Our grandchildren were thriving at Doodle Bugs until a paperwork issue exposed a disappointing lack…read moreof compassion. A simple clerical error was being corrected, and the necessary documents were on the way. Instead of allowing time for resolution, the staff Director Stephanie abruptly demanded the children be picked up in the middle of the day (nap time). There was no grace, no understanding just cold, condescending, dismissive, treatment toward a parent doing her best. As former daycare owners, we know policies matter, but so does empathy. Child care isn't just about children it's about families. Doodle Bugs had a chance to show support. Instead, they chose rigidity over relationship. Leadership (Stephanie) should seriously reflect on what message that sends to the families they serve.

TERRIBLE PLACE!!!!! I have been going to the East Amherst location and just recently received a…read moremessage from day care stating "IF I DO NOT BRING DIAPERS IMMEDIATLY FOR MY 2 YEAR OLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT CHANGE HER ALL DAY" .. Can't believe that this facility does NOT have diapers of all sizes available for this type of situation! Very rude and unprofessional I would absolutely NOT recommend this place!!

My 4 year old absolutely loved this preschool. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the small…read moreclass was perfect for my son who is easily overwhelmed. The teachers are so kind and caring and the class work was fun and helped prepare my child for kindergarten. He was excited to show me his work every day. I highly recommend this preschool.

From the owner: Students are able to learn, develop and grow educationally through multiple instructional…read moreactivities that celebrate the strengths and talents of each individual child.

I booked my daughters second birthday party here and I had never ever been there. My mom had took…read moremy daughter a few times since they live nearby but we are in Hamburg so it's a little far. Anyway, when I walked in I was really impressed. It's bright, feels clean, and there is every toy for every interest and multiple age groups. I booked the gross motor room too which has a little playground in it. The owner had extra decorations on hand that she lent to me and was super attentive and helpful. Exceeding expectations! Everyone talked about what a perfect place it is for a kids party and it's so true!

If you are looking for a place for kids to play or a party venue this is the perfect place! The…read moreowner (Molly) went above and beyond to help with everything! We had kids ranging from One to eight n everyone had so much fun; plenty of room for kids to run, play and explore! The price can't be beat either.

My kid has been attending for 3 years now - and they've kept him alive for that long, so that's…read moreworth at least a couple stars! Really though, the teachers we've had have all been wonderful and genuinely care about their kiddos. Yes there is some turnover because it's a daycare center, many of the staff are younger and go on to pursue their educations, but there is also turnover in the clientele because kids grow up. In school, they will have different teachers every year, so that's not been an issue for us. They have a good curriculum that covers all the basics: counting basic reading/writing, vocabulary, and other subjects needed to prepare for Kindergarten, and they track each child's process to find any areas needing improvement. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are all provided. The meals are healthy, and my picky kid actually eats them (most of the time). They have lots of play time and fun activities, including programs where they bring in outside instructors (e.g., yoga, tae kwon do, and music lessons). They have secured access like most centers, a daily report that you can have emailed (or use the iPhone app), and video monitoring of every area that you can view online-- which frankly I hardly log into anymore since it's mainly just peace of mind that they have it. I've always found the administrators to be very helpful and processional. They will talk through any issues and try to make it a great experience for parents and children. They have a summer camp enrollment option with field trips for pre-K age and up for a modest extra fee (younger kids stay in the center but they do themes for each week of camp). Certain school districts will provide bussing here after school for those of us working parents who aren't home by 2:30 p.m. My son has flourished and made lots of great friends here, plus he is very well-prepared to start school. We are glad we made the choice to send him to Doodlebugs!

Do the right thing for your child and stay far away.. While certain teachers at the school do a…read morephenomenal job with the kids; the way the place is run makes no guarantee your kid will be with one teacher with experience vs another thats been there a week.. I had misgivings in the beginning after meeting the school director but put them in the back of my mind after touring the facility.. Now i find the child to teacher ratio is off by a wide margin (sometimes 16/1) in order to pack as many children into a room as possible. And you can tell certain teachers are burned out. I asked one teacher who looked frazzled what was wrong and they told me they were there since 7 and haven't had anything but a 30 minute lunch break until 6.. Take your queue from many others and go anywhere but here.. I dont know how they've managed to maintain their certifications as a daycare; but it should most definitely be revoked

We have the most perfect place for 2,3,4&5 years olds. My son has flourished with lasting memories…read morefriendships and would choose it over and over again!

Open Door gave both our girls amazing educational starts. You won't find a more caring staff, more…read moreimaginative curriculum, more joyful place, and an awesome gym space! Our youngest attended kindergarten readiness class. Mrs. Sexton addressed every one of our daughters anxieties about kindergarten and she went off enthusiastically to school and has never looked back. You'll never regret giving them that extra time so they are happy and confident when they reach kindergarten. Just because they qualify for kindergarten age wise, they don't HAVE to go. We just wish the whole world was as wonderful as Open Door.

Both my kids have been going there for years. Mrs. Jean and Mr. Dale run a great program. Staff is…read morereally nice. Daughter went here for pre-k and was well prepared for kindergarten. Highly recommend.

I started sending my son here a few months ago over the summer when I knew he had been accepted in…read moreto the UPK program in autumn, so he could get acclimated to the facility (and the facility get acclimated to him). Before listing this place as my 1st choice in Clarence's UPK lottery, I went to all the 5 lottery choices to see them for myself. The Little Red Schoolhouse impressed me the most when I noticed 3 little boys all quietly looking at books together. Before attending here my son went to Doodlebugs two days a week for socialization and my son never ever did anything quietly or sat still like that at school. I thought to myself, "If these sorceresses can make little boys be still and quiet and read, maybe they can make my kid do this too". My son has high functioning autism and he can test a saint's patience but so far... this place has really improved his behavior at school tremendously. I mean, from their perspective he still gives them the business but from ours as parents I can see how far he's come in a short amount of time and it's remarkable. These teachers know what they are DOING! It's a very structured environment which in most cases is great for kids. I was a little nervous for my own, who had famously been described as "self directed" (which is hippie speak for "does whatever the heck he wants to"). My son used to cry and cling to me when I dropped him off at Doodlebugs, he actually enjoys coming here. I pay for some wrap around care on two days and while they do charge a little more than other places, the VALUE OF WHAT YOU GET! They have special guests come like the Fire department with their truck, or in the summer they have horse days on Wednesdays. It seems like my son is always coming home with some bonus present, like at Halloween a pumpkin from their private pumpkin patch or the many, many arts and crafts he makes at school. This is not a place where you drop your kid off and they just keep them alive for a few hours. They really do have amazing lesson plans and activities planned every day for them, I love knowing my son is going to do something fun every day. And the things he has learned! In the few months since pre-k started he can read at least two dozen sight words. I practice his sight words at home with him and it's impressed me how he's sounding out the letters and really trying to read the words. He knows his numbers and is starting to count by 2's and can count down from 25. He's 4 years old! When I was 4, I was eating paste and I don't think I even know left from right. They really teach them a lot at this school but they make it so fun the kids hardly even know they are learning! I also like that they hold him accountable when he messes up. Sometimes it's embarrassing for me as a parent but I know these teachers only have my son's best interests at heart and want him to succeed as much as I do. I appreciate their experience because they have been teaching kids for decades. They don't have a lot of turnaround here with their teachers, which is awesome for the kids. Is it click-y? I don't think so, I honestly haven't noticed if it is. All I care about is that my kid is learning and behaving in an appropriate manner. They are a little religious, some minor prayer and bible stories happening but hey! I don't care if Jesus takes the wheel if it means my kid is starting to read! They do like to teach the white washed versions of history (I'm looking at you, Columbus Day) but I'm guessing that's the school district's curriculum. They have a large parking lot for drop offs/pick ups. I don't think they take credit cards, I'm under the impression it's cash/checks. They do let you pay by the week or month. This is one of the cleanest preschools I have been in locally. They have hand sanitizer in ALL the classrooms and all the kids have to use it entering the room. Overall, I continue to be impressed by this school, it's teachers, their lessons, and all the little perks they offer. They are trying to make the kids ready for kindergarten and elementary school so I appreciate how they are helping my son grow. We could not be more happy with how our son is doing here, this really is a fantastic preschool/pre-k place to send your children.

I would not recommend this UPK program based on our experience. I truly feel that their UPK…read moreprivileges should be removed, given that it is a state run program. After requesting an evaluation through the Clarence Central School District due to concerns about how our child was being treated, we noticed a significant shift in how staff interacted with him. He began receiving multiple incident reports for very minor, age-typical behaviors (tapping a pencil on his arm, lightly poking his arm, rubbing an object on his leg). Instead of being redirected, he was repeatedly removed from the classroom and sent to the office. In one week alone, he was made to sit alone at lunch 4 out of 5 days for things like: * Crushing a few fruit loops instead of using it for an activity * Calling a classmate "bucko" * Making noises/tapping his foot * Pretend play with Legos He was also disciplined for pretending to "arrest" a friend during play. Additionally, nearly every day at pickup, staff would go over negative behaviors in front of our child often for very minor issues, rather than discussing them privately. This was extremely discouraging and, over time, clearly impacted how he viewed himself at school. Staff described him as "sweet," "kind," and "non-violent," which made what happened next especially concerning. We received a call claiming he had "punched 8 kids in a row" and needed to be picked up immediately. When we later reviewed the video (we have the footage), it appeared he was lightly tapping other children, almost as if counting, not acting aggressively. We absolutely understand that keeping hands to himself is something to learn, but the situation was escalated far beyond what seemed appropriate. While, my husband was at the school reviewing the footage Mary Beth can be heard in the video he recorded that she nor the teacher reviewed the footage after the incident they just assumed his guilt. They repeatedly told him he hit other kids until he admitted it and started to believe he did (which he didn't). Rather than an apology from Mary Beth after reviewing the video, she chose to tell us he was no longer welcome at Little Red School House. Other concerning moments: * I personally witnessed a teacher say "ugh, not you again" to him and take a utensil out of his hand in a rough manner * He came home saying a teacher used inappropriate language * An incident initially described as "spitting in a teacher's face" was later clarified by the teacher as accidental blowing a "raspberry" Most concerning was the emotional impact. Our child began saying:"I'm a bad kid at school,""The teachers don't like me,""They yell at me all the time,"and described Mary Beth as "scary." Additionally, professionals we consulted with described the program's approach as feeling more like a "boot camp" environment for young children, which we found very concerning for a UPK setting. At 4 years old, children need guidance, patience, and redirection not repeated removal, isolation, and labeling. Every child is different, but based on our experience, this environment felt overly harsh and not developmentally appropriate. Families should be aware and ask detailed questions about how behavior is handled before enrolling.

It's been two month since we enrolled our child here at Hopkins road location. The place is clean,…read morenice and tidy. Teachers are welcoming and caring. Before enrolling here, we have been to couple of day care, out of all , this was came out as better than others. The Director, Asso. Director both are very kind and professional. They would do best to accommodate your request. Since this is franchised establishment so it does come with few pros and cons. Pros such as ease of online payment facility, a friendly mobile app sharing all activity of your child instantly as that happens, transparent and quick communication with teachers, as far as cons are concerned, like other corporate establishment it does regulated by policies where center has little to no influence so at times even folks want to help they simply can not. Our kid is only 3 month old so can't have his feedback on how he has been taken care during his stay, but he seems content once we are home from there so I guess he's finding it quite okay. Looking forward to see our kid grow here and would update this review once he has started talking. :-)

From the owner: We provide nurturing day care and creative learning in a safe, home-like environment. Our School…read moreReadiness Pathway was designed to empower you with educational options to create the most fitting path for your child and to address each child's specific developmental needs. We offer specialized curriculum in our infant care, toddler care, early preschool, preschool, Pre-K/Pre-Kindergarten, junior Kindergarten and private Kindergarten programs. Learn more about our educational daycare for infants and above, plus before- and after-school care, enrichment programs, summer camp, and Flex Care.

The quality of service at this childcare center is not how it should be! The staff is very mean and…read morenasty towards each other and the children! They do not value the job and they don't show like they really love what they are doing, they are so angry!

From the owner: Child Care Center Infant and Toddler Care…read more Nursery School Preschool Kindergarten Readiness Program Afterschool Program Free Child Care and Pre-K For Qualified Parents Summer Program

Love them! Officially been with them for almost 6 months and I'm so glad of the choice we made!…read moreThey just updated the system and now have an app that allows me to check in to see what my baby is doing all day. New mom here and they've given me so much advice and information, I'm so thankful! All teachers are excellent!