I love bringing my daughter here. The staff is great. Always professional and kind. They treat my…read moredaughter like their own. The building is always clean and I never have to worry when I leave. 10/10!

This daycare used to be a great facility before the COVID lockdown last year. They were in a…read moredifferent building. The rooms were bright and organized. They had great teachers. The parents were updated all the time on the Brightwheel app. I received regular updates about how they were doing. When everything closed last spring, Bright Beginners moved to a new location a few buildings away. Their "dream" seemed to be to open a whole bunch of classrooms (instead of two) so kids can spend more time with children their age on their own level, which is a great goal. Unfortunately, starting with this move, everything unraveled. The building isn't great. The rooms are small and dark. Many don't have windows. Only two were being used: 1-2 year olds and 3-5 year olds. Instead of keeping their website updated, as teachers quit (and a lot of them were unhappy with the lack of leadership and communication), their images still remained on the website. No one's profiles were updated. No new teachers have their credentials listed, or even their pictures. Teachers appeared and vanished and the parents had no idea who they were. Then, the schedules disappeared from the website. The website has pictures from 3 years ago. Not only is the website outdated and incomplete, most teachers stopped using the Brightwheel app to communicate with parents. We used to get videos and pictures throughout the day. After the move to the new building, I would be lucky to see one picture of my son in a week. When I would ask how he was doing, I was usually told by the teacher, "I don't know, I wasn't with him today." No progress reports. No information. His clothing started vanishing. He came home wearing another child's underwear. What's worse, is the staff seems to have the hardest time wearing masks. We know it's the easiest way to prevent COVID and yet, some keep their masks on their chins. Some under their noses. Some not on at all. When you ask the teachers about COVID, most state it's not a big deal or "assume" they already had it. They seem unaware that having it once does not make you immune, and they also don't realize that they can easily be carriers without symptoms. Then the pull their masks down and breathe all over our children. The center is more concerned with "ratio" than they are about the well being of the children. Instead of keeping rooms open, children of all ages are combined so they can have as few teachers as possible at the center. Never mind the fact that they're overwhelmed and the kids are having a hard time adapting to new rooms at random as well as other children, all they care about is not having one extra teacher there for one hour because they would probably have to pay her $10 for her time. As a former elementary school teacher, I assure you in school they still teach that children, especially young children, thrive from routine. This center has no problem shuffling children around and confusing them as long as they don't need to pay one more teacher for one more hour. When they did have COVID scares (and they did), they were forced to close the entire center because of the insane amount of mixing they do with teachers and students. Also, you will never see the director or assistant director unless you show up during the day. Most parents bring their children to daycare because they work, meaning the children will be dropped off before work and picked up afterward. The director and assistant director make zero effort to ever come in early or stay late (which means their teachers are responsible for opening and closing the center and addressing issues) which shows you how little they actually care. Shortly before I switched daycares (my son no longer goes here but I did want to write a review to warn other parents), the center started a newsletter which I thought was a great idea. However, it's not filled with any content. I didn't know what concepts or information I should be going over with my son. Knowing he's learning about "the letter B" isn't helpful: he's known that letter for 3 years. I thought Preschool actually meant the children would be learning. A coloring page? How about the center informs you IN ADVANCED of the days it will be closed in case we don't keep our handbooks open on our kitchen tables. How about it informs us of new policies and procedures at the center? How about future improvement they can make to the center? Perhaps information about how to obtain a progress report? What improvements, you ask? Perhaps label the 20 doors in your hallway so we know which one is the kitchen, which one is the bathroom, which one is the preschool room... Or replace your mud pit with sod so when the children come home from playing outside on a damp day we don't have to throw away their entire wardrobe? Perhaps invest in a sign on both of your doors so people actually know this is a daycare? I used to love this place. It's very sad what happened.

Many reviews speak of the director as being mean and dishonest! I definitely agree!! She has no…read morebusiness working with children. There is a high turnover with employees, they are always closing due to staff issues or changing hours. There are a few good staff. One being Tiffany as she was the only reason we stayed. It is affordable compared to most daycares in the area but you get what you pay for.

Updating my review due to recent information…read more As time goes on, it appears that World Of Rainbows is a daycare straight out of 1987. Logs of activity, bathroom breaks and naps are scribbled on paper that has been Xeroxed so many times you can't read it. The sign in sheets look like they were made on the world's first copy machine. Furniture and toys seem archaic. Before we launch into the ugly, here are the good and the bad: GOOD: The employees are very nice. They seem to be patient and good with children. BAD: Without any new technology, it's not only hard to know what's going on at the daycare, but it's light-years behind other centers. There are no video cameras you can view when you're away. You cannot view your child's log online. You can hardly contact the center: when I call, over 50% of the time I get an answering machine. I have emailed them and never received replies. I feel like the center is allergic to technology. Monthly calendars are hand-written and Xeroxed. So are notifications and postings. UGLY: The owner seems to be completely out of touch with how to run a daycare. My assumption is she is running things EXACTLY the same as she did 30 years ago and turns a blind eye to any new technology, processes and regulations. I'm kind of surprised they're still open. The state regulations by the State of Indiana are clearly posted online. Meal schedules have to be posted. I've come in on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and no schedule exists for the current week. The state of Indiana regulates that if any child exhibits signs of sleepiness (laying down, putting their heads down, rubbing their eyes), that they should be offered the option to lay down even if it's outside of naptime. This daycare WILL NOT ALLOW THIS. If your child is sleepy and wants an extra nap, they are forced to stay awake. On a similar note, during nap time, children are forced to lay on their cots for 45 minutes. The state regulates that if they lay down for 30 minutes and do not show signs of sleepiness, they are to be given an activity of some sort. World of Rainbows takes it upon themselves to force an extra 15 minutes on these children. If you want your child to adhere to a special diet, although they allow you to bring in food for very young and older children, you are not allowed to bring in any food for your toddler. They will be forced to eat what the center provides and the only exceptions include doctors' notes or notarized religious documentation. The center owner claims this is State-regulated but that's completely untrue. If the parents provide a different meal for their child (paid for by the parents), there is no reason why it cannot be served to their child. The center may ban things such as peanut butter due to allergies, but the center can approve specific items that you can bring in for your child. Lastly, even if you're full time, you cannot take your child out of the center and bring them back. Scenario: my child had a doctor's appointment during the day. This was a check-up, not due to illness. I picked him up for his 10am appt and was not allowed to bring him back in after the appointment even though I pay full-time. Every problem with this daycare stems from the owner. She'd rather be dishonest than simply say, "no, this is too much work and we don't feel like being accommodating." Don't hide behind the lie that the state forces you do to things: if anything, you are much stricter and care less about children than the state mandates. I would steer clear of this center. There are plenty of other places in the surrounding areas that will allow your toddler to lie down when they are tired and will allow you to provide the food you'd like your child to eat. Last note: My son fell and hit his head recently. No one documented this and no one told me. I had to ask the NEXT DAY and only when I asked a teacher directly was I told what happened. We all know kids fall and hurt themselves. However, hiding this from their parents is extremely serious.

Our oldest finished the Pre-K program here and our youngest is currently enrolled. Our oldest is…read moredoing an excellent job in Kindergarten this year thanks in part to what he has learned at Thornridge. The class sizes are good and the teachers are great and very caring! It is like a small family here. The classes cover many different topics and are very "hands on". There is a play area for open play and a large room for more exercise type activity. There are educational field trips throughout the school year. The only reason its not 5 stars is because I would prefer a longer (duration) learning program instead of 2.5 hours per day. Very happy to be part of the Thornridge family!

I cannot say enough good things about Thornridge. My oldest child just graduated from the Pre-K…read moreprogram and is very prepared for kindergarten. He had such an unbelievable and valuable experience at Thornridge that he was actually crying and truly sad it was over (as was I). He has built many incredible friendships and has nothing but great memories from the classroom to the fun field trips he attended. The teachers genuinely care about the children and are very creative in the lessons they teach. For instance, learning the alphabet, numbers, teaching the kids to write their names, and even cooking! They are very involved with every activity they do and truly enjoy teaching the children. They put so much more time into the regular school day (2.5 hrs), their day is not over after 11:30 am, by no means. I am very happy that my youngest son will be going there next school year for the 2 day program and then the following year for the 5 day Pre-K program. I know he will have the same special experiences and build friendships like me oldest son did. Very happy and thrilled to be a part of the Thornridge family!

I have had wonderful experience with this school. I have an 8 year old who came through this…read morepreschool. She is currently in the Gifted/Talented program at her elementary school. There is a high proportion of children in that GT program that were from this preschool. Coincidence? I wouldn't bet on that. My 5 year old is currently in his 3rd year there. This is a NAEYC certified preschool, I believe the only one in Highland/Munster/Merrillville area. The teachers are warm and educated. The staff turnover is extremely low. They take the time to get to know you and your children. They know your child through his entire spectrums of development: social, emotional, cognitive, motor, etc. They educate holistically. They have after school care a couple days/week until 230 as well as TumbleBears, Dance class, sports, and other enrichments. Leaving my children there, I have never felt "guilty" or doubted for a second that they were in very capable and loving hands. For some people, the only negative might be your child will learn Hebrew words, prayers, and about the Jewish holidays as this school is a Jewish preschool. I see this as an advantage in today's multicultural society. I have learned to make challah with my son, and enjoy that even at their young ages, they realize that our world view is not the only one. In fact, the class make-up is highly diverse with all ethnicities and religions represented. If you are looking for a quality preschool, look no further.

From the owner: Premiere preschool serving Northwest Indiana for more than 50 years. Contact us for more…read moreinformation about our half day programs, ages 2-5.

Premier has been incredible for our son! He flourished as soon as he started there and continued to…read moredo so! The infant room and toddler room teachers were so great and my son would reach and run to them! He developed so much while he was there. They made the transition from infant to toddler room as easy as possible and were so patient with us (first time mom over here). They handled incidents with care and sensitivity - things do happen but Premier handled the incidents carefully and were always transparent. All of the teachers, aids, and office staff know the kids so well. My son lights up when we walk in and the front desk staff greet him everyday like he's royalty!! We are moving and I am devastated to pull our son from here. Highly recommend!

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel it's important to share my experience.Unfortunately,…read moreafter an incident involving my son and the way it was handled afterward, I no longer feel comfortable continuing care here.Before the most recent incident, I had already experienced concerns regarding my son's care. There were multiple times when my son came home with small marks on his face, and I was not given an explanation as to how they kept occurring. After I brought these concerns to the center's attention, those incidents appeared to stop. While I appreciate that the concern was addressed once it was brought forward, it added to my overall concern regarding my son's safety and supervision while in their care.My biggest concern was my son's head injury and the response following the incident. After reviewing the video, I became concerned about what occurred and how the situation was documented by the teacher.The incident report written by my son's teacher, stated that my son started to hit her and that she raised her hands to stop him, which caused him to fall. However, after reviewing the video, that is not what occurred.What the video showed was my son running up to the teacher in a playful manner. He placed his hand on her stomach area, appearing as though he wanted to be picked up, and his hand was there for only a moment or two when then Ms.karlie grabbed both of his hands, my son slightly leaned back, and she then let go of both of his hands while staring directly at him . There was no attempt to even try to catch him as he was falling backwards. As an adult supervising a young child, I would expect that a 39 pound child's weight shifting backward would be noticeable, especially while holding onto their hands. This is why I was concerned that his hands were released while he was leaning back, resulting in him falling backward and hitting the back of his head causing a shell to pierce through his head and bleed. The video did not show my son being aggressive or attempting to hit her, and it did not show her raising her hands to block him as described in the report she wrote .After he fell, the video showed my son crying holding his head and walking back toward the teacher to be consoled. What was concerning to me was that his head was not immediately checked after the fall, and staff did not appear to realize that he had a bleeding injury until later. As a parent, I would expect an immediate assessment after a child hits the back of their head as well as me being directly notified of an head injury that involved him falling straight back on his head. What was most concerning to me was that, after the owner reviewed the information, she did not acknowledge the discrepancy between what the teacher stated and the video or address my concerns regarding the inaccurate account that had been documented by the teacher. This made me feel that the seriousness of the situation and the impact of an inaccurate report involving my child were not fully recognized. I was also concerned when my son came home telling me that his hair "looked crazy." While this may seem like a small comment, it raised concerns for me as a parent because I wondered where my 2 year heard that and whether comments were being made about his appearance while he was at school.Recently, my son has also started crying at drop off. The concerns I experienced, including the incident report and the comment regarding his hair, made me question whether my son's individuality and differences were being fully respected while in their care.I contacted the center regarding my deposit and explained that, due to the incident, I did not feel comfortable keeping my child their for the required two-week notice period . I reached out to discuss receiving my deposit back, but I never received a response back or any follow-up regarding my request from the owner.As a parent, my child's safety and being able to trust the people caring for him are my top priorities. Unfortunately, this experience left me feeling unheard and uncomfortable continuing care at this center

This is the absolute best place to send your child. It feels more like a family than anything…read moreelse. All the staff are amazing and the children are provided with quality education at all learning levels.

I had my son in a different prek and it was the worst experience we ever had. My son is 3 years old…read moreand a friend recommended me Spring Ahead Academy, I was desperate so I tried. It was the best decision. The place is clean, the teachers are amazing and all the staff and services are outstanding. My son loves going to school and loves every member of the staff. I don't have enough words to describe how happy we are we was able to get my son in this beautiful school. We appreciate every effort they put into teaching and preparing our children for school. We love them and thank them from our harts.

Went for a tour in September 2024 for our 2 year old. Despite very large class sizes, we left a…read moredeposit of over $100 for a spot. We were "verbally promised" for a spot no later than December 2024 (as it didnt make sense for us to leave a despoit if a spot wasnt available until after the new year). January rolls around and we finally get a call..now for some reason they dont have a spot until June. We feel scammed and ripped off. I will not recommend this location.

From the owner: Kiddie Academy of Munster, an educational daycare in Munster, offers age-specific child care…read moreprograms. Our flexible, standard-based curriculum encourages children to progress in school and in life. We pride ourselves in providing a daycare that focuses on developing positive character traits for kids, while providing a nurturing learning environment. Our programs can range from infant and toddler to kindergarten and school age. Read our child care reviews, take a virtual tour and learn more about Kiddie Academy to find the best "daycare near me" for you and your child.