Choosing the right daycare is one of the most important decisions for any parent and from the moment we walked into Step by Step Academy 2 years ago, we knew this was more than just a daycare. It's a safe, joyful, and deeply nurturing environment where our child is not only cared for but truly seen, supported, and celebrated.

Ioana is exceptional - not just warm and attentive, but intentional in everything she does. Our child has blossomed socially, emotionally, and intellectually through a thoughtful mix of play, learning, and guided exploration. Each day is filled with laughter, creativity, and gentle structure, and we're constantly amazed at the new things our child shares at home.

What sets this daycare center apart is their personal connection with every child. Whether it's fostering empathy, encouraging independence, or simply offering a comforting hug when needed - she does it with genuine heart and professionalism. As a parent, I deeply appreciate their transparent communication with regular updates and photos that offer a true window into our child's day and that level of trust and openness means the world to us.

If you're looking for a daycare that feels like an extension of your own family, where your child will be cherished and guided with intention, I can't recommend Step by Step Academy highly enough. It has been one of the best and most reassuring choices we've made.

Ioana is THE most caring support we could ask for our daughter. She is very sensitive, methodical, meticulous and immensely caring. Our daughter jumps to Ioana's arms in the morning - which is pleasantly surprising for a mother and a relief! We are moving out of the area otherwise wouldn't have let go of Ioana. Nothing but a blessing. She always prioritizes the child and their well-being. Our daughter wouldn't drink milk at home but Ioana would be compassionately persistent and our little one is so happy there. Thank you Ioana from the bottom of our hearts.

I had been looking for a daycare for my 15 month old daughter when Ioana's step by step daycare was recommended to me by friends. When I look back I realize how little our daughter was when she had first joined. Ioana has helped shaped her the way she is and how well she communicates. Will always be grateful for her first home away from home that Ioana gave her. She is always affectionate, showering the kids with affection. They get homemade meals and plenty of activities (including yoga) and outdoor play. Ioana is always open to feedback and very considerate. The kids simply adore her. Thank you Ioana for helping her grow and nurturing her so well. My daughter is always eager each night to go to Ioana's the next day. That is such a big reassurance for a parent! Can't recommend Step by Step Daycare enough. Many thanks Ioana.

I met Ioana at school pickups. She was super friendly to my daughter. Started during covid and am amazed by how loving and caring she is each and every day. She has a special place in my daughters heart. And from the very first day she would sit and hold my daughter during nap time, (as until then she would sleep like that only) And slowly transitioned her to sleep on her own. She is the best. The care the love the things my daughter has learned and grown into, I couldn't have done it myself. Can't stop praising her enough.
Love her and her care team.

A super short yet the most delightful daycare experience. My daughter was off preschool for a couple of weeks and Ioana was so kind to accommodate our request to take her in for a few weeks. My daughter was not being able to adjust at her school but the few weeks with Ioana gave her such a loving and caring environment that returning to school was so much easier. Ioana was super sweet in making my girl feel comfortable, sit next to her while napping, help her eat much better. Overall such a loving experience that it still melts my heart for all the affection she allowed in such a short duration. We are blessed to have found you and would highly recommend step by step too other families.

My 3 year old son has been going to this daycare for 9 months and he loves it. Ioana is an amazing person, always doing lots of playtime and activities with the kids, sending updates all day to reassure us about our son's well being. She is giving unique attention to each child. Her place is inviting, clean and well organized. She is providing nutritional meals and snacks to my son. Best place for babies and toddlers to enjoy play time and all other activities. I would highly recommend this place to other parents.

I feel glad to have found Ioana. She was referred to me by one of my friends, whose son has been going there since he was 6 months. I had my son during Covid and with no help and crazy workload, I decided to put him to day care when he was around 8 months. The first time I met Ioana, she made me feel so comfortable and made sure that my son will be well taken care of. Being a first time mom, I had all the worries of the world, my son sleeping, eating, crawling and so on and on. Ioana made sure that she sent me pics every other hour for the first few months, so I could work peacefully. I still remember the first day when I dropped him off and cried all the way driving back home. But when I reached home, I had pics where my son was laughing away with other kids.
Now it has been almost 8 months, and my son loves it there. There are days when he does not want to come back from Ioana's. She cooks delicious homemade meals, that it has reached a point that my son only eats at Ioana's. She goes the extra mile to give your child all the care. The other day when I told her I feel my son is a little congested, she made sure he drank warm water with honey. She also makes sure that he sleeps well and rocks him to sleep if he gets up in between.
The other best thing about Ioana's daycare is the fun they have. They have outdoor activities everyday during summer. They do have arts and crafts projects that helps them in their overall development. I do see the pictures and videos of the kids dancing and singing. She also tons of books that she reads to kids. During pandemic, another factor that is comforting is that Ioana makes sure that her exposure if very limited. Every day after the kids leave she takes an hr to sanitize and clean the house and toys.
Its very comforting to know that your kid is in good care when you work. Ioana is more than a care giver. She is more like a second mother to the kids. You can text her or call her anytime to talk about your kids. She is very approachable and a wonderful human being. I am glad my son is in Ioana's care.

I feel so blessed to have found Ioana and Step by Step Academy. We considered this daycare because it was convenient for our commutes, but I didn't realize at the time that it was about so much more than convenience. Leaving your little ones with someone 5 days a week is such a big decision, and I've felt so comfortable leaving our son in Ioana's care because I know she treats him as if he were her own. She gives so much love, support, and care, and it shows with how excited he is to be there every day.
I'd highly recommend Ioana for anyone, you'll be so happy to have your child in her care!

I highly recommend Ioana! She is so conscientious and goes the extra mile to give your child the best possible care. Ioana provides delicious, homemade meals that even my picky eater loves. She sends pictures during the day or my child to me. The crafts and songs she does with our son are so enriching and he is speaking sooner than we expected because of the additional time she spends reading with him.

I could not ask for a more loving, safe care giver for my child. Ioana is patient, kind to my child, and truly loves him. We are so thankful to have found her!

Our daughter joined Ioana when she was almost 13 months old and she loved Ioana from day one. I still remember the drop off on her first day. I was very nervous about leaving my baby girl away from me for the first time. But to my surprise she just smiled and went to Ioana as if they had known each other for a long time! They bonded immediately. Ioana is so loving and gentle that my baby said goodbye to me snuggled comfortably in Ioana's arms and there was absolutely no crying or fussing. It was such a relief and all my worries and guilt just vanished. I agree with other parents who have said in their review that she is like a second mother to the kids.

Fresh healthy homemade food is provided to the children. My daughter actually ate more solids at the daycare. Ioana even gave me tips me about what she likes to eat! She sends photos and videos throughout the day and always replies to messages. Very approachable.

Ioana engages the children in a variety of activities. My daughter learnt a lot from Ioana. In fact she is the one who taught her how to walk! Her house is very clean and very big so that kids can move about freely and do what they want. There is a big backyard too. There are a lot of different kind of toys which they can play and learn with.

The best thing about Step By Step Academy is that Ioana loves the children as her own. Love and affection, I feel, is as important for a child's development as food, napping and playtime. When a child spends most part of the day away from parents they need to really bond with the caregiver. I have seen daycares where they provide everything but there is simply a lack of connection, love and bonding. Most of them treat it as business. But Ioana is different. I felt that she doesn't just treat it as a job but really puts her heart to it. I have interacted with Ioana outside her day care too and I found her to be a wonderful human being. She is the best caregiver we could have found for our daughter. Every morning my daughter is excited about meeting Ioana and other kids. It is as if she found a second family there. We love Ioana and highly recommend Step By Step Academy.

Peace of mind! My son started going to Step by Step Academy soon after his first birthday. I was very nervous and worried about how my son is going to do without me at a new place. Ioana is God sent! She made the transition so smooth and comforting for both me and my son. She sends us pics from the daycare of our son and update couple of times during the day on how is he doing. Love, how approachable she is! I can message or call her anytime and talk to her about my son or just to say hi as a friend. She provides homemade fresh food to kids at the daycare, all organic. Takes good care of kids' hygiene and their daily routine. Oh did I mention she is a great teacher too. My son is only 2 year old and he knows counting 1-20; letters A-Z; all primary colors; shapes; speaks complete sentences; etc etc.... Not just that kids do creative projects almost everyday; they sing; dance; go to park; greet and say thank you .

Thank you, Ioana, for all that you do for us! We are very happy and don't worry even a bit after dropping our son at your daycare. It's been over a year now and it couldn't have been better than this else where. Thank you

We feel so fortunate to have found Ioana and "Step by Step Academy" for our son. We toured multiple daycares and preschools before meeting Ioana and I can definitely say that I couldn't find any match. We are glad and thankful that we were able to get a spot for our older son.

Ioana is extremely loving, caring and gentle with all the kids. She is always around the kids and very attentive. She provides videos and pictures of the kids during the day and provides a written daily update at the end of the day.

My son enjoys the time at the park, the singing dancing sessions and the art projects at the daycare. Ioana comes up with unique and innovative art projects and play activities for kids. The kids also have their own music band :). Ioana has a huge collection of picture books, story books and activity books for kids of all age group. They love listening to the stories and reading books by themselves. She also covers basic preschool curriculum for the older toddlers.

My son loves the home cooked organic food that Ioana provides at the daycare. The daycare is very clean with lots of open space and lots of age appropriate, educational and musical toys that my son enjoys playing with.

One thing I love about Ioana is that she goes out of her way to take care of the kids for e.g:- when my son was under the weather without me telling her she prepared food and soup that would help him with his cold. Also, if he is a little restless during nap times she stays next to my son until he sleeps well. We completely trust her with our kids and are looking forward for our younger one to join his older brother at the "Step by Step Academy" soon. Yay !!

I found Ioana through Care.com and feel I need to add a review to let other parents know how awesome she is!

We started our son at Step by Step Academy a few days after he turned 6 months old. We were quite anxious about his transition to daycare, but it was so easy thanks to Ioana! The daycare is clean with multiple rooms for activities and play, and has a large yard for outdoor activities. Ioana makes fresh, healthy food for the kids, and our son loves her stews and soups loaded with veggies. She also plans learning and developmental activities for each day such as reading, arts and crafts, singing, dancing etc. Most importantly, Ioana is a warm and nurturing person, and our son loves her.

And our day is so much better when we get videos of our little one dancing happily at his daycare! :)

I loved working for Ioana at Step By Step Academy. Ioana is extremely lovable, nurturing, attentive and she loves every child as if they are her own. All the parents and kids love her. The children even get along great together! Every day Ioana cooks the kids' fresh organic hot meals and snacks. Every day, we would either take the kids down to the park, which is about a 10-minute walk or we would set up an activity for them in the back yard. Ioana sticks to the children's schedule so that they eat at the same time every day, take their naps at the same time, and Ioana plans a learning activity for them to do every day. Ioana even delivers a daily report to the parents on everything their child did and ate that day, along with some pictures. Ioana is a very sweet, caring person and I would highly recommend Step by Step Academy to anyone in need of childcare!

Since it's our second baby, we were extremely careful in evaluating day care options. Home-based day care with a small teacher-child ratio is what we were looking for. I'd rather have 1 teacher and a handful of kids than 3-4 teachers and 20 kids. Because the former means its practical, manageable and rare chance of kids getting sick too.

From care.com, we found Ioana. She's been a god-send for our family. From day 1, she's sent me pictures and updates about our baby, which assured us that our little one is doing well. Every day for a month, my child would cry during drop offs (which is pretty normal), but Ioana used to send me a picture right within the next 5 min of a happy smiling baby. That assured me furthermore that she's happy at the day care. Ioana cooks and feeds the kids fresh organic hot meals and snacks. And makes amazing food that my little one gorges on every single day! I think she's happier at the day care than at home! All the kids at the day care look happy, because they have been cared for, fed on time, napped on time. Not just that, but they also do activities like arts/crafts, singing/music, park/backyard time. Ioana provides a daily report that gives me every minute detail about feeding and napping of my little one. On top of that, Ioana also texts me latest developments/suggestions about my baby. Her house is extremely clean. She's proactive and lets us know way ahead of time during vacation plans/doc appointments.

Ioana is extremely lovable, nurturing, smart, attentive and her home has a warm and caring environment. You'd always see a smiling Ioana no matter what time of the day you drop in. I'd recommend Ioana in a heartbeat.

I cannot speak highly enough of Ioana and Step by Step Academy! My daughter came from a large, very expensive daycare that seemed great at first, but packed as many children into a room as possible. This led to my daughter being constantly sick and getting little attention. Ioana is the complete opposite! It is like having a second mother for my daughter. She loves her, gives all the kids tons of attention, plays with them, and is always kind and happy. She makes them fresh food, feeds them all very well, and even takes care to teach and do art. We will have our daughter in I would take my daughter to Ioana until she goes to college, if I could!

We are over-the-moon pleased to have found Step by Step Academy for our son. He started there at just under 6 months old. While we were nervous for him to start daycare at a young age, we have absolutely no regrets because of the amazing care he receives from Ioana. As a person, Ioana is extremely caring, attentive, detailed oriented, alert, calm, intuitive, patient and nurturing. She runs her daycare with the utmost professionalism, while at the same time developing amazing bonds with the children. She is always calm and collected (I don't actually know how she does it). The daycare itself is immaculately clean. The multiple playrooms to explore make for a wonderful environment for positive stimulation and learning. There's also a nice space for quiet time and naps, which is equally important. For Ioana, the child comes first. She's really great at listening to him or her (even when they may not even speak yet) and respecting parents' wishes. For example, she figured out that our son might have had an ear infection and let us know so we could take him to the doctor. It turned out, he did. She's wonderful at communicating with us about our son. Ioana also stays current with the latest findings on childcare, which makes us feel beyond lucky to have our son under her care. I highly recommend Ioana and Step by Step Academy to anyone with super high standards!

We love Step by Step daycare!!! This is exactly what we wanted for my 9 month old son. For us, it's a little distance, but it's totally worth it! Ioana is very sweet to not only for my son but also to new parents like us. Occasionally, we see her husband, and you can tell they really love kids and care about people. We can receive daily update what he was interested or what he learned, and some pictures if you want to receive time to time. Also, she is really good for cooking and caring about quality of the food as well. So my son is enjoying her organic home made soups and mashed vegetables and so on:) I and my husband are so happy to find this gem daycare center! Highly recommend to the family looking for the quality of daycare!!

Ioana of Step by Step daycare has been a blessing to our family! We have three kids under five and she is able to manage all ages from infancy while giving them personal and specialized attention. I love that she always tells us the details of their day so I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. Also a great balance of activities between outdoor play, art and learning new skills. Highly recommend.

Ioana of Step by Step daycare has been a blessing to our family! We have three kids under five and she is able to manage all ages from infancy while giving them personal and specialized attention. I love that she always tells us the details of their day so I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. Also a great balance of activities between outdoor play, art and learning new skills. Highly recommend.

Step by Step is the better day care we could have ever found for my son. This was his first day care and he learned a lot. Iona is a very good teacher, professional, lovely person and she takes care of every need. I really recommend her 100%.

Step by Step was a great experience for my son, this was his first day care and my sister couldn't find a better place for him. Ioana is a lovely person, excellent teacher and professional. I really recommend her day care, it is the best in San Jose Area.

Ioana helped me with the care of my young school aged kids for several years. My children adore(!) her and I could tell that she genuinely cares about and enjoys being and working with children. I found Ioana to be very reliable and communicative about the kids' needs and in coordinating schedules -- which is so helpful for working parents! Ioana puts 110% effort in working with us and and I would only expect she would do no less for your child in Step By Step Academy.

Couldn't find a better place than Ioana's Step by Step Academy. We had searched everywhere. My 15 month old nephew was so lucky to have attended. I was so sad when my sister had to move out of California for work and he couldn't attend any longer. Ioana has a beautifully organized place and the personalized attention that she gives every child is absolutely priceless. He was so happy being there and loved Ioanna. We loved her too. She is focused on learning, love, safety and all the components needed for a child to thrive.

My son was with Step by Step Academy for more than 2 years. Reliable, responsible, sincere care for my child. My child: happy at the end of the day, rested, learned new things, played a lot outside. On my side: I received daily updates on his activities and feedings, guidance about his development, warm and caring family atmosphere. Now I have a friend for life and my son still loves to go back and visit. I feel fortunate to find such a place for my child.

Ioana is wonderful with children. She cared for my daughter when she was a baby and toddler and was so loving with her. She treated her like her own daughter, gave plenty of hugs and kisses, read stories to her, played with her, and sang beautiful songs. Ioana is very responsible, her house is spotless and she is so energetic with the kids. She truly cares for them as if they were her own children. I can't speak highly enough about her.