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The City of Porterville is pleased to announce Happy Hearts Children's Center as an Outstanding Business Honoree in February 2023.

Happy Hearts Children’s Center is a childcare facility founded in 1996 by owners Holly and Joseph Oliveira. From a young age, Mrs. Oliveira wanted to be a preschool teacher thanks to the positive experiences she had with her own kindergarten teacher. In high school, Mrs. Oliveira began her training to gain experience working with children. She obtained a degree in Child Development and Liberal Studies from Ohlone College in Fremont, CA.


The owner of Happy Hearts Children's Center, Holly Oliveira, is surrounded by children as she showcases her innate ability to connect with children.

When the Oliveira Family moved to  Porterville in 1992, Mrs. Oliveira was ready to make her dream of owning a childcare facility a reality and began her home-based daycare in 1996. Due to the success of the business, in December of 2001, Happy Hearts Children’s Center expanded into the 111 N. Villa St. location, where it continues to operate today. 

Happy Hearts Children’s Center provides childcare programs for children up to age 6, focusing on the sound principles of child development. Mrs. Oliveira and her team are committed to enhancing each child’s potential through a curriculum focused on their physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth. The center exudes warmth and happiness as staff interact with families. 

“Parents put their trust in us,” says Mrs. Oliveira. “I want them all to have a positive first experience, especially at such a young age.”

Following the loss of Mr. Oliveira in 2014, Mrs. Oliveira’s children, Samantha and Kyle, have helped out with the family business. Kyle, currently part of the team, offers a caring and relatable perspective to children dealing with the loss of a loved one. 

Happy Hearts employs 21 individuals with a current enrollment of 100 children. Since launching her home-based daycare facility, Mrs. Oliveira estimates caring for more than 3,000 local children, many of whom stay in touch as adults and bring their children to the center. 

Children at Happy Hearts receive compassionate, high-quality care, a high priority for Mrs. Oliveira. The center benefits many working parents in our community, reassuring them that their children are being cared for while they work.       

Happy Hearts Children’s Center is helping to prepare the next generation of childcare professionals and contributes to local workforce development and job creation. For more than 20 years, the center has provided work experience opportunities to local high school students from Porterville Unified School District (PUSD), where more than 30 students were assigned to the center annually. Happy Hearts also provides community service opportunities to Burton School District (BSD) students each year. Students assigned to the center get an introduction to the childcare profession and improve their customer service skills.  Currently, 17 of 21 employees got their start at Porterville College (PC), as Happy Hearts hires graduates of Porterville College’s Early Childhood Education program. 

The future of Happy Hearts Children’s Center looks bright. The need for services is evident as the center’s waitlist continues to grow. Mrs. Oliveira attributes the business’s success to her team’s commitment to providing nothing but the best care to children. With more than 30 years of experience in childcare, Mrs. Oliveira feels energized to continue caring for local children. 


Happy Hearts Children's Center owner Holly Oliveira (left) looks on as she receives the Outstanding Business Recognition Award from City of Porterville Mayor Martha A. Flores.

Please join us in congratulating Happy Hearts Children’s Center on receiving the Outstanding Business Award. We thank this local, family-owned and operated business for its dedication to caring for some of our community’s youngest residents and for being part of the Porterville business community for 27 years.


Holly Oliveira, owner of Happy Hearts Children's Center, was surrounded by staff, family and children enrolled at her childcare facility as she received the Outstanding Business Recognition Award.