Since my child started her 4.5 years ago, we have gone through 5 directors and assistance directors. The one reason we have stayed during this time is because my child's teacher was great, and I didn't want to pull her out. There has been a lot of turnover in the classrooms as well, but for the most part, it did not have a major impact on my child. Why have we stayed? No other centers have the outdoor recreational area or the menu that the Learning Tree offer. We get daily emails and photos, and also have the availability to see how their day is going as far an naps and meals. This is helpful to know what we are facing during pick up. Also, as I stated above, my child has had amazing teachers during her time there. read more

Support the staff more stop making them do more then what they should. have more of a back bone when it comes to the parents. Stop enrolling children when THE LEARNING TREE HAS NOT ENOUGH STAFF to Adequately care for the children. Not allow the staff to have ANY DAYS OFF even if they are sick and giving out points when they have doctors notes. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE!!! Your child will be treated with love from the their teachers but not from the business just wants your money! read more

Administration does not support staff. Meaning out of ratio. Not having what's needed. Kids not being accounted for. The rule is always tell the parents that the child had a good day even when they didn't. They care more about the bottom dollar then the staff and students.​ read more

STAY AWAY from this daycare. The teacher to kids ratio is out of control. They don't watch the kids. My kid has gotten hurt multiple times. They have increased tuition four times in a year. Beware and don't take your kids to this daycare. read more

It will be almost 1 year since I have had my son at the Learning Tree (Howell) and he loves it. They have organic food, a nice outdoor play area, good security, fun activities to help his development, social interaction with other children and an activity app so you can stay updated on your child's day (very important to keep this updated!!). At first, I will admit there was a lot of turnover in the admin office and with the infant class teachers so after 3 months we were about to leave because it made us feel uneasy to always have a different face when we dropped our son off and we were not getting the proper information sent to us throughout the day (which happens when you don't have a regular lead teacher who is invested in your child's day). Then Miss Emily (Emily Allen) joined and has been my son's lead teacher ever since. She is awesome and makes us feel at ease when we drop our son off for the day. She listens to us and takes note of what he needs, how he is feeling and if he requires something special that day she makes sure it happens. And at the end of the day she gives us a full report of how he did and what we missed (the kid reports are helpful for this). It's difficult to leave your child each day so we are grateful for the wonderful infant room staff (they have other new teachers in both rooms who are all wonderful as well) but we are especially grateful for Miss Emily. read more

We've been at The Learning Tree for 3 years and love it! The building is very clean and kept so w/ natural cleaning products, even down to the essential oils used for providing a calming and natural scent throughout. Nutritious and Organic when possible meals (breakfast and lunch + snacks), are great as well. Not having to worry about breakfast at home in the mornings has been a huge plus as we try to get out the door! The best part, though, are the teachers and staff members. They have treated my daughter as though she were family, they all know her name and greet her, regardless of whether she was a personal student of theirs or not. My daughter loves coming to The Learning Tree every day, and I couldn't imagine bringing her anywhere else. read more

Just wanted to get in for a tour. To do so all locations have to go through one scheduler. We had at LEAST 5-6 un-returned calls both from the tour scheduler and the location we were interested in. This poor communication overall reflects quite poorly on the facility/chain. We're definitely going somewhere else. read more

I absolutely love The Learning Tree and everything that it offers! My daughter has only been going here for a couple of months, but even as an infant she smiles like crazy when she sees the staff. Miss Emily & Miss Taylor are excellent with keeping me updated with everything that is going on throughout the day (I LOVE the pictures) and they are amazing with my 4 month old! My daughter, even though very young, absolutely adores Miss Emily (Her smiles and laughs show it)! Miss Emily has been so amazing and welcoming since day 1 and you can truly tell that she absolutely adores the children! It makes me feel so good knowing that my daughter is taken care of and that she is safe! The staff here is truly amazing and so friendly! read more

Here we are a year later since I left my last review and I'm still giving it 4 stars! The Directors have changed and boy have I noticed a difference, in the positive direction. I feel more involved and in the loop of what is going on. In the past year we have moved through Transitional Preschool and now into Preschool and I have again experienced great staff! I did have some concerns with one of the assistants being the right fit and I think the feeling was mutual because she is no longer with the company. I'm thankful that the directors heard my concerns and really looked into the matter. Thanks TLT Howell for giving me a peace of mind while I'm away at work! read more

We had high hopes for the Learning Tree Howell location, as we were transferring to the Howell location from Livonia West - which we absolutely loved and adored! The two centers are night and day difference, and not in a positive respect. The Howell location needs significant attention - specifically to address overall management issues. After a very brief time at this location, we decided to pull our child completely from their program. Here are a few of the high-level concerns I observed while my child was enrolled at this specific location: - Major issues with Staff Retention: In the four short months we were enrolled at Learning Tree Howell, there was a complete turnover in staffing in my child's classroom, including classroom assistants and lead teachers. In an environment where the teacher / child relationship development is so critical, it does not seem to be a priority to Learning Tree Management. It speaks highly to the overall quality of the center when staff retention is not a primary goal / focus. - Transition from Infant to Toddler Delay: The Learning Tree's website states that the toddler room starts at 12 months - this is not correct. My child was 15 months and still in the infant room, even though all of the milestones required to go from infant to toddler were met. Its difficult to understand how the Learning Tree management expects staff to focus on child development when the children range so greatly in basic developmental needs (think a 12 week old infant vs. a 15 month toddler). Learning Tree management brings children in faster than staff can keep up. When I left, I was told that the toddler room was on a waitlist. So even if I had requested a transition, I would have had to wait for another child to transition out of toddler, or for the staff / child ratio adjustment. Put simply, the age in the infant room at the Howell location does not align to their marketed website, buyer beware! - KidsReport: What is advertised on their website vs. what is actually delivered is VASTLY different. The Learning Tree's website markets to parents stating: "The best part of KidReports is you'll get at least one photo of your child every day, so you can see what your child is learning." This is simply not true. I went a full two weeks without receiving a single photo. In one particular month, I received a picture for only three specific days, even though my child was enrolled full time - five days a week. Based on their website, this would mean I should have received, at a minimum, 20 pictures. The curriculum is never shared with the parents in any other form other than checking the bulletin board. In the four months we attended, other than Mother's Day, we never saw an art project / craft / activity to bring home. Additionally, we were never informed on what was being worked on from a classroom perspective in respect to developmental skills. I would pause long and hard before enrolling with the Learning Tree Howell location. read more

We tried out 4 different Day Care facilities before we came to the Learning Tree. This is hands down the most impressive state of the art facility I have seen! My child loves to go and from what I see has a blast while she is there. When I pick her up she is always in a great mood. We have been using the Learning Tree since our child was 10 months old and absolutely love the staff and security. They have a finger print key pad with personal codes to get into the building. The best think (well I think it is the best) is they have an outdoor splash pad! It is a large area filled with sprinklers, water fountains and jungle gyms. Its basically a mini water park for the kids. It makes me wish I could stay with my child and play. Could not ask for a better child care! read more

I used to love LT Howell but in the last few months they've had WAY too many staff turn overs! My daughter is working on getting her 3-4 lead teaching in less than a year in her Toddler room(s).. This last time she came home with severe diaper rashes due to the new staff not paying attention to her (didn't happen for a year before that, which is how I know & it stopped after I had to throw a fit).. She's now being bit, hit & today even was shoved off a climbing play toy outside by the same aggressive child who recently joined her room! Yet again NOTHING was done until I had to go mama bear mode again. Even still, the child will continue to hurt kids & apparently it doesn't matter to them! Who's watching our kids? Why is my kid never provoking or retaliating (per the incident reports & teachers) yet she comes home with gauges on her forehead, under her eye & nose ?! For the over $1300/mon +$200annual feel, there's no reason my daughter should be getting abused at daycare or even worse have them not care because they can't keep staff due to how awful it's getting. I Loved the LT Howell, recommended MANY ppl there..but now I seriously question keeping my daughter there which really upsets me since she loved it there until getting neglected by constantly changing staff who apparently are Forced to allow it to happen or they get fired (straight from LTs mouth). I never write negative reviews but I wouldn't want anyone else going through what my daughter is & real stories need to be shared!! **Not just positive ones to win LT's contest going on who can write most positive reviews for free tuition!!!!!! read more

Great news! The director has taken another position. Hoping for some good changes so we can see a 5 star review!

We've been going to the Learning Tree in Howell for more than 5 years and I can't say enough good things about it. The teachers are amazing, caring and talented. I know my kids are safe, engaged in fun activities that prepare them for school and most of all they enjoy being there! I feel extremely lucky to have such a wonderful place for my kids so close to my house! read more

Both of our girls attended the Learning Tree after recently moving to the area. Our youngest was in the Infant 1 room, and I DO have to say that we loved those teachers and our experiences with them. Our daughter quickly grew attached to Miss Britney and Miss Dana, and we just adored them. So, I don't want to discredit our experiences with them. However, this review needs to be based on our experiences regarding our oldest daughter. As a mom, I cannot move on from this experience and not be vocal about it. We showed up for our oldest daughter's first day at the LT's Preschool room. Since recently moving, our daughter had regressed on the potty training and was wearing pull-ups. During our initial tour, I had mentioned this, and it wasn't until our first day when we were told that no pull-ups were allowed in the Preschool room. They said on the first day that they would work on it, only gave it 2 days and our daughter (almost 4) was moved to the Transitional Preschool room. During this process, I was not told that that room did not have a lead teacher in there. There was one younger girl, who literally started the week before my daughter. Needless to say, she was overwhelmed with 8 kids to herself in a class where potty training was the main focus. During this time, our daughter started to have tantrums from all of the changes, and I was called almost daily it felt like and asked "what do I do with her at home." I offered suggestions, but with us not having these issues at home, I merely thought that the teachers needed to come up with methods that would work best for them in their environment. I was soon asked to come and pick up my daughter for the day on days when she was having a tantrum. This resulted in once a week for about 5 weeks. Honestly, this is their profession, but I didn't feel like the teacher (or the assistant) was really reaching out to my daughter to integrate her into the classroom. It wasn't until I was called one morning to come and pick her up, I got there and my daughter was HYSTERICAL. She was in the director's office and had been crying and having a tantrum for over an hour. She was complaining about her elbow and didn't really calm down until later that day. Anyways, I was called because she was having a behavioral issue, yet when I asked her teacher later what had happened, the teacher said she fell off of the slide. I didn't think anything of it until a couple of days later, our daughter quit using that arm, and some bruising appeared on her collarbone. We went to the ER where they took x rays and she had been diagnosed with a broken collarbone. We put 2 and 2 together and she had actually broken her collar bone when she fell off of the slide that day that I was called because she was "having a tantrum." The next morning my husband called the director to talk about this and the director was immediately defensive, denying it could have happened there, said she knew nothing about the fall, and was flat out unprofessional over the phone. Initially refused to even watch the video tape of the playground until doctor's notes were received. This initial attitude caught us completely off guard when we just wanted to call up and have a conversation about it. We aren't the type of parents to cause a big stink about things, but when our child was seriously injured, it's our right to find out what had happened. I felt that multiple conversations following that were more about my child's behavior problem, rather than the fact that my child got seriously hurt. It was then that we knew that this was not the place for us. If I had been called that day and told that my child was hurt, rather than her just having a tantrum, then we would have understood that she got hurt and just moved on. Instead, the focus was entirely on her behavior and the unprofessionalism and lack of compassion that the director gave us was a clear sign. Also to note, I never received an incident report until it was requested, and it turned out that the teacher that told me she fell off of the slide, never really saw that happen anyways. It was apparent in our very short stint there that overall the staff is not happy. It's a tense environment and we (and our friends who also have children there) can tell that they are underappreciated. There's a couple of really great teachers that are there because of the kids, that have since left because of this tense environment. The turnover is abysmal. There is not enough stability day to day. It's important to note that in the 7 weeks we were there, our oldest child never brought home a single art project or worksheet except for a Father's Day gift. So, what exactly is the "Learning" Tree's curriculum, and what exactly are they doing all day?In a nutshell....the attitude of the director, the lack of communication, and the turnover for this school was inexcusable. I should note that our kids are somewhere else now. My older child has b read more

First, let me just say that some of the teachers at this center are fantastic...but the way that the staff is treated makes them leave...hence the SUPER HIGH turn-over rate (teachers and admin.). As a former employee, I can tell you that I was made many promises upon hire that weren't kept. The teacher's contract states that all lead teachers were to be given an hour of paid planning time a week - I think I was given a grand total of 90 minutes in the 7 months I was there. Favoritism is rampant and the "bonuses" that are dangled in the teacher's faces are nearly impossible to attain. I was not paid for some work that was completed (equivalent to 2 hours of pay) because a form was not submitted because the fax machine wasn't working. When I asked about this, I was told that I hadn't "followed protocol" and was never paid, even though my direct supervisor witnessed the job being completed and I had two other pieces of evidence that the job was done. I could go on...but I won't. Second, check some of the teacher's qualifications. Some times people are hired because the need for "bodies" is high. Third, when touring, watch and talk to the staff. Do they seem happy to be there...or is it just a job? Are the children happy and engaged or is there a teacher sitting in a chair while the children are playing on the other side of the room? read more

We've been with Learning Tree for 4 years now. My kids love(d) it there. I feel they are safe and well-cared for. The teachers are wonderful! We've had great experiences with all but especially Miss Keri and Miss Stacey. read more

My family's overall experience for the past 4 years with the Learning Tree of Howell has been a pleasant one. I think it is a wonderful facility and the overall experience for my children has been a positive one. However I do have some major concerns with the high turnover rate of the teachers and location managers due to poor treatment from upper management. I have lost track of all the different facility directors there has been in the past 4 years. This creates an unstable learning environment with a lack of consistency for the children. It is unfortunate when they are forced to adapt to a new teacher every few months. Two other issues I have with The Learning Tree are no vacation weeks and registration fees. Other facilities we have used offered some vacation (No pay) days. This is a chance to give their customers a break on paying tuition when on planned vacation . I have 3 children that attend the facility year round, so this would mean a lot. On top of that you charge ridiculous registration fees multiple times per year. This just seems like they are gouging their customers with these fees. read more

If this review was based solely on the appearance and offerings of the facility, or the quality and dedication of the teachers, they would receive close to 5 stars. Sadly though, the upper management here seems extremely disengaged and this has led to very high turnover (sadly of some of the talented and motivated staff). In the four years we've had our daughter enrolled we've had a new center Director every year. Most, if not all, left to pursue opportunities elsewhere because they were not getting the support, resources, or promises made at the regional level. We would have left if we were not blessed with having fantastic teachers throughout the course of our daughters progression through the center. This center has the makings of being an awesome place for kids to learn and grow but sadly unless something is done at the regional level, it will only be dependent on the quality and dedication of the teacher your child is paired with. read more

My daughter has attended the Learning Tree - Howell center two days a week for nearly two years now. It has done wonders for bringing her out of her shell - when she first started she was very shy and did not want to go to "school" - in fact it took quite a bit of time before she would speak to teachers or students. But now she looks forward to her school days; playing with her friends, crafting and learning new things! I can always count on her to enjoy healthy and organic meals during her days at school, get plenty of outside time/fresh air and for the most part I don't attribute many colds/sicknesses to the center. The only reason I give 4 out of 5 stars is because of the turnover - it is extremely high both with teachers and administration. I am not sure what is behind this but it can create a very uneasy, unsure space for young children that need a sense of security while they are growing and developing. The turnover only effected my daughter once when she was in Preschool but the replacement teacher ended up being her old Transitional Preschool teacher, so we have lucked out there. She has really enjoyed each teacher she has had (she started in Transitional Preschool, then moved on to Preschool and is now in Pre-K.) Overall I would recommend The Learning Tree - Howell, but I wish they would get to the bottom of why the turnover is so high and resolve the issues. If the high turnover was eliminated it would be 5 out of 5 stars from me. Briana L. read more

Our son has been enrolled at The Learning Tree for two years now, and we are always happy to recommend it to other parents. The teachers are wonderful and truly love the kids, the center itself has wonderful features, and the menu is FAR superior to any other daycare in the area. read more

The Learning Tree has been a great place for us to take our daughter. She has been there for more than a year. We enjoy the teachers, there is very low turnover which is important and our daughter is well cared for. They serve organic meals every day and do lots of fun activities with the kids to help them learn. We value the time that they spend teaching and helping our daughter. We would recommend it! read more

My child has been a part of the program for over 2 years now, we have experienced 3 different directors due to turn over and just about everyone from the facility has turned over as well with the exception of a couple of staff members. We are highly disappointed in a number of reoccurring issues. 1. My child has a hummus allergy- there have been at least 5 times where she was given it even after they were aware. ( due to revolving staff no one really knows what's going on, on a daily basis) I get an excuse each time it won't happen again or it wasn't that bad of a reaction ( really?? So if it was worse it would be more of a priority?) 2. I pay an absorbent amount of money weekly with the high expectation that my child will get the best care. Not only is the majority of the staff young inexperienced babysitters that get paid less than you would sending a sitter to your house. The rooms are frequently understaffed. There are numerous occasions where the ratio of children to teacher ratio is off. It's almost guaranteed if you have an issue no ones in the office and if your child has a regular teacher that can drive the school bus your child suffers the consistent changes of 'assistants' while their regular teacher is gone playing bus driver all day. ( the Livonia location has specific bus drivers not teachers so u do not understand why still for over a year the regular teachers and constantly dragged out of the classroom) also, my child's water bottle has sat 1/2 full on the counter for 3 days, no one has cleaned it, filled it, and I doubt she's been given it to drink. The new asst. teacher was not familiar or aware of when they get cleaned, in addition to the disaster the classroom has become in the process of yet again rotating staff. 3. With the absorbent amount of money paid is the bragged about organic menu and healthy eating habits. While some meals are excellent,you can guarantee at least 2 of their snacks each day are goldfish or pretzels. They really should incorporate more fruits and veggies as snacks more than once a day if you're lucky. I feed my child much better at home than suggested here. Other learning trees are more focused to teaching the kids to grow gardens and they are a focal point. I couldn't even tell you where the one is here or if anythings planted besides the unlabeled spice bucket at the front door. 4. Kid reports is supposed to be this fabulous measure of what your child eats, activities, naps, photos. It's always inconsistently completed.Some don't know how to fill it out, some don't fill it out. Even the asst. director couldn't properly fill it out when she was left in the classroom for a couple do days after one of the Preschool teachers quit ( she seemed quite stressed and unable to manage a handful of preschoolers- I can forget about any "learning" to occur for yet another lost employee). Again you pay all this money ( more than $40 more a week than other local facilities) for nothing. 5. Management, staff, etc. while most are friendly and helpful I do find many of them overworked and feel unappreciated. Then you talk to the regional director- Karen Ballard. She accepts no responsibility, only pushes everything off and is horrible at responding or resolving any issues you may have with the facility. Most of the staff are unhappy with her as well. I have interacted with Karen personally and found she only cares about making money and not the well being of the children. She stresses education and curriculum with the staff but if you can't even retain your own staff then why invest the money in adulation for them? How about finding ways to keep your employees happy. I understand child care isn't the highest financial career, however wouldn't a company try to develop and retain people working and create loyalty and essentially happier employees leads to happier kids. The last director left to go to a different competing child care facility. That speaks volumes. I would not recommend anyone waste their time here. It's a great idea for a facility however poorly executed repeatedly no matter who runs the place. read more

All of the other comments regarding picking up their children with dirty pants or diapers, high turn over rate, missing clothing and bedding, and lack of organic food as advertised are all absolutely true. My children attended here since they first opened in Howell (2011). This daycare facility was adequate for their care for the first year, but then the turn over in teachers and directors began. Unfortunately, there is not a stellar day care in this area and our kids remained under their care until the summer of 2015. We then switched to a day care outside of the area until they started school in the Fall. I thought that we were finished dealing with them until I went in to pick up the tax form for our taxes this year. That is when I realized that we had overpaid last year and they failed to inform us and reimburse our money. It has been almost 2 months and several phone calls and the run around, and we still have yet to see our money. This organization is nothing like other day care learning centers (like Tutor Time, where our son attended for several years while we lived elsewhere). I do not feel that they provide the proper structure nor stability that other learning centers provide. Shame on them for taking advantage of trusting parents. read more