STEPPING STONES ACADEMY

Hours

Hours change without the licence record changing. Call before you plan a drop-off around these times.

Licensing visits on record

California records 3 routine inspection visits and no visits prompted by a complaint to STEPPING STONES ACADEMY.

1. November 14, 2025Most recent inspection visit
2. October 3, 2024Inspection visit
3. June 28, 2023Inspection visit

Amenities and accessibility

Reported on the provider's Google business listing, not verified by the state.

How the reviews split

The 4.7 average comes from 10 Google reviews. An average hides whether opinion is consistent or divided, so the spread is shown too.

• 5 star9
• 4 star0
• 3 star0
• 2 star1
• 1 star0

From Google

Recent parent reviews

• ★★★★★

  Ms. Nicollette has been an absolute blessing to our family. In just six months, she has helped my son make incredible progress in his speech, learning, and social development. When he first started her preschool, he was not talking as much. Thanks to Ms. Nicollette’s patience, dedication, and genuine care, he is now excelling. Communicating confidently, learning new skills every class, and forming friendships with his classmates. He wishes he could go to school everyday! She creates such a warm, supportive, and engaging environment that truly allows children to thrive. The growth we’ve seen in our son in such a short amount of time is nothing short of amazing, and we are so grateful for the impact she has had on his confidence and development. We couldn’t recommend Ms. Nicollette highly enough—she is truly exceptional at what she does.

  Mackenzie AdemaFeb 2, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Stepping Stones Academy is an excellent program for young kids and Ms. Nicolette is an attentive, passionate teacher who takes pride in her business. My nieces and nephew have been in attendance for 3 years. One of which has moved on to Kindergarten which he was well prepared for due to Ms. Nicolette and her program. My family and I have and will continue to suggest Stepping Stones and Ms. Nicolette to nearly everyone we meet with pre school aged children, because we believe it is an exceptional program.

  Avery SilvaFeb 2, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Stepping Stones Academy had been such a wonderful experience for my grandchildren to learn and grow. Ms. Nicolette runs a fantastic program that is family inclusive with a fun and educational environment for all.

  Marcie CushingFeb 2, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Stepping Stones Academy is truly an exceptional preschool, and our family cannot say enough great things about it. Ms. Nicollette genuinely cares about her students and their families, and it shows in everything she does. Her communication is excellent, the curriculum is well-structured, and the environment she creates is both nurturing and educational. My son started at Stepping Stones when he was three years old, and he is now thriving in kindergarten thanks to the strong foundation he received there. My daughter began when she was two and is now in her second year at Stepping Stones, and we plan to enroll our youngest son next school year as well; that alone speaks volumes about the trust we have in this school. Stepping Stones truly feels like a family-driven community. Parents are encouraged to be involved, and we’ve formed lasting friendships with families we met there over two years ago and still keep in touch with today. Ms. Nicollette goes above and beyond by creating meaningful experiences for the children. This year alone, our family enjoyed the pumpkin patch trip, a fire department visit, a back-to-school ice cream party, a Halloween party, a Thanksgiving feast, a Christmas performance, and an upcoming Valentine’s celebration. She also organized incredibly special Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events last year that meant so much to our family. Overall, Stepping Stones Academy is an amazing school with a loving, dedicated teacher at its heart. We have nothing but wonderful things to say. Our kids absolutely adore Ms. Nicollette, and we are so grateful to be part of the Stepping Stones family.

  Taylyn CoreFeb 2, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Disclaimer: We enrolled our 2-year-old for three months (not a full school year) and ultimately chose to unenroll because we felt the program was not the best fit for our child. I’m sharing this review to offer an honest, balanced perspective of our experience at Stepping Stones Academy. With limited reviews available, I know how important transparency is when choosing care for a young child, and I hope this helps other families make an informed decision. Pros Pride in the Program: This is Ms. Nicollette’s personal business, and it’s clear she takes pride in it. The classroom is developmentally appropriate and well stocked with toys and activities. Frequent Events and Outings: She organizes many special activities. During our three months, the class visited a park, went to a pumpkin patch, and participated in several in-class celebrations, including a holiday performance. Parental Involvement: She maintains an open-door policy. Parents may volunteer at any time, and the check-in/check-out system and app are easy to use. Affordability: Tuition is very affordable. 2-Year-Old Program: One of the few programs offering a dedicated class for two-year-olds, though this will be discontinued next school year. Cons Location: The school is located in a strip mall next to a smoke shop and nail salon, with foot traffic from unhoused individuals. Outdoor play requires walking through a parking lot to a fenced area that did not feel fully secure. This was a significant concern for us, though she mentioned she is exploring new locations. Student-to-Teacher Ratio: A 1:10 ratio for two-year-olds is very high for their developmental needs. With only one adult, supervision and behavior support become reactive rather than preventative. An additional teacher would make a meaningful difference. Parent Community & Professional Boundaries: The parent community felt somewhat cliquish, as many families are close friends with one another and with the teacher. While this may work well for some, it made offering constructive feedback feel uncomfortable and raised concerns for me about maintaining clear professional boundaries. Closures: As a single-provider program, the school closes when the teacher or her child is sick, but tuition remains the same. This may be challenging for some families. Communication Concerns: My son exhibits typical toddler impulse-control behaviors (pushing, grabbing, taking toys). I raised this early on and was consistently told for weeks that he was doing “okay,” often receiving behavior rewards. No concerns were raised at our parent-teacher conference. Later, I was told these behaviors had been ongoing since the beginning. As a teacher myself, consistent and transparent communication is essential. I can’t support my child if concerns aren’t shared in real time, and the sudden shift ultimately led to a loss of trust and our decision to unenroll. Supervision During Brief Absences: The school day is approximately three hours. During that time, when the teacher needs to use the restroom, children remain in the classroom without an adult physically present and are monitored via camera. Some families may be comfortable with this; others may have concerns. Confidentiality Concerns: On one occasion, the teacher mentioned suspecting another child may have a developmental condition. While likely not shared with harmful intent, this raised concerns for me about confidentiality and professional boundaries, as teachers are not medical professionals and student information should remain private. Overall Stepping Stones Academy offers a caring environment, engaging activities, and an affordable option for families. However, the high ratio for two-year-olds, inconsistent communication, and blurred professional boundaries made it difficult for us to feel confident the program could meet our child’s needs. While it may be a good fit for some families, it was ultimately not the right fit for ours.

  Sam BFeb 1, 2026
• ★★★★★

  Ms. Nicollette genuinely loves all of her kids in her school and it shows. All of her kids just love her. She makes sure each and everyone of her kids gets her undivided attention that they need for early development. Having someone like her in my kids life has been such a blessing. I highly recommend Stepping Stones academy on all levels. Its a professional, stable, and loving environment. ❤️

  Aaron HennaginNov 6, 2025

Reviews shown verbatim as published on Google Maps.