I liked Learning Years so much that, even after we moved from Beaverton down into the depths of Tigard, i put off finding a more local day care for almost a year. I drove about seven miles each way because i wasn't sure i could find another preschool that would be anywhere near as good.
My son started here when he was 1.5, in Little Todds, and he was halfway between PreSchool 1 and PreSchool 2 when i finally had to admit that the gas costs were getting stupid. In every classroom, he was looked after by teachers who clearly loved children, and clearly knew how to teach and relate to the age group they handled.
There are a huge variety of activities, both inside and out, at this center. There are large, age-appropriate playgrounds that are in use any time the weather allows it. When it's rainy, they stay inside and paint, color, dance, count, or whatever else the teachers can come up with.
You can set up just about any part-time schedule if you need to. I know from shopping around that a lot of day cares have pretty rigid schedules, so if you need to do half-days, or some days but not others, Learning Years is probably one of your best bets.
You can also pay by credit card and have the tuition automatically paid instead of futzing around with checks all the time.
One random thing i really liked about Learning Years was the they would troop the younger kids down to the infant/wobblers rooms every once in a while. This helped the little ones get used to the idea of tiny babies (and taught them to whisper if you tell them "babies are sleeping", which is awfully useful). Since most 1-2 year olds don't have a younger sibling yet, this really helps them get used to the idea of babies before they might have to deal with one every day at home should their parents have another, or when visiting friends and family who have infants.
So i guess the short version is that Learning Years is run by nice, helpful people who love kids. They're great. I wish i could have brought them with me when i moved. read more
