lot better, cleaner, friendlier, happier daycares available… the only good thing about this place is that they have cameras installed and you would be able to go online and check how your child is doing. I would advise you to look for a family owned daycare instead.