Keeping Families Happy at Work
More references available upon request.
"Irreplaceable support for me as a working parent."Venus began caring for my daughter when she was four months old. She is now seven and still goes once a week because she loves the atmosphere and loving care she gets there. Throughout the years I have been completely comfortable with the care my daughter has received. As an infant she was well cared for — well-fed, well-rested, well- stimulated, and well-loved. As she grew, the environment adapted to her needs beautifully with more pretend play items available, outdoor equipment, and table tasks. Venus strikes a good balance between maintaining a constant, comforting environment, and adding new things for interest. It is extremely rare to hear a child crying at Venus' day care because the children receive so much individual attention and because Venus is so attuned to developmental needs. This cheerful, calm, fun environment has been an irreplaceable support for me as a working parent.
I would be happy to talk with you further if you have questions. Sincerely, Carol "Very informative and shared the different experiences our son had during the day."We've been so fortunate to have Venus taking care of our son, Noam for over two and a half years. Noam was six months old when he joined the daycare based on a warm recommendation we received for Venus daycare. Ever since the first day, Noam was so happy to go to the daycare in the morning (and sad to leave).
We were very happy with the love and attention Noam received on a daily basis. He was always well taken care of, clean, well fed and broadly educated. Thanks to Venus, Noam learned to communicate in English and Spanish (as well as teaching them Hebrew in return). Noam learned to behave and interact with other children, across different ages, as well as to share with and care for others. Venus was always very informative and shared with us the different experiences our son had during the day. We are very happy to be included in Venus' extended family! Please contact us if you have any questions or would like additional warm words over the phone/email. Nily and Etay "Never have to worry about my daughter while I was working."My daughter Grace,attended Venus' Little Stars for approximately two and a half years,from age three months to age two and a half. February 23rd,2006 was her last day in attendance I terminated her attendance at the daycare because I quit my job in Palo Alto,had a second child and am seeking employment near my home in Tracy,CA. My only regret with this decision is that I am not able to continue daycare with Venus Lara.
I recommend Venus Lara,without reservation,as a daycare provider.She provided a loving,nurturing and safe environment in which my daughter was able to grow to be a confident,caring,happy well- adjusted child .My daughter became fluent in Spanish, thanks to Venus. I was able to leave my daughter at Venus' home and never worry about her while I was working. I knew that she well taken care and her development was flourishing. Please feel free to contact me as a reference for Venus Lara's day care: Venus' Little Stars. I would be happy to discuss my experience. Sincerely, Elizabeth "Sincerely enjoys the job of caring for and interacting with the children."From the first day that my son has been going to Venus' Little Stars he has been coming home happy and excited about the activities he has during the day. I have been extremely pleased with the variety and quality of activities that Venus does with the children, alternating active outdoor play with quiet indoor projects such as reading and drawing. Venus is a loving and energetic caregiver and the children thrive under her attention. She has impressed me with her knowledge of child development and age-appropriate activities, her ability to balance the needs of several children at once, and especially with how much she sincerely enjoys the job of caring for and interacting with the children. In addition, my son comes home meticulously clean and changed. She has been attentive and responsive to his physical and emotional needs, and I had the peace of mind that he is happy, active and being very well taken care of when he is in daycare.
Venus' Little Stars has the atmosphere of a loving home, and has been a wonderful place for my child. I feel very lucky to have found Venus and would recommend her daycare facility to any parent. Sincerely, Anna "The freedom to play and explore as a young child should."My son has attended Venus' Little Stars for two years. I have been impressed with her loving and attentive care for all the children. My son has always felt safe and care for, Venus has shown the individualized care I was looking for in a home day care,working with my son needs as he grew up over the years. While in VLS, he began to learn letters and other preschool concepts,while having the freedom to play and explore as a young child should. I have always gone off to work knowing that he is in good hands and in the best care I could wish for.
Jessica |
"Fun, educational, and nurturing atmosphere."Venus Little Stars provided a secure, clean and comfortable environment for my son. It was child proofed and cleaned with green products. Venus Lara and her assistant, showed great kindness and patience to all of the kids. They paid extra attention to any kid that had an off day. I appreciated the detailed daily reports about my son which helped me know how his day went.
Venus Little Stars was such a fun, educational, and nurturing atmosphere for Mica to grow in. Venus Lara had weekly lesson plans filled with activities, read-alouds and learning centers. The variety of activities include counting, singing, dancing, music, and painting. He was exposed to English and Spanish. It was cute so see Mica sneak in some Spanish words at home after being exposed to Spanish songs and stories. The best part were the daily buggy rides and spacious outdoor play area that kept my son active while getting some fresh air. I am thankful that Mica has received quality care at Venus Little Stars and highly recommend it to anyone. . Warm regards, Cathy "Variety of activities." I am writing to you to say a huge THANKS from all the family and especially from Alfred for all the loving care you provided for him. When he started at Venus`little stars he was 21 months old and still shy. You helped him so much with all your immense patience and by providing such a warm and loving atmosphere. I cannot think of a better daycare. I always appreciated the big variety of activities you are offering to the children. You really care about their safety and well being and we could always trust you totally. My son loved coming to your place, playing indoor or outdoor, going out for a buggy ride, being read to or listening to (sometimes) German music! Thank you, Venus. The first thing we had to do after arriving in Germany was to get playdough .
I am happy to provide further reference to anyone interested. All the best for you, Georgia "I was very picky when I was looking for daycare and must have toured 20 home daycares!"We wholeheartedly recommend VLS daycare as a wonderful, warm and calm environment for your child. Venus is extremely sweet and loving and was always willing to help our family with our chaotic schedule. Each child receives plenty of individual attention given the low adult ratio. Venus goes out of her way to make her entire home and yard a playground for the children and does not restrict them to any of the room. Other than her scheduled time off, the doors of VLS were never closed and Venus truly tries her best to accommodate the needs of her families.
I was very picky when I was looking for daycare and must have toured over 20 home daycares! VLS stood out of the rest because of the cleanliness,the calm yet happy children and the general positive, relaxing atmosphere. We were very pleased with VLS and our son was really happy there. We were so sorry to go but our son has special needs and we needed to start him on a full-time early intervention therapy program. Venus was so wonderful with him, doing everything she could to assist him with his development. We miss you, Venus! Philip and Trina "Venus is an extremely loving woman and excellent caretaker."Venus's Little Stars is a great small home based daycare and I would highly recommend to anyone searching for such an environment for their infant and/or toddler.
My eldest daughter has been with Venus for three years now ever since she was six months old. And my youngest daughter also started with Venus since she was four months old and she is now 15 months old. From day one, I always had a comfort level with Venus and I knew that my girls would be taken care of very well. I always felt like Venus treated my girls just as she does her own daughter. Venus is an extremely loving woman and excellent caretaker. For infants,she is very good about providing daily reports. And my eldest daughter is always bringing home her projects from the day and I enjoy seeing them very much.I always feel that my children return happy and there have been many occasions when they have so much fun that they do not want to leave. It is a great place for children to socialize and make new friends and learn some Spanish as well. My daughter can say many words in Spanish now and can understand even more. And my hope is that I can continue to nurture her 2nd language even beyond her time under Venus' care. Therefore, it is without hesitation that I recommend Venus. In fact, I even turned down a wait-listed position that came up for my daughter because I love the smaller home-based environment for infants and toddlers. And if you have a girl, Venus has an amazing collection of princess dresses! Tammy "You have been a true light on his life." Thank you so much for taking such wonderful care of my little boy! We so grateful to have found you. You have given him love, hugs and taught him so much. He will miss you and we will miss you as a very special part of his life. Thank you for holding him when he was sad we were leaving,for watching his breathing,for offering him so many things to do and for teaching him Spanish. You have been a true light in his life. Have a wonderful holiday and we'll see you soon with Megan!
Merry Christmas! Love, John, Tiffany, Ethan, and Megan |
"She has a warm heart and a nice and caring attitude, and she loves what she does!"Today will mark the last day for my son at Venus Lara's daycare. I have had him in Venus' care since he was three months old. I would like to take a moment to say how much I know and understand how it feels as a parent to have drop your child off at daycare to someone you barely know and then go work for 8-9 hrs. I have to say it has been one long road for me, and I will tell you that I have felt secure at work knowing that my son is in a routine and is SAFE in Venus's daycare.
As a parent/mother all we do 1/2 of the time is worry worry worry, rest assure those feelings will subside. It is part of being a parent as I have learned. I want everyone to know of my experience and if needed call me. I hope you have a good experience with Venus like I have. She has a warm heart and a nice and caring attitude, and she loves what she does! Kind Regards, Janette "Another great thing about Venus is she always takes classes to improve her education and learn more about what is going on in the early childhood education world."My daughter started at Venus' Little Stars in August of 2008.She was 17 months old. I had looked at many day cares in Palo Alto and decided this was the best fit for my daughter and our Family. Venus let me come and visit during the summer a few times so my daughter would feel comfortable coming on her own. I could tell from that that Venus was very comforting to the children and also listens well to the parents of her children she cares for.
From the first day my daughter started, Venus had her taking naps (without crying) and was very active with the children.They sing songs, read books, go on buggy rides, played outside with water, bubbles, and on the swing set! Venus is very good about teaching the children at the appropriate age level. My daughter started counting in Spanish and English right away and also knew all her ABC's very early. Venus does this without it seeming like she is teaching them anything. Venus always made sure my daughter had what she needed. Every morning she would have playdough out right away as that is my daughter's favorite activity. As well, every day she gives me a note with updates on what happened that day. She writes about Megan's favorite activities were,what she ate, how many times her diaper was changed and if there is anything I need to know. It is great! Another great thing about Venus is she always taking classes to improve her education and learn more about what is going on in the early childhood education world. She lets parents know about upcoming events in the community and had day care available during the holiday season if you wanted to go and shop. Venus made me feel very comfortable leaving my daughter. I am a teacher in Palo Alto School District and have recommended Venus to other teachers in our district. One of them already goes to Venus and Also loves her! We are sad to leave Venus but I am excited that I am able to stay home with my daughter all summer. Megan will be sad because she has so many friends there as well. She talks about them at home and what she did with them that day. Sincerely Jessica T. "Venus is one of the most loving and trustful persons we have ever met."We came from Sweden to Palo Alto in September 2003, to work as visiting scholars at Stanford University until the end on May 2004. We had a little infant with us, our 4 month old daughter Nicole, that for the first time,was going to a childcare. Being parents for the first time and away from home we were very concerned to find a loving home and trustful person for taking full time care of our little one.
Nicole connected immediately with Venus and felt relaxed and comfortable for the first time she saw her. Venus did a terrific job, day by day, by stimulating Nicole's development in all possible ways. With Venus Nicole learned to eat solid food, to walk (at 9 months!), to danced and appreciate music, babble and articulate,to interact with other babies and to play in a creative way. Nicole loved so much to go every morning at Venus' and meet her little friends that she did not miss a single day. Even during the fastidious period of teething Venus was able to support her and make her time easy and comfortable. Venus is one of the most loving and trustful persons we have ever met. She is very professional and highly qualified as a childcare provider. Most of all she loves babies and babies simply adore her! We will miss Venus a lot when will be back home as we feel she has become part of our family. Tiziana "When I found Venus’ Little Stars and met Venus Lara, I knew I’d found the perfect spot."I feel blessed to have found Venus’ Little Stars to care for my two sons. Finding a daycare that I was comfortable to leave my 4 month old son was a very difficult. I must have visited over 20 daycares, both in-home & day care centers. When I found Venus’ Little Stars and met Venus Lara, I knew I’d found the perfect spot.
I walked into a bright, airy and extremely clean home. Venus is a kind, gentle, calm and nurturing person. She is truly passionate about working with children & extremely dependable. The combination of Venus & her home is perfect for little ones to play, learn and enjoy their days. My first son has been attending Venus’ Little Stars for 2 ½ years and my second son has been there for about 10 months. When I drop them off, they run in and don’t look back! They are so excited to get in and play with their friends and Venus! It has been such a pleasure having Venus in our lives and it makes me sad to say goodbye, but I’ve decided to stay home myself – otherwise we would stay at Venus’ Little Stars forever! You & your kids will not be disappointed if you choose Venus’ Little Stars for your family. Sincerely, Kristy-Tom |