This childcare facility is very disappointing. My child started biting while he was teething. I…read morebought plenty of teethers to be strapped to him so he would always have something for the discomfort but I received photos throughout the day and he was rarely wearing them then the biting escalated and I seeked help from his physician who gave me instructions on correcting the behavior. It resolved quickly at home but the daycare would not do the timeouts and correction that had worked at home. Instead they tried to isolate him by putting him in a crib our strapping him in a high chair and continually switched his rooms and teachers to avoid correcting and it continued to escalate. I was dismissed and ignored when I was frustrated they were continuing to isolate him and inflating the situation. My child does not bite when he is with me and stopped after he was corrected over 8 months ago. Then today I get a call that his enrollment is terminated. Effective this week. I am a single mom who works full time and has paid on time for the last year totalling over $16,000. I have had teachers say they are concerned other teachers do not monitor him to descalate before it results in a bite because they are on their phones. When I brought this up to the director she asked who told me that and that teacher was never there again so I assume they fired her. My child is under the age of 2 and before this daycare he hadn't been biting at his previous inhome daycare while we were on the wait list. He has been with the facility a year and they also send him home for staffing issues and ticks as well. They find any excuse to send him home even though I pay them to watch my child while I work.

DO NOT take your child to this place. They owe me a deposit, and it's been over a year, and I still…read morehaven't received it. I get the runaround and the same response when I call. I initially signed up with the young lady who was charged with narcotics, so who knows? I do have all my receipts. My daughter was called the N-word, and that was poorly handled. The staff is nice but the management there is horrible. I will be reporting them to BBB.

Overrated and over priced. This school has made a turn for the worse. The current director only…read morecares about her image. She does not do anything to help out the staff or the children. She has left a single teacher with 17 four year olds when the ratio is 1:10 (Missouri law) for hours... WHILE THE DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR DID NOTHING. Both were fully aware of the situation and they both were able to stop what they were doing to help. The place is a revolving door or teachers. Please don't take your children here. Keep them happy and safe.

Just wanted to thank all the teachers and staff for caring so much for our son for the first 6…read moreyears of his life. During this Covid times we are living in, his teachers still managed to focus on fun learning. He can now read and spell short words and do simple math. He will have no problems in kinder-garten this fall with all your efforts. Thank you, Bill Weishaar

Love N Laughter is my children's home away from home. Every single staff member loves and cares for…read moreboth of my kids. I am so impressed with the balance of play and curriculum. I have complete trust in the director and all of the teachers. I also feel that the tuition is a fair price. Love N Laughter truly is a special place.

Our family loves Love N Laughter! I have two kids there currently and it is wonderful. The entire…read morestaff is amazing and truly care for all of the children- they all know every child by name. I also love how much time they spend outdoors. We are truly grateful to have found such a great place.

I have had my 3 year old daughter and 15 month old son enrolled for a little over a year. The…read moreenvironment has been loving and the education has been excellent. Both of my children have been given good structure and education, and the school provides great feedback on things we can work on so that our children are getting consistency. It is not just a daycare but an excellent preschool. The app is very user-friendly and the teachers do a great job posting pictures - grandparents are also very pleased! My wife and I have found the Kiddie Academy administration great to work with, as well. With COVID they have done a great job with sanitizing and changing protocols, and have been very responsive. We could not be happier.

This is a review for prospective parents for the infant room only…read more My husband and I toured this facility to see the infant room 4 months before our due date. We met with the academy director, Gina, and she gave us an impressive tour. Their curriculum is impressive and their emphasis on education and cleanliness of the school had us hooked. At the end of the visit, we asked about the possibility of enrolling our child. She said there was a waiting list, yet there was still space available for our daughter. She said it was "highly likely" we would be able to get a space. We asked her specifically how many people were on the list, and she wouldn't give us an answer or check, she just said that if we paid a deposit fee we had a " great chance" of getting a space. A few weeks later, we received an email saying that unfortunately many parents with already enrolled students got priority before us (perfectly understanable) and that we were waitlisted for the infant room for over a year! I immediately called the school as I was shocked that the change was day and night from what the director had told us, and her assistant answered. Turns out there were 38 people in front of is on their waiting list to begin with, and that the possibility of us ever getting a space in the first place was minimal. As a working pregnant woman, this situation really stressed me out. When I asked the school about the possibility of getting her enrolled after waiting a year, the assistant said it wasn't likely and that the wait was now actually over two years! I asked if I could get my deposit refunded because there was such a high discrepancy between what we were told at the time we paid and what we were being told now. She said absolutely not. I asked for Gina, the director to call us, and I am still waiting on that call. Worst customer service ever! Unless you have a child already enrolled, I would place a deposit at another school as a back up.

Unhealthy Work Environment Rooted in Toxic Leadership My…read moreexperience at this company as an employee was defined by toxic leadership and a deeply dysfunctional culture. The director consistently made decisions based on personal convenience rather than what was best for staff or the children. There was a strong desire for control, yet staff were reprimanded for not being "independent" enough--creating a no-win situation. Constructive suggestions, creativity, or simply knowing more about a subject than the director were often met with criticism or hostility. The director's moods dictated the tone of the workplace, and if she was having a bad day, everyone felt it. In some cases, personal items were thrown at staff, and interactions could be emotionally damaging. I routinely witnessed the director comment about individual appearances and make professional decisions based on such. Employees are routinely expected to handle personal tasks for the director and owners, including managing their packages, running errands, and printing personal photos--often after hours. If a package is lost or an item is incorrect, staff are blamed and interrogated. There was little regard for work-life balance. The director frequently arrived late or left early for personal reasons, yet staff were not extended the same flexibility. Even in cases of illness, employees were pressured to come in, with little empathy or support. You are required to speak to the director personally when calling off work so that she can question and pressure you to come into work. Resources were limited, with classroom supplies locked away due to misplaced accusations of theft. Staff often had to purchase their own materials. Long-standing broken items were blamed on staff, regardless of logic or context. Perhaps most concerning was the expectation that staff attend charity events and contribute financially, even when it wasn't feasible. There was a clear pattern of manipulation and quid-pro-quo dynamics. Overall, this was a psychologically unhealthy environment that prioritized the needs and egos of management over the well-being of employees. I would not recommend working here unless there is a change of owner.

My children have been attending Lakeside for a little over a year and I can't say enough great…read morethings about the care they receive there. We had actually been searching for a house in the area and I was looking at day cares to get on lists right away - I loved the facility, teachers, and several other accommodations on our tour that we actually ended up reducing our house search to a smaller area specifically because Lakeside offers transportation to and from a few local elementary schools (they're fantastic schools that we were already considering in addition to another district). That was a big win for me. I also love that they provide us with extra time saving amenities - meals and washing nap linens. While smaller scale things, it's just nice not to have to pack healthy lunches for my little ones every day, or realize at 9pm on Sunday that I forgot to wash nap sheets. I was nervous to uproot my children from a school/day care that we already loved, but thankfully the transition was relatively seamless, and I've been very happy with their care and education.

My son attended Westport from infancy through the 3-year-old class. The setup is concerning:…read morebabies, toddlers, then suddenly 3-year-olds placed with 4-5-year-olds in a larger room. That alone shows how little thought goes into the children's development here. This daycare receives funding, yet when I was one of the top two contributors of a fundraiser, the money went to an employee's personal house fire relief instead of the children. You would think a go fund me account would be started instead of using money from a fundraiser. Where's the integrity? Without cameras, parents have no way of knowing what really happens during diapering or bathroom routines, and children can't always explain it. That lack of transparency is unacceptable. Daycare is supposed to support working parents, not make us question our child's safety. Trust is everything in childcare, and this place failed at the most basic level. On top of that, tuition rates were sketchy. I asked multiple times about a rate adjustment after my son was potty trained with moving to the 3 year old bigger class, and got vague answers until his last day--when suddenly the rate dropped by $40. This center has been in business for years, but that doesn't mean it's safe or trustworthy. Longevity without integrity means nothing. I am grateful my child no longer attends Westport. Parents, be vigilant and push for cameras in every classroom, because without them, we'll never truly know what's going on. ------- ------- Updated Review after Business Response: Thank you for your response. I want to clarify a few points for parents who may be considering this daycare. Classroom setup: While ratios may technically follow state guidelines, my concern was with the developmental mix of children. My son's experience showed that compliance and what is best for children's growth are not always the same thing. Fundraiser funds: The center did communicate that fundraiser proceeds would be directed to teachers affected by a house fire. While I sympathize with their loss, I personally felt that using funds raised under the impression of benefiting the children and center was not the most appropriate approach. A separate GoFundMe or designated collection would have offered parents a clearer choice. Safety and transparency: The response did not address my concern about the lack of cameras. In childcare, parents value reassurance and transparency, especially during moments when children cannot fully express themselves. Tuition adjustments: My questions about tuition changes after potty training went unanswered until my son's final day, when suddenly the rate dropped. Clear communication about costs is a basic expectation for parents budgeting for care. Finally, I want to add that I was asked multiple times to leave a review while my son was enrolled, but I chose not to at that time. Reading the tone of the center's reply to my concerns has only confirmed that decision. Rather than addressing my feedback constructively, the response came across as defensive and dismissive. This type of communication does not build trust with parents, it further erodes it. I understand this center has been in business for decades, but longevity alone does not equal trust. My review reflects my personal experience, and I encourage prospective parents to ask detailed questions and tour thoroughly before making a decision.

We've had two daughters attend Westport School. My younger daughter started at 3 months and is now…read morein pre K, so we've been with them through all the ages, from diapers to toddlers to graduating pre-K. My daughter had a very easy time transitioning to kindergarten after finishing preschool here. I recommend Westport School highly and without hesitation. It is a small family owned establishment, which really lets the staff know the kids and form close relationships. Communication with management and teachers has always been easy. My daughters have both been very happy here and my older one loves to stop in and give her favorite teachers hugs even now!

We LOVE The Goddard School in Fenton! Our daughter started there around her first birthday. She…read moreloves going to school, she loves her teachers, and loves playing with her friends. I am thankful to send her to such a great place with positive attitudes, smiling faces and caring hearts each day! One thing I love is the teachers are committed to their Tadpole system which is an app that gives me a recap each day of what she is learning, how long she napped, how we are doing with potty training and BMs, and what she ate that day. It is so helpful in many ways. I know many schools have the ability, but may not always enter the information consistently. Goddard Fenton does an awesome job! I would highly recommend Goddard to anyone with children! We visited many schools before deciding and The Goddard School was by far the most friendly and cleanest!

My son attended Goddard for about two years. He would have continued all the way through and likely…read morebe joined by his little sister had it not all been interrupted by the the pandemic. This Goddard school runs a tight ship and I was beyond impressed with our experience there. I noticed that the tenure for teachers was much longer that what I heard and saw at other places. I was always nervous about daycare--but this place has my complete approval.

I remember somebody hit my daughter with a toy truck as hard as they could, and another time,…read moresomebody bit my daughter on the arm. I don't know what goes on in there, but I don't want to do anything else with this business.

I love this daycare. My daughter has been with the J for a year now, and she can't wait to go there…read moreevery morning. I have never seen a daycare where they would have so many different activities - they have swimming, yoga, science, gym, judaics - kids are always doing something. They also have a beautiful new playground outside, and a play room inside for colder weather. I love that my daughter gets exposed to Jewish traditions, they celebrate Jewish holidays, and send shabbat bag with a different child every Friday to celebrate with family. Every morning all classes get together in the lobby to sing songs and start the day. Everyone always smiles and greets you, it truly feels like family here.