We have been very blessed and fortunate to have been with Danika for the last 3 years. Our twins started when they were almost 5 months old and being first time parents, we were nervous with this transition, but Danika was so understanding and empathetic, which made it easier for us. Danika is honest, has great communication skills, and is super organized. Throughout our time with her, she has always kept us in the loop with pictures, videos, and texts. Our twins have always thrived here and have learned so much both socially and academically. Our twins have made a lot of great friends here and love "Miss. Danka"! Danika has always treated our twins like her own, is flexible, and her facility is always safe and clean. It comes with great sadness that our time with Danika will be over soon as our twins are 'graduating' and starting preschool, but we are so grateful for the experience and care that she has been able to provide.

Simply put, I wouldn't trust my little one with anyone else. Danika is honest and fair and has an amazing calm about her that the kids respond so well to. My daughter looks forward to going every day and can't wait to tell Miss Danika all her exciting news. The home is spotless, well organized and safe!! I never worry which is a huge relief. She's become part of the fam and I couldn't recommend her any higher.

Danika has been watching my daughter since she was 1 and she's the only person I feel comfortable with. We moved out of the area for a time and enrolled in Kindercare-which was a nightmare experience. Glad to be back in Irvine with Danika again. Both myself and my daughter are much happier and she looks forward to going there.

Let me start by saying my son was never cared for by Danika or her facility, this is a review of the experience I had talking with her and visiting her center.
My first encounters with Danika were very nice and friendly, and she seemed open to any questions regarding her potential care of my son. Danika was going out of town when I first talked to her, but set up a time to visit her home daycare while her helper, Shanae, was there. I decided to bring my mom along since she ran a home daycare for 15 years herself, and as a first time mom I wanted to make sure I was asking all the right questions. Although it is a smaller space, my mom and I loved the set up, the kids seemed to get a long nicely and listen to Shanae, and we agreed that Danika's facility went far beyond just a home daycare with all the crafts and developmental programs she had. We asked our questions, which Shanae answered to the best of her ability all while acknowledging that some questions would be better for Danika to answer. My mom and I left happy and with this facility at the top of our list.
Later that day, I received not one, but two emails from Danika. The first was short and basically said that my son wasn't going to be a good fit for her facility, which I figured was because she had mainly toddlers and preschoolers while my son is about to be 4 months old. She then followed up with a second email, which came off as very defensive, almost as if she were offended by some questions my mom and I asked. To be specific, my mom asked about the procedure for pick ups by a person other than my husband and I, which we thought Shanae covered perfectly well. The other question I personally asked was whether Danika felt comfortable giving medication if presented with a doctors or simply Tylenol for a teething baby, and I acknowledged that this may be a question better left for Danika. Shanae response was that Danika, having a four year old daughter, already had stuff like Tylenol and would most likely have no problem administering it. My mom simply stated that in her day any medication had to be in the original bottle with original label and could only be used for the child who brought it. Danika's response was as follows: "I do want to answer some of the questions your mom asked-
In regards to pick up or drop off with an unknown person- I always ask for a form of identification-preferably drivers license - and they have to be over the age of 18; plus be authorized on the pick up form or who can pick up or drop off. (Name to face)
In regards to medicine- I don't give out medicine to children, unless it's my own daughter. The only item I authorize parents to bring is butt cream (needs to be in its original container)- even there's a medical release form that needs to be filled out by the parents every 90 days to allow me to apply the cream as needed. It's then stored in a locked drawer in the bathroom.
My husband and I have been in the childcare field for over 15 years; we know licensing inside and out.
I know this is your mom's first grandchild and your first child. I understand the cautiousness. I would be too. Having your infant son in someone's care (a stranger per se) for the first time is hard; mentally and emotionally. Communication is one of the key building blocks - it's team work.
I wish you the best on finding the right childcare for your son! Hugs!
Danika"
Now, as an email and not face-to-face a lot of things can get lost in translation. To me this came off as more "matter of fact" or insulted by the questions we asked, even intimidated by my mom's knowledge and experience in child care services. I could be wrong, but it came as quite a surprise.
Again, this is not a review of her care. It seems the children we saw were very happy and comfortable, at least with Shanae. We thought we had a wonderful experience but were a little blindsided by her emails. She did get her information from Shanae so who knows what she was told or how it was told, but this raised a red flag to my mom and I that she would get so defensive over what we thought were average, simple questions that as a parent I have the right to know. Hope this review helps parents looking for care! And as a mom, or parent, do not be afraid or intimidated into not asking questions, you have every right to know, in fact it states you do on CA Child Services information. Best of luck!

We all want our children to feel safe and loved. Danika is EXCEPTIONAL. I cannot recommend her childcare enough! She made my son feel loved. She was attentive to his individual needs. She worked through his individual challenges. She provides a CLEAN and loving educational environment. She promotes the perfect balance of structure and free play. Danika is an excellent communicator, I always was kept aware of how my son was doing, or if he needed any additional support. She treats my little man like she treats her own children. I definitely feel the love!! My son loves to go to see Danika on a daily basis. He has formed friendships with each of the kiddos there and has been a happy camper. I could not ask for more from a childcare for my son! We are SO Thankful that we found Danika!

Danika has been such a blessing to our family!
As a first time mom, she's made leaving my baby to return to work much easier! The first time my baby met her, you could tell that she felt comfortable in her home. The first day I dropped off my baby, she went right in and hasn't to this day cried once at drop off. It's the best thing ever to know that my baby is in the care of someone that loves her like I do. Danika is such an important part of our baby's life and has learned so much from her. Shes excelling in her fine motor skills, speech and more!

I feel so lucky to have found Danika! My 12 month old daughter has been going to her since she was 4 months old. When I drop her off I feel so comfortable and reassured that she is getting the best care and is so loved. Danika is a great communicator which is really important to me. She is a true professional and really cares about all of the kids she watches. Her home is always very clean, organized and totally child proof. Danika is always calm and collected, and I know my daughter is spending time in a healthy and safe environment!

Danika is THE BEST!!! Our son has been going there for over a year now and LOVES it!! He runs away from me as soon as I walk in to pick him up. The environment is very calm and loving. Danika does an amazing job ensuring a potential new child is 'the right fit' for not only her but the other kids as well. My child has learned so much from Danika and his friends. Would recommend Danika's Home Childcare to anyone.

My 20-month old daughter goes to Danika's as drop-in, when my husband is out of town and cannot watch her (he is self-employed and he is her usual care giver). She enjoys and learns a lot from various activities provided by Danika. Danika understands what parents are looking for in childcare and she provides. She reports any small incidents, even for a small scratch, and we like her honesty. We also like she provides longer hours than other places we have taken to our daughter. I don't have to stressed out between my work hours and rush-hour. She is an excellent care giver you can trust.

We actually wound up going with a closer childcare provider to our home, but Danika was wonderful in letting us know all her options, and keeping a spot open while we were deciding. We're definitely keeping her in mind for the drop-in childcare she offers.

She has been very warm and friendly, and a pleasure to work with while we were debating on which childcare.

I would highly recommend anyone looking for care for their little ones to check her out.

Amy Newcomb

I called Danika to ask about openings and ask some questions. I was surprised by her standoffish demeanor. Just "yes" ,"no" answers and sounded like she could care less. I thought I should share.

When it came time to go back to work after my maternity leave, I was so sad to think I would be away from my little girl. Danika's Home Childcare was the first in-home daycare we visited/interviewed and none of the others we interviewed compared. Danika has been taking care of our little girl since she was 3 months old. We loved the fact that her home portrayed a very a calm, stress-free atmosphere, but one of fun and learning oriented. She has put me at ease, as a new mom, being away from my little girl knowing she is in good hands.

We really like Danika's attention and ability to, in a moment, explain things that she does to individualize care with each child. Behaviors, schedule, and child-specific needs are a priority and we really like that. The other thing was the activities with the kids. We saw the biggest variance here between different homes. Danika has age-appropriate activities that keep the kids engaged. Children also seemed very well mannered and were respectful of her and her instructions. Finally, her home just feels very calm, and low-stress and a great environment for the little ones!!!

Danika is a great childcare provider and knows what to teach to the children based on age. Very lively, active, and nurturing. Great, fun teacher!