I would like to recommend California Child Care - a small family child care pre-school program run by Maggie Love, who has been teaching pre-school in the area for the past 12 years. Maggie started off as a Montessori teacher but has developed her own special philosophy for working with 2-3 year old children. She's creative, fun and very loving. She's spent a lifetime teaching dance and theater (she worked in England before she came to the Bay Area) and produces small shows with the kids. Our son was with Maggie for a year and a half (at a preschool in Oakland) before she moved to Berkeley (off Alcatraz) to start her own program this January. He loves her dearly and we've remained friends ... which says a lot for the relationships she has with her kids and their families. Maggie has a couple of places to fill for Summer 2001. So, if you are interested please call her at (510) 658-6880 or send her email at for further information. She also plans to have a web site up and running sometime in May which will provide online information for parents of the pre-school program. Neema