I hoped the negative reviews of this setting were untrue but unfortunately found out for myself... I wish I didn't even have to give it a star to post this.
Owner laughed about parent complaints about her policies when we toured and we should've ran for the hills then. The amount of stress, tears and change we've endured in just a few months there were not worth it as a family.
Tara is condescending to talk to and unable to look at any point of view other than her own... she seems to not understand that just because she's smiling/talking in a peppy voice while she says something doesn't make everything automatically respectful, kind, or correct. She seems more concerned with her pride than the children's success. She refers to families and children as her "customers" rather than looking at the children as young kids that need a chance to learn about the world with adults that will show they still care when mistakes are made. The natural hiccups that come with growing up and maturing as infants and toddlers are not tolerated here. The big emotions that come with being small and unable to verbally express yourself are unacceptable. Toddlers get written up for normal childhood behavior and their daily behavior is posted for all to see/shame in the classrooms as well as the main feed in the app that is visible to all the other parents.
Throughout our time there, our child was given no consistency in which classroom or adult they worked with which resulted in behavior issues Tara/staff was unwilling to work with whatsoever. Things were changed for a few days and then back to the easy route along with a threat of getting kicked out after he was given 1.5 days to transition to a new classroom full time. The expectations were extreme and children have no grace in faltering without being labeled "bad" for unrealistic expectations. Yes, my child was already saying that he thought that he was a bad kid. His behavior, that was never an issue at home or other childcare settings, was blamed on us for "rocking his world" by needing to go to work every day.
My child was also often picked up with a mess of dried snot on his face that no one had bothered to wipe off all afternoon. There were two separate instances where we questioned the source of a new bruise (one in the middle of his back, one looked like fingerprints around his ankle) to his classroom teacher and was told she noticed it too but had no idea how the child got it.
Anyone can write their own "curriculum,"which Tara loves to brag about. Anyone can be a "teacher" here regardless of their educational level or lack of background in childhood development. Instead of evidence based practices and researched materials that she would need to financially invest in, she does what she wants and sells it to parents with her know-it-all personality-- remember, you're just her customer here. The only thing learned from this "learning station" is that Tara just wants your money and an easy day of babysitting. She will make you feel like an absolute failure of a parent with a horrible child all while she smiles at you. She wants machines she can completely control-- perhaps her salesman skills that could better succeed in a shady used car dealership. Pay heed if your young child has EVER shown any sort of emotion other than contentment and the willingness to listen to an authoritarian tyrant, otherwise you'll probably be looking for a new place soon, too. read more
