My daughter started attending Cradles to Crayons around March/April, and we've had a wonderful experience. The staff is caring, attentive, and truly made us feel at ease from day one. One of the things I really appreciated was the camera access to my daughter's classroom--it gave me peace of mind being able to check in throughout the day. Not only was the quality of care excellent, but Cradles to Crayons was also one of the most affordable options we found in Union County. That balance of affordability and trustworthy care is hard to come by, and I highly recommend this daycare to any parent looking for a safe and nurturing environment for their child. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Cradles to Crayons. They are top notch on everything I was looking for when caring for my children: 1. Security: First and foremost, I want me kids to be safe. There are double-doors in front, each with its own lock, and someone at the front desk. There are cameras everywhere, so there is accountability at all times when it comes to my kids (this has never been an issue with the staff, but more if my kid trips and falls, footage can be reviewed to verify what happened and reported to me). 2. Care: The staff is simply wonderful. They genuinely care for the children and get to know them on a personal level. There are many long-tenured caregivers, which speaks to it being a good place to work, which shows in the engagement with the children. To a person, everyone has been so great with my kids, I couldn't ask for more friendly, compassionate and dedicated people to spend so much time with my kids. 3. Development: While they follow a sound curriculum, they really meet my kids where they are. I have worked collaboratively with their teachers on milestones that were different timing for my kids vs. others (potty training, social skills, etc.) and they are great partners in harnessing my children's strengths and helping them achieve their development goals. 4. Reliability: They are well-staffed and very well run, so there has never been an issue with not being able to provide care. Even with inclement weather, they have only been closed when it was truly warranted. 5. Peace of mind: I simply don't worry about my children when they are at Cradles to Crayons, because I know that they are in good hands. read more

Aw man where do I even start? This place sucks and the director aka the Grinch Cheroyl who is extremely rude, harsh, and has no clue what she is doing and unorganized I think she is on drugs or something lol also as soon as you enter this place you need to literally hold your nose, place fucken stinks!. I use to work here for a short time (thank god) now currently working in an Art Studio in New York City as an abstract artist and doing way better since I left this place and not having to wearing a look alike Walmart shirt, I'm thankful for the awesome kids I had in my class and some of the cool crafts even if they made a mess and would run around, looking after them and being their aftercare teacher was great. Alright anyways the director who looks like that Principal from that movie Matilda, extremely unorganized, does not pay her staff on time, does not communicate well with the teachers, does not check the classes to see how they are doing and if the teachers need any support, hides in her office all day doing god knows what. Anyways for the young girls who want to work here, DO NOT PLEASE, there's better environments and places I'm writing this for your own good you don't want to be stuck there and get treated like shit and be taken advantage of cause your young and then BOOM your stuck there. Unless it's part time and you're in college I get it but for a living dude you will be miserable. I'm super lucky to get out of this place and I was scared cause I thought I wouldn't find another job but now I'm doing what I love which is making art and working in the City and Brooklyn in a Studio. read more

Application Process I initially applied for a position at Cradles to Crayons through Indeed, and the process was unusually fast. Within no time, I was contacted for an interview and was immediately asked to start working the following day--without any background checks or further screening. This quick turnaround seemed unprofessional, especially considering that background checks are a standard in childcare environments. Moreover, I only saw the director briefly during my interview and, once hired, barely saw her during my time working there. In fact, her presence was so minimal that many employees felt as though she was largely absent from the day-to-day operations. When it came to training, there was none. Rather than providing proper onboarding, they simply threw me into a classroom with a hurried rundown of the rules and regulations. It was overwhelming, to say the least, and it felt as though I was expected to figure things out on my own. For a facility caring for young children, the lack of adequate preparation and orientation was extremely concerning. Pay and Paycheck Issues One of the most troubling aspects of working at Cradles to Crayons was the recurring issues with employee paychecks. Over the past year, many staff members, particularly morning and some afternoon workers, have experienced bounced checks on a regular basis. The first serious incident occurred in March 2024, when morning staff members showed up expecting their pay, only to be sent home empty-handed. Afternoon staff, on the other hand, had to wait until closing to receive their checks, and even then, we were warned by the receptionist that we couldn't deposit them until the following Tuesday--or risk having them bounce. This was not a one-time issue, either. In June, we didn't receive our pay for the first two weeks, and management stalled until the next scheduled payday to release the overdue checks. The pay schedule itself became a complete mess. We were originally told we'd be paid bi-weekly, but in June, they suddenly announced a change: going forward, we would be paid on the 15th and 30th of each month. But when the 30th came, they backtracked again, saying we were switching back to bi-weekly pay. Staff were left to expect pay for the last three weeks of work, but in a bizarre turn of events, the "payroll company" allegedly messed up, and we didn't receive our pay for the third week. What's more frustrating is how all of this was handled--or rather, how it wasn't. Information was never communicated directly to us by the director or any official source. Instead, we learned what was going on from coworkers, or by having to ask around ourselves. The lack of transparency and communication only added to the stress. The final straw came when we were told that the following week we would finally get our missing checks--and when Friday rolled around, once again, no checks arrived. No announcement was made, and we were left in the dark. It became clear that if you didn't ask, you'd never know when or if you were getting paid. As it stands now, employees are still waiting for checks, with no clear indication of when they will arrive. The unpredictability of the pay situation has caused a lot of frustration and uncertainty for everyone. Staff-to-Child Ratios One of the most concerning aspects of Cradles to Crayons is their disregard for the required teacher-to-child ratios. Each age group has a specific ratio mandated for safety and appropriate supervision, but this facility regularly ignores these standards. Staff members are frequently assigned to watch far more children than they should, creating an unsafe environment where it is impossible to adequately supervise and care for every child. Despite raising concerns, management doesn't seem to care, often telling staff to simply "quiet down" rather than addressing the core issue. read more

Both of our children attended Cradles for years and we couldn't be more pleased! We moved to Westfield from Brooklyn when our son was almost two and I was pregnant with our daughter. We both worked in the city and Cradles was the only place with hours that worked for us- so we kind of chose them by default. But I am SO GLAD WE DID! It seems like yesterday that I was very emotional leaving my tiny eight week old daughter at daycare. She's just graduated from kindergarten- she was at Cradles all the way through. Today she is confident, happy, loving, a fantastic reader and she has a real love of learning and zest for life. All of this was nurtured and encouraged at Cradles. Our son was the same, completely happy and ready for 1st grade after his time at Cradles. Cradles truly feels like family- there is very low teacher turn over. There are animals in the rooms- frogs, hamsters, ginea pigs and for years the world's sweetest bunny, Bun-Bun. The thing that always made me know my kids were in the right place was that there were many, many long days when I would drop the kids off at 7:30 am and pick them up at 6:30 pm feeling very guilty- and then they would NOT WANT TO LEAVE. Incredible. They had put in an 11 hour day and wanted to stay longer. My only regret is that the fabulous new location will open this fall and my kids will be too old to enjoy it! :) read more

We brought our son to Cradles to Crayons in July of 2020, during COVID, after loosing faith in the previous provider to provide a safe environment for him to be cared after and continue to foster his education. We couldn't be happier with the attention and dedication Cradles to Crayons has shown to us and our family. Having gone through several providers over the first few years I can say with confidence that Cradles to Crayons stands out amongst its peers as a top tier service provider. read more

3 of my children attended Cradles to Crayons. The youngest since he was a baby through Pre-K. The teachers and aides have always showed such care and dedication. The director strives for, not just academic excellence, but for people who really care about the wellbeing of our children. Keep up the good work! For those with babies, my son was not particular to anyone else besides his mommy. He would reach out for Ms. Ewa and I knew he was in good hands. She and the others there show such care from the youngest to the eldest. read more

I am so glad we found Cradles to Crayons...after checking out a handful of other daycare centers, I was just about ready to give up until a friend told me about Cradles. This place has wonderful, caring staff that welcome any feedback or requests at any time. Safety is top priority. There are always creative events going on to incorporate learning and exploring. Easter bunny visit, pumpkin patch mini field trip, dental hygiene day, farmer with chicks visiting day....the list is endless. They never cease to impress with the ongoing curriculum...arts/crafts, creative play time....I could go on. Highly recommend this place! read more

I've had two kids at Cradles to Crayons for almost two years now, and we love it. We originally moved daycares because this one was closer to our house and a little less money, and we're SO HAPPY we made the switch. The lead teachers are really experienced and they have a great curriculum that is preparing them well for Kindergarten. Sometimes when I pick the kids up they want to stay there and play! read more

My husband and I pulled our son out of this daycare after his first day. We saw on the camera that our son spent the entire day in a bouncer. This was after we informed the staff that he has reflux and must be upright during and after eating. He was fed in a bouncer by a staff member who held the bottle down low where he was lying, and another time, he was fed in a bouncer next to another child who was also being fed in a bouncer. He spent the entire day in the bouncer or a swing, was only held on his way to and from the changing table. On the sheet we filled out, we specifically asked that he do tummy time and nap in his crib, which we wanted reinforced. He was never in his crib, not once. He also was never on the play mat in the almost 9 hours he was there. I watched as a staff member picked him up by one leg to wipe him. During drop off and pick up, no one welcomed us into the building, or tried to engage us in conversation. When I asked the afternoon staff how my son's first day was, they told me they were not there most of the day so they did not know. I informed the staff that I would not be sending him back and asked for a refund. The director initially was unwilling to do so, and informed she would review the footage. I called her back days later because I had not heard from her, and she repeatedly stated she would give me a refund as a "courtesy" but kept reminding me she did not have to do so. No apologies, no explanations for why the staff were never seen holding babies or sitting on the floor engaging with them. My check finally came and was about 200 dollars less than my deposit. I called and was told I was charged an administration fee and a fee for the day my son spent there. I watched my 12 week old cry all day in a bouncer, ignored by every staff member that walked by him. Each time I was in the building, the children were crying with staff constantly moving them from swing to bouncer. That is where they nap, eat, and spend their days. This daycare was not at all what we want for our son. He is very happy in his new daycare where he is held, engaged, and participates in activities with the other children. Although my son was technically safe, I was worried about him the entire day. Pros: the equipment is brand new and the building is nice. read more

Cradles To Cradles is definitely worthy of our 5-star rating, albeit several years after our son attended. Cheryl, the owner and her reliable and trustworthy staff do a great job preparing children on the inexorable march towards public school. I Believe that Cradles is the finest daycare in Westfield, N.J. and is definitely one of the causative factors of our son transitioning smoothly to 1st grade and beyond and having been properly socialized during his youth. Finally, great long-term friendships have been forged with other students and their parents because of the feeling of "Community" fostered by a wonderful day care business like Cradles-to-Crayons. Enroll your "little ones" with confidence and let the awesome Cradles staff do the rest to insure your child has a magnificent early childhood educational experience. Bill and Theresa Dobrow read more

One of the hardest decisions made as first time parents. After visiting several Day cares in Westfield our child made our decision for us. Of all centers we visited Cradles to Crayons had a warm, nurturing, learning atmosphere. The director, Cheryl Palhares, easily was able to get our child to smile and interact with the other children. Never experienced that while touring any other daycare. After my child has been attending for three years, we are sadden to be moving and losing many families that became friends. Due to the daycare, family orientated atmosphere. We will miss Cradles to Crayons and the staff greatly. read more