We have had two children go through the Goddard School on 228th Ave. NE, with our youngest…read moreapproaching the final year before kindergarten--7 years of cumulative time with our kids. The administration has been top notch. The teachers have been consistently bright, caring, and gentle. The school policy "errs" on the side of protecting our children, even if that includes occasionally asking another parent to withdraw a student after multiple aggressive behaviors (they are fair and give chances). We have found this policy to be a blessed relief after having children in schools in Texas who were at risk of injury from bites, especially, and other aggressive behaviors. One common criticism in reviews has been staff turnover. It is true--I noted it on one of the feedback evaluations a few years ago. It is an unavoidable part of running a program in the costly Eastside of Seattle. Goddard cannot afford to pay their teachers Microsoft salaries while maintaining a reasonable market price for tuition. There are, however, staff members who have been there from the beginning. While childcare in our region is not anywhere close to cheap, Goddard has a very fair pricing structure and the well-developed curriculum and nurturing that is part of the experience makes the price, in my opinion, a bargain of sorts. The school administrators have ALWAYS been immediately responsive to any concerns, requests, questions, or feedback. They work hard to make the school the best it can be. I don't give 5 stars lightly, but as an educator and a parent of four, I have seen what works and what doesn't. This place works.

We had a positive experience with the infant room and some toddler-room teachers. Unfortunately,…read moreour experience changed significantly after our daughter transitioned to a toddler room shortly before turning one, especially after a caring teacher went on leave. Communication and management issues further worsened the situation. One major concern was the toddler room's policy against bottle feeding. Despite practicing with sippy and straw cups, our daughter was still unable to use them reliably, and we did not believe she was developmentally ready to stop bottles, particularly since she was born three weeks early. We asked to delay the transition or allow temporary bottle use, but our initial requests were declined without a clear alternative. We ultimately escalated to the owner, who allowed bottle feeding as an exception in another room. This raised concerns about whether the transition was developmentally appropriate. Washington regulations state that children should transition from infant care to cups when developmentally appropriate. The center focused on the toddler-room ratio, but our concern was whether our daughter was actually being treated as a toddler when she still needed infant-appropriate feeding support. Bottles were not permitted, there was no refrigerator or bottle warmer, and the materials were primarily designed for toddlers. We were also told the favorable ratio during her first week was simply because enrollment was low. We were told she had to transition before one because there was no space in the infant room in September - they enrolled more infants. We were additionally told that it was important to let children "suffer sometimes" so they could learn. Different families may have different views on this philosophy. The final trigger for us was how our daughter's crying was handled. After being out sick for several weeks, she returned needing extra comfort. At pickup, we found our 12-month-old crying alone on the floor in a different room while two teachers were occupied cleaning. She had no other children around her, her eyes were visibly puffy, and she looked exhausted. The experience was deeply upsetting and made us question whether she was receiving the responsive care she needed. That evening, she also appeared unusually thirsty, had dry diapers, and drank a significant amount of water at home. This was especially concerning given the inconsistent communication we had already experienced regarding her food, fluids, and naps. When we withdrew, the office administrators were apologetic and acknowledged the teacher-turnover challenges. The owner maintained that the bottle accommodation addressed our concerns. We also requested that October tuition be waived since our daughter would not attend a single day after withdrawing in mid-September, but the request was denied based on the enrollment agreement. Ultimately, every family has different expectations for childcare. As two busy working parents, we need to trust that our child's developmental needs are recognized and that basic information about her care is communicated consistently, without repeatedly having to advocate for it. We are grateful to the teachers who cared for our daughter warmly, particularly in the infant room, but based on our experience, we decided this was no longer the right environment for our family.

The staff at Primrose School are personable, attentive, and caring. They provide a safe, creative,…read moreand engaging learning environment, and they also capture pictures throughout the day. Alongside the daily curriculum and theme days, the school also hosts splash days and scooter/bike days during the summer months, which are a big hit. I recommend Primrose School.

We pulled our 5 month old baby out of another daycare facility a month into enrollment due to…read morenegligence. Since then, he's been at Primrose, now 7 months old, and he's been so happy and healthy. I can't begin to explain the night and day difference and our appreciation. His teachers are all wonderful and kind, they listen to my concerns, they keep him engaged and happy during the day, and even though he only attends 4 days a week, we can tell how content he is when we drop him off every Monday. Shout out to Ms. Light and Ms. Ghafari! During pick up, he always has so many things to babble, which is his sign of a good mood. In his past daycare, he would be returned to us with a puffy face, completely silent, and rashes all over his face. I think if you're looking for an infant care facility that goes above and beyond, actually understands infant development, and knows how to listen to baby's cues...this is definitely the place for your child's care. If you have the privilege to consider the tuition, which we found to be very fair, we highly recommend PSWB.

Our family has been with Global Early Learning South for the past 2 years, since our younger…read moredaughter was 1.5 years old. We have been incredibly happy with our experience and feel very fortunate to have found this wonderful daycare. Our daughter has been truly loved and well cared for here. She adores all of her teachers, and it is clear that they know and care about her as an individual. The teachers are exceptional. They are not only kind, loving, and full of positive energy, but they are also deeply passionate about what they do. We are constantly amazed by the variety and quality of activities offered. It is obvious that the teachers invest a tremendous amount of thought, time, and effort into developing the curriculum and preparing engaging learning experiences for the children. Their dedication goes far beyond our expectations. The school also does an amazing job of building a strong sense of community. Throughout the year, they organize events such as summer movie nights, family picnics, family field trips, Halloween celebrations, and the annual Nutcracker performance. These events create wonderful memories for both children and parents. We highly recommend Global Early Learning to any family looking for a nurturing, engaging, and high-quality childcare program.

Our family was looking for a daycare after having a negative experience at another one. We tried to…read moremake it work at the other daycare, especially since it was right next to my work, but in less than a week, we knew it was not the right fit for him. He was unhappy and did not want to go back. So we found ourselves touring other daycares and felt the most at ease with Global Early Learning South. Our son immediately felt comfortable with Maggie, the teachers, and his peers there. Even in his first few days, we saw in his videos that he fit right in as he was jumping around with his shaker during dance class and roaring like a lion in his yoga class. In addition to the photos and videos in Procare, Maggie texted us extra photos and videos during the first week to give us peace of mind that he was in good hands. The school provides breakfast, snack, lunch, then another snack in the afternoon. These are all healthy meals and most of the time the food is organic. As a home daycare, Maggie shared that she buys only what she would eat with her family. The kids enjoy a wide variety of engaging activities, including arts and crafts and seasonal experiences. One of our favorites was watching the children raise caterpillars and then release them as butterflies. They even host fun events like mini Olympics, where the kids get to stand on a podium to celebrate their accomplishments. In addition to their regular day, they have enrichment four times a week which is included in the tuition. A yoga instructor comes in on Mondays, a dance instructor on Tuesdays, Stretch & Grow on Wednesdays, and Tumble Bus on Thursdays (my son's favorite). The school has amazing community events, a family picnic day, a zoo day, summer movie night, and the highlight of the year is the Winter Nutcracker performance. On this night the students from South and Abra's school (Pre-K across the school, aka Global Early Learning - which we know from a family friend is also amazing. These schools are right across the street and partner with each other) all perform a series of songs and a play. It is very impressive! And food is provided as well. Our son is happy and thriving at this school. Maggie and the teachers truly care for each child and you can feel it. Each student gets a special birthday party with gifts. Communication is great since Maggie and the teachers know each kid well. The student to teacher ratio is low and the tuition is more than fair (low overhead as a home daycare). There's also a lot of little things too that just makes life easy for parents. Maggie provides muddy buddies for rainy days, sun hats for sunny days, and we even get to leave our water bottle at school which gets washed every day. We could not be happier with our experience at Global Early Learning South. If you're looking for a nurturing, engaging, and caring environment for your child, I highly recommend it. This is a special place. We love this school.

My kid started at 3 at this place and WOW this place is amazing!…read moreThis place provides the perfect setting for kids to develop and grow! On top of that we REALLY LOVE the TEACHERS! YES every single one! They love the kids and treat them with love!. Our kid have developed so much from this place. It was the best decision that we have made for our kid!

We absolutely love this place. Our child has been going here since she was 5 months old. The staff…read moreis kind and caring. The school is clean and welcoming. My child is happy when she comes home and she adores her teachers. We plan on keeping her enrolled all the way through pre-k.

My son attended here from Feb 2018-May 2018. Overall I felt safe having him here. Teachers were…read morefriendly and polite. This is another kindercare franchise so they follow rules strictly and they maximize teacher student ratios according to state laws. Few things I didn't like though was for 1, I had a muddy buddy outfit I wanted my son to wear if they play in the rain but they didn't allow it because it's too inconvenient for them but they rather change all his clothes completely! The thing that bothers me most is the star system the teachers implement. Each day if they behaved, they get a star at the end of the day. If they did something bad and didn't listen to the teacher, they don't get a star. I am then suppose to punish him at home by taking away something he loves. This old rewards system is not implemented in a lot of schools anymore and other educators that I've talked to said it's not recommended to use anymore. My son gets so fixated on the damn star, he cries when he doesn't get it sometimes I don't think it's right. Another thing that bugged me the most is that there was 1 child in the class that was particularly disruptive. She told me exactly who it was and how my son thinks it's funny when the "bad" kid did something he's not suppose to and follows him. Blaming another 3 year old and labeling him is just not professional. They were very nice and made a goodbye scrapbook of my son as a goodbye gift. Somehow the poem they inside had the wrong child's name . I think 1 teacher to 10 kids is just too much for them to focus on them. For those reasons, I took my son out.

We've been sending our son to Lakemont Academy for 2 years. Our son started there when he was 2…read moreyears and our twin 2 year daughters recently started there. They have become such an important part of our family and community. Ms Gitta and Ms Megan are supportive and very organized. The parent communication with the teachers is very strong. I can't say enough good things about the teachers.

I love the passion and dedication of the teachers at this school. They engage the kids in a fun way…read moreto teach. The curriculum is balanced between academic and enrichment activities. I am impressed with their approach to diversity and inclusion. They celebrate various events at the school to create awareness about other cultures and traditions. Recently, they celebrated 'nowruz' ( persian new year) which I was not aware until I saw the display. I am glad that my kids attend the Goddard Bellvue.

Incredible curriculum (begins even in the infant room!), caring teachers and very secure building…read more Our son is really advanced for his age, much due to the environment of Goddard Bellevue. We have called this "school" vs. other places being a "day care" given the attention to detail of childhood development. The school directors, owners and staff are very approachable, warm and have a fantastic attention to detail. You really feel you are amongst family when you are attending this school! We particularly appreciate the beautiful art in each classroom that each student contributes to (and it is constantly changing with each season and highlights cultural celebrations from all over the world!), the Scholastic Book Fair, the Soccer Shots and Webby Gymnastics partnerships, and countless family events they plan! We have toured all the top schools in the area and continue to enroll at Goddard Bellevue for a reason!

Everything has been amazing here at The Discovery Center! Our daughter has been going for nearly a…read moreyear and a half and still gets excited to go to school each day and talks about her friends and teachers all the time at home. The homemade meals have been a great way to introduce her to foods we might not make at home, and the staff has done a great job with providing alternative food options when needed to work around our daughter's allergies. Our daughter had a reaction at home to soy and it turned out to be an allergy to all legumes. While we were figuring this out the Discovery Center staff went above and beyond and had a list of safe foods and a list of foods she couldn't have that we would update to ensure they were avoiding all potential allergens as we figured this out. This made us feel safe sending her to school during a more uncertain time. They still go above and beyond to avoid her allergies and provide other food options. Our experience potty training our daughter before she was two years old would not have been possible without the help and support of the staff. They helped take her to the toilet often and continued to help potty train her while at school. There's a great balance of education, play, and outdoor time. We can tell she is learning a lot and we know she is having a ton of fun too. Our daughter will come home and suddenly start counting to numbers we haven't even tried to teach her or sing new songs! Our daughter is insanely shy around new people, she still is scared of some grandparents. But she is very comfortable with everyone at The Discovery Center, I couldn't imagine sending her somewhere else. The classroom and daycare size is a perfect middle ground where there are plenty of kids our daughter's age, but it still has a more intimate feel where everyone knows each other. The whole place has a great "family" vibe where all the parents will pitch in. There was a time when they were remodeling the outside play area and they asked if some parents could volunteer to help put together some structures on a Saturday. It felt like nearly every dad showed up to help get these structures built and the owners provided us all a home cooked lunch for coming together and helping out. Speaking of remodeling the outside, since we started at The Discovery Center the entire center has had so many improvements. From new play structures outside, to a new outdoor infant area, to a full remodel inside. It's been fun to see this place grow and improve over the year and a half we've been sending our daughter to school. The Discovery Center has been a great daycare for our daughter, has been flexible and helpful for our needs, and we will be bringing our newest daughter to the same school here soon!

this is an update from my previous review. Unfortunately, Discovery Center turned their back on us…read morewhen we most needed. 2 weeks before our start date, my spouse was laid off and we needed subsidy to pay part of the tuition. We let them know and they immediately changed their minds about our enrollment. They said: "Either pay full price without the subsidy or we will not accept your kid". On their end, the money they receive is the same - the only issue is they had to report the paperwork and taxes related to it. School in their response claims my kids have never been part of the school: As mentioned in my original review, it is because they decided not to enroll our kids TWO WEEKS before we started. This is the whole point why we wrote the review.

This is a very long overdue review. We started our daughter in ECA when she was just 4 months, and…read moreshe will be leaving ECA next summer/fall when she starts kindergarten. She has been to almost every classroom and has been taught by all the teachers and staff. You know the staff really cares about my daughter as they all know her by name. Although there was initially more turnover when she started, it seems to have become more steady and there is a longer-lasting relationship with the teachers. We didn't necessarily seek out the bilingual aspect of ECA when looking for a daycare, but I am thankful of the opportunity for my daughter to learn the Chinese language and culture even though we don't speak Mandarin at home. She surprises me with the amount she knows. Looking back, they were a bit more strict during the COVID years, but this is much appreciated as a parent. Although my daughter eventually did contract COVID, it was only at the peak of Omicron that it occurred. They had safety measures that straddled the line of being cautious but also fair to working families. The management has been communicative and transparent. When we have questions or concerns, they are always taken seriously and are open to feedback. We have been very happy with our experience here and don't hesitate to recommend other families to consider ECA.

My child turns 5 this year, and will be moving out of ECA only because... they don't offer…read moreKindergarten. If they did, we would have probably stayed. He has been in ECA for over 2 yrs and we've loved how much he's grown at his time here. I have two kids, and older one was sent to a different Daycare as ECA was not available at his time, and I can truly say that ECA has exceeded our expectations on what a daycare can and should provide your little one during their prime years. My son at ECA has learned how to take care of himself, clean up after himself, manners, and properly greeting etiquette. We do not speak mandarin at home, so seeing him be able to pick up so much from school has been so heart warming and amazing. We feel that ECA has done much more, along the lines of controlled learning. Not does he only have free play, but they really do believe that learning about the outside world is just as important. He's learned about continents, the 5 oceans, the solar system. And not only does he learn them in English, he's learned them in Mandarin as well. He has been given the ability to practice his cutting, pasting, writing letters, and number... but he's also been given the experience to learn how to make dumplings, and moon cake with his peers. The art that they do is also tied in to the subjects they are learning... which is how it should be done. They get to see, hear, and do.. which is essential in active learning. We don't speak mandarin at home. And being able to watch my child read mandarin words, sing mandarin songs, and reply to his teachers in mandarin... has been amazing. I can truly say that he speaks better mandarin than I can now. I've added a video to my review as a small sample of how much my son has learned reading Chinese at ECA. Also, once they are in pre-k, there are some days, where your kid gets to bring home, homework (not mandatory). Haha if that's your thing. My child loved it. And was proud to do the work "all by himself". I truly believe my little one has been able to grow a lot from ECA. And we're really happy about the staff, and the head school, Jenny. They have less turn over rates than our prior daycare, and the staff really seem to enjoy their time with the kids. The cameras are also always a nice touch to ease any parent's anxiety. Thank you ECA!