This is a review of summer camp. I sent my child to one of their specialty camps last summer and…read moreshe and the other campers were treated poorly. They were denied snack time and had their slime that they made taken away and given to other kids. The reason for this was a pocket-sized light was found in the pool after their group got out. The camp instructor tried to get the kids to "confess" as to who took the thing and basically punished them when no one spoke up. As if the kids would know who did it. When the camp director finally got back to me when I emailed her, she admitted that one of the kids could have accidentally put in their pocket and that the "punishment" wasn't appropriate. I wouldn't send my child to this camp again.

Great instructors, friendly staff, always clean. Every instructor very knowledgeable.read more

Amazing center, very clean and colorful. The staff is amazing as well as the Center Director Ms…read more Kim! The app is constantly up to date and the longevity of the teachers is wonderful. Would recommend sending your child to this location.

Before deciding upon TLE, we looked into 6 daycare centers for our children. TLE was by far the…read moreeasiest decision for our family. TLE offers a safe, clean, and family-like atmosphere. They have early morning and later evening hours. Their tucked away location and two door swipe-entry security put my momma heart at ease knowing my babies aren't easily accessible to those with malicious intentions. The staff are kind, warm and communicative. The classrooms are clean and truly child-centered. There are activities galore! I love the daily updates and pictures so I can see my kiddos and what they're experiencing throughout the day. I cannot recommend TLE more highly. I am forever grateful to Kim, Erin and the teaching staff for making my children's experience one they look forward to daily.

My daughter and I knew we would love COA when we first toured it with Ms Sandra the director. My…read moredaughter started her learning path with COA September of this year. She's a preK student. She has two great teachers by the name of Ms Amanda and Ms Angie, my daughter admires these two women so much. Learning: her teachers have broaden her knowledge on so many things from counting, problem solving, expressing herself, learning the letters in the alphabet and not just by singing them. She's learning how to tell the difference between lower case and upper case letters. Learning about her body parts and how they function. To even diving into fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Going over the roles people play in our community was another. There's much more but that's all I can think of. Events: the events they have are great and brings a huge smile to the little one's faces which just warms our heart. Child updates: I enjoy receiving daily updates and pictures of what my child is doing in preK as well! Another main reason I chose COA Security system: what COA has in place is great and is another main reason why I chose COA. Everyone that we personally have encounters with at COA has been nothing but friendly, kind, sincere, caring, compassionate, and respectful. To name a few of course her teachers Ms Amanda, Ms Angie, then there's Ms Sandra, Ms Daina, Mr Mark, the Chef and the front desk lady (sorry if I spelled anyones name wrong). There's so many others too I just unfortunately don't know everyone's names. I love how COA promotes a supportive learning environment, academics, social, emotional, physical fitness, and health development. I believe their motto is "Mind and Body Matters." Which you can see throughout their curriculum. My daughter loves going to school. I know she feels valued, respected, and safe. The kids are great too, she's made so many friends. Never not once heard anything bad about what other kids do to each other or to her. Once my youngest turns 3 I will definitely apply for her to attend preK here at COA too. Thanks COA team for making Olivia's preK journey so far extraordinary. Ps - so sorry for the rant!

The first year we were there it was fine. Ms. Charlene was the best teacher we could ever ask for…read more There were some red flags that we realized but nothing too serious until when Ms. Charlene would call off and there was a sub, all hell broke loose. I watched as she would drag the kids because she was trying to clean. But the second a parent walked in she could somehow pick them up gently? By the time my baby went to toddler B, which had no Ms. Charlene I will add, it got worse. There was a video them reading to the kids and there was a split couple of seconds where a little boy started hitting my daughter. Instead of doing anything the teacher recording chose to cut out my daughter who was getting hit and tackled while the other teacher continued reading like nothing happened. They had more slides that showed my daughter still being hit and they just ignored it. There were a couple instances where my daughter would come home with bumps, like she got hit or somrthing, on her face and when I would ask what happened all of the teachers would say they don't know what happened and they weren't in class at the time. No accountability at ALL!!! Finally for a good year I've been paying almost $300 per day after coverage by CCIS, I voiced my concerns since i was even getting charged when my daughter was absent due to getting sick. After I got approved and it was her last month in Children of America. They called me and my husband saying that they can lower the co pay to $50 and if it was too much we can even lower it to $30. Where was that when I was spending almost a grand per week? Now that I'm leaving you want to help me out? If it wasn't for Ms Charlene trust me, my daughter would be out a long time ago. The teachers for the toddler class has put me on edge, are rude to me, my husband, and my kids who pick up my daughter. They don't watch my kid at all even with me paying a $300 for co pay a day!!! I should've pay more close attention to the red flags a long time ago.

This place is amazing. I trust them with my kids lives 100%. Both of mine go here. They've…read morelearned a ton. Every single teacher is amazing. Gretchen is great. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a daycare. Don't hesitate to check this place out. Regarding the bad review from Cory from three years ago: he's an idiot who obviously likes to complain if you look at his other reviews they're all one star so it seems to be a theme with him. This place is awesome. Look no further.

The entire faculty and community makes you feel like you're a part of a great big family. Every…read moreteacher I have met has been so welcoming and friendly, even if they are not my son's teacher. The bonds and relationships my son is making with his peers and teachers is just setting him up for a positive educational future. We couldn't be happier with our decision!

Pools that are never open. Basketball courts that are never used for basketball, only ping pong and…read morepickleball.

Speaking as a lifelong West Chester resident. I've been a member of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine…read morefor some time, primarily using the West Chester location on Airport Road. While I appreciate the facilities and the overall mission of the Y, I am increasingly frustrated with the inconsistent and arbitrary enforcement of rules in the Wellness Center, which has significantly impacted my experience. The posted Wellness Center Rules clearly state under "Personal Belongings: Please store bags and items in lockers." Recently, however, this guideline has been strictly enforced as a outright ban on gym bags on the floor, with staff citing "safety reasons" (potential tripping hazards). Yet many other rules on the same sign--such as re-racking weights and avoiding dropping them, limiting cardio machine use to 30 minutes during busy times, using headphones for music/videos, and wiping down equipment--are routinely ignored. Unracked weights, dropped barbells, and cluttered equipment create far greater safety risks than a responsibly placed gym bag, but these violations go unaddressed, even during peak hours. Even more concerning is the allowance of independent, non-YMCA-affiliated CrossFit sessions on the wellness floor. This is not a dedicated CrossFit facility, and these high-intensity group workouts frequently involve heavy lifts and dynamic movements that result in dropped weights (directly violating the posted "avoid dropping" rule) and take up large areas of shared space, increasing risks for other members. CrossFit carries well-documented higher injury potential compared to standard individual workouts, yet it appears to be permitted without oversight. This double standard suggests favoritism or other priorities over consistent safety and fairness for all members. Regular gym-goers like myself rely on a gym bag for practical reasons: it keeps essentials organized (clean clothes, towels, water bottles, recovery tools), maintains hygiene by separating sweaty gear, and supports efficient routines for busy schedules. Some members even carry emergency medical items--inhalers, EpiPens, or glucose monitors--for conditions like asthma or diabetes, needing quick access during workouts. Unfortunately, these selective policies and lack of uniform enforcement reflect poorly on management. It feels as though member convenience, fairness, and actual safety take a backseat to arbitrary decisions. This is the primary reason I give the West Chester YMCA low referral ratings and hesitate to recommend it to others. I hope leadership will review these practices to ensure rules are applied consistently and the facility remains a truly positive, safe, and welcoming space for everyone--as the posted sign promises.

Don't put your child in their care. My 3 year old grandson went to Play and Learn. We'd send him…read morewith a sippy cup (because food isn't provided), and at the end of the day, his sippy cup was untouched. They'd rather the child dehydrate than have to risk a potty accident. Horrible.

I have had two children enrolled here and for the most part I am happy. I think the price is…read morecomparable to other nearby facilities, and I never doubted if my children were in safe hands! With the school being directly across from the hospital, and with many hospital employees' children enrolled here, I find that this center has less days off than many other pre-schools, which is a bonus. The school's two directors were usually accessible and if they were not, they would respond in a reasonable amount of time. Regarding the teachers, my children love all them but I have a particular fondness for Miss Tiff, Miss Britt and Miss Ty and while I am new to her, my three year old who can be particular about who she interacts with, loves Ms. Emily, so I do, too. Ms Tiff and Ms. Britt were excellent at detailing the kids' days and their projects were plentiful. They really are a valuable asset to the center! Regarding why, I am only giving 4 stars, there are minor things that I would like to see in other classrooms, but they are opinion based and I will keep them to myself -- but overall, I am happy with my decision to place my children here.

Our family has been very cautious with the ongoing pandemic due to health issues. We have followed…read morethe recommendations of the CDC and mandates set forth by the governor and his office because we are not medical professionals. When I spoke with the owner, Jodi, of the school, after the mask mandate was declared by the governor, I wanted to confirm that they would be in compliance with this order so that I could feel safe knowing that some medical precautions were being taken to keep my child (and our family) from contracting COVID. Jodi explicitly stated that some of the two year olds "are disgusted by" wearing masks and that wearing masks "upsets them" so the staff would "not force them to wear" masks. This was obviously concerning, especially since earlier in the summer, Jodi had told my wife that the school would not be enforcing mask wearing unless the governor mandated it, and now that it was mandated, Jodi would be going against the medical advice of those advising the governor and made it clear that even though the governor's mandate was now in place, the school would still not enforce it. I called and spoke with Jodi to request a refund of our deposit, due to the continuing concerns that we had, after Jodi made it clear that mask wearing would, in essence, be optional for those in the two year old room, despite the mandate. Jodi claimed that I was "twisting [her] words," that "the governor is crazy" if he thinks two year olds will keep masks on all day and repeatedly said that she knows from her personal experiences while raising three kids that two year olds will not keep masks on. As a father of toddlers who have navigated this pandemic with masks on, I feel very at odds with Jodi's assessment of children's capability to follow directions from adults and wear a mask. In the end, Jodi refused to return our deposit and explained that it would remain on file for six months in the event that we decided to send our child there in the future. Truthfully, after our experience with Jodi, we have very little interest in sending our children there, pandemic or not. Had we been given assurances and felt the least bit comfortable with Jodi's handling of this matter or her willingness to comply with state mandates, then we would certainly be interested in enrolling our children in the future. Under normal circumstances, I understand why the deposit would be non refundable within the 30 days notice; after Jodi made it clear that the school would not mandate masks unless the governor ordered it, we were resigned to the fact that we would likely forfeit our deposit and not send our child if it was not mandated. We were relieved when it was ordered but a bit distraught when Jodi expressed an unwillingness to comply with or encourage mask wearing in the two year old room. If Jodi had assured us that the school would be complying with the mask mandate and helping children to adjust to mask wearing instead of letting them go unmasked, then our child would be in the school at this very moment. Instead, we've found a better program that is serious about protecting the health of children.

Our daughter spent the best two years of her young life at Goddard School of Bala Cynwyd! The…read moreinstruction is rigorous and high quality, truly preparing your child for Kindergarten and beyond. From the leadership to the teaching ranks, every member of this team is kid-driven and will cater to the academic and social needs of all students. If Goddard extended into the elementary years, there would be no doubt that our daughter would attend there. Thank you Jody, Bill, the directors, our daughter's teacher, Emily.... you all are simply amazing!

When we first moved to Philadelphia, our daughter was five months old and had never been cared for…read moreby anyone but my wife and I and our extended family. I was very apprehensive about putting her in daycare and I knew nothing about what to even look for in a daycare. At Growing Tree, I felt at ease right from when I walked through the door for that first visit to check the place out. The staff is incredibly friendly and each and every one of them cares a great deal about their work and approaches every day that way. My daughter grew to love it very quickly while the staff was very accommodating of my overly concerned checking in on her during the first couple of weeks. The facility is spacious and has lots of natural light, great toys, and a large outdoor space (which also has lots of nice equipment). They are also fully supportive of cloth diapering, which was great for us. The staff was very responsive any time we raised any concerns (which was very rarely) and always wanted to work with us to make things better. The prices are also incredibly reasonable considering the quality of the services provided. Finally, the daycare also puts on lots of great events and excellent programming for the children of all age groups without any added cost. My daughter is now 2 years and 4 months old and I'm devastated that we have to leave Growing Tree because we are moving to Chicago for my job. Growing Tree was one of, if not the best thing for our family about living in Philadelphia and I have no doubt that had we stayed here she would have continued there right through their pre-K program. In the time we were at Growing Tree, my daughter went from being a baby who could barely roll over to a toddler who plays in the sand and talks about everything from kitties to stoplights and the teachers and staff at Growing Tree were there for every step of the journey nurturing her development and helping us so much along the way. It's difficult to put into words how much this means to me, but it's something I will never forget. When my daughter talks about the teachers and staff at daycare there is so much love that is evident in her voice and my heart breaks that she has to say goodbye. But, I take some solace in knowing that her time here has built a foundation for the rest of her life--not just because she learned how to drink out of a cup or sit in a circle, but because she also learned how to have a friend, how to treat people with respect and kindness, and what it means to be a part of a community. Especially now, the world can be a really horrifying place but every now and then you come across people who make you feel good about humanity and I felt that way every time I dropped my child off or picked her up at Growing Tree. The people there have changed my daughter's and our lives for the better and she is just one of hundreds of children who will get to benefit from being in such a nurturing environment thanks to their selfless efforts.

My son was in daycare for a few months as an infant and again now as toddler. I worked in child…read morecare for many years, so I feel that my expectations are very reasonable. However, we were so dissatisfied with the infant care and another "state of the art" shiny facility that we couldn't bring ourselves to take him back. We took another look at Growing Tree and my mommy instincts felt at ease. My son is taking some time to adjust, but he is being nurtured and loved through the process. The staff here is PHENOMENAL. The people are more beautiful than any new building could be.