When I first placed my eldest child with the summer program, I thought it was a godsend. I…read moreeventually enrolled my child for the Fall program and then placed my second child with this program despite some hiccups, as any reasonable parent would not have the expectation that any center run to perfection. Any issues I had, I'd bring immediately to Maria or Lydia. However, 2.5 years later, this place has proven to be a hell-send!
Don't get me wrong, they are great on the academic front, but the place is run poorly as a workplace. After more than several hiccups, I have worked to maintain a positive relationship with Maria and Lydia regarding any issues I have ever had. However, "the board," whom you will never meet, makes decisions concerning your application without allowing you to appeal and they leave poor Maria to do their dirty work. Lydia is more than likely on that board and never once picked up the phone to get clarification from me. When I'd see her, she'd just smile in my face and agree. Now she refuses to respond to my request to appeal the "board" decision. I was turned away this year because I simply asked them to be accountable to me concerning my children and I stated that I do not waive my rights to seek legal recourse for any negligence, not towards All Star, but towards the negligent individual - something I started saying after things started happening. It was stated to me that any time my child got hurt, it was a problem because my children stated that they needed to call and check in with me.
To name a few issues: My child was left standing in front of school for an hour alone while waiting to be picked up by an All Star employee and it was the school that contacted me; my child's face and mouth were busted from an accident with another kid and All Star had a problem calling me; my child's hand was injured due to another child stabbing with a pencil and All Star did not want to call me; my child's driver picked her up from school on foot and walked to All Star and yet I found out from my child that she walked from school to the center and the driver still took my money for that day until I said something; my child stepped in dog poo while walking a few blocks from the center with her driver. Her shoe was not cleaned, but she was told to remove her shoes and ran around the entire center in socks for several hours and no one called. The list goes on and now I'm looking like the unreasonable parent. On top of it all, their "accountant" can barely do math, let alone apply payments correctly.
Do not ask your driver for a receipt because they don't provide that and you barely get invoice/statements.
All I asked was that they be accountable when my children have either gotten hurt, bullied or not picked up. That is a problem for them because they think they have a legal issue on their hands when dealing with my children, which is not the case. It is a problem when you refuse to show yourself as accountable. Enough events have transpired for me to be alert when my children were at All Star. Despite all, my children were very happy here and looked forward to coming back and I did my best to oblige them as a mother and protect them at the same time. I was told that since the summer camp would have more field trips this year, it would be too much of a risk to admit my children into the program. That is a complete lie, considering that All Star always has numerous trips during the summer, so nothing had changed.
In addition to their monthly fee, they charge $5-$6/day per day to have your child picked up and transported from their school to All Star during the regular school year. They also recently imposed an additional $10/per minimum day when your child has to be picked up on minimum days. The new fee was effective immediately - nope, no 30 day notice. The "teachers" are young, smart and nice kids that are barely out of high school, but lack the skills to be accountable to parents because the center does not train them! That is not their fault, but the employer's fault, so that explains the 1 star.
I'm sure other people have had better experiences, but while I have given them every chance and have been merciful, they have not be merciful towards me in the slightest. I'd spend my money elsewhere if you want accountable care and for your child to call you when something happens.