My daughter attended Rising Star for the majority of her toddler- hood; I am so happy that we found…read morethem, as she learned so much and was more prepared for kindergarten than most of her classmates. It is obvious that Gloria Foster, the director, just loves children and it's a labor of love for her and her husband Tom, which is a rare quality. I would not hesitate to recommend A Rising Star to any parent looking for a daycare in the Hudson Valley area.

I was a toddler teacher here for 3 years, I even painted murals that can be seen throughout the…read morecenter. It's a BEAUTIFUL place, the nature and location are wonderful. This was the best job I ever had. I have made some life long friendships with fellow coworkers, parents & kids- they truly made it so worthwhile. Your children will absolutely receive great care while here. Ultimately what lead to my decision to leave was toxic management. New hires were also making significantly more, which felt like a slap in the face to me considering I was viewed as the directors "right hand man". I had often expressed how I felt to the director but it never really seemed to matter, numerous other employees also confided in me that they felt the same way. I miss this job every day, but overall I am much happier now that I feel appreciated where I work.

Many working parents claim to want the best in childcare and then proceed to place their child in a…read morefacility in which the caregivers spend more time on their mobile phones than they do talking to the kids. Perhaps they don't have the time to research the different options in the area or maybe all they care about is the price or the cute name in the window. I'll lay it out for you because I've used three different childcare options in the area and have been able to watch the care provided by all three providers in town: If you truly care about your child's mental, emotional, intellectual and physical well-being, Childrenspace is your ONLY option. Why? 1. The CS teachers LOVE children. This would seem obvious, but it's really not. These are older, wiser, experienced caregivers -- not high school graduates looking for a paycheck or people looking for a temp job. 2. The CS teachers pay attention to your child. That's right -- walk into CS and you'll see the teachers on the floor beside the children playing and teaching from an interactive position. The CS staff is always involved and never hovering. Again, this would seem obvious right up until you go to the park and see the caregivers from the other facilities on their phones and gossiping with each other. In more than a year, I NEVER saw a single CS teacher holding a cell phone. If you want to ignore your kids at home, that's your prerogative, but they will NOT be ignored at CS. 3. The CS teachers are EXPERIENCED. A single teacher at CS probably has more experience than all of the teachers at a nearby school. When problems or conflicts arise at CS, the teachers quickly resolve them using their 20+ years of experience. You won't hear yelling, screaming or chaos inside of CS. The children are spoken to like real people and treated in a way to inspire their best behavior. 4. The CS Management/Owner is superior. Sherry has been doing this for more than 30 years. She isn't one to sit in her office and hide from the children. Instead, she's on the floor every day beside the children, reading to them, teaching them how to be good human beings, and handling discipline issues in a gentle but firm manner. 5. CS is a quiet and happy place. I've been inside the premises of all of the local care providers and you won't find one that is run more smoothly and appropriately than CS. The children are unusually happy. Crying is extremely rare. Children play together cooperatively, despite age differences. Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated and is dealt with quickly. Children easily adapt to the routines and are thrilled to have choices in their daily curriculum. 6. CS is a healthy environment. Prior to my daughter's enrollment, I had heard rumblings about CS being a food nazi kind of place. In fact, that's not true at all. These children are 2-5 years old and Sherry simply has their best interests at heart. Whether it's behaviorally, emotionally or nutritionally, CS wants to teach your child to make good choices, and it's no different with food. Diet is an important component of your child's development and trying to dictate that your child absolutely needs his Twinkie or Pop Tart won't benefit anyone. 7. CS has great outdoor space. One of my concerns about some of the local facilities is the lack of outdoor activity and that's often because of the lack of space. CS has an amazing backyard, a swing set, a set of picnic tables, toddler appropriate structures, and a protected blacktop area for tricycles. Plus, they take the kids to the park each day! If you hate the idea of your child being stuck inside a room for 8-10 hours each day, you don't have to worry about that at CS. 8. CS Routines. Author Stephen Covey talks a lot about habit. Daily routine becomes habit. At first, walking to the library up that giant hill every Wednesday seems daunting but soon it becomes habit. Making good decisions about their choice of playtime activity becomes habit. Respect for each other will also become a habit. 9. Periodic Reports. After a few months at CS, we were called into Sherry's office for a 'report card'. In actuality, it was a narrative report written up by Sherry with input from my daughter's primary CS caregivers. It was THREE pages. In five years of elementary schooling, I haven't received one-tenth of that level of feedback about my son. To see how your child is perceived by four or five experienced caregivers can be an eye-opener but it's also a blessing to be able to see that your child's behavior at home isn't necessarily the way they behave in a different environment. The value of these reports is immeasurable. 10. CS is unlike any other childcare facility I've seen. Choosing a childcare provider means selecting a place where your child will be developing for 1500+ hours each year. If you deeply care about your child's well being, don't leave it to chance: Choose Childrenspace.

We've had our daughter at Childrenspace for about 9 months and both we and she like it a lot.read more

Updated Review July 2024…read more I've removed my child from this School. My son is now 3yrs, from 7months to about 16months things remained the same as what is described above. He stepped up to another class in which he was the youngest, Mrs. Forbes (Owner/Director) asked because she needed to make room for another child. My wife and I agreed, we felt like it wasn't a big deal. Unfortunately the level a care went down tremendously. For example: Diapers not being put on properly on multiple occasions, using someone else's diapers, my son had scratches on his arm because an employee was allowed to grow their nails out and in the mist of trying to save my son from bumping his head on a sink, she grab him and left scratches on his arm ( This incident happen mid week Mrs. Forbes didn't look into the matter or contact me about the matter until 2 weeks later). My son eventually was removed from that classroom due to several meetings I had discussing the same issues over and over with Mrs.Forbes who would make excuses and referred to First Step's as the best daycare in middletown and no other place provides the type of services she does. After the countless meetings, my son was place in a class that had kids younger then him. Mrs. Forbes felt like the teacher was competent in which she was. Things got back on track, he had some regression being in a class with kids that were younger then him in which there was some behavioral issues but the teacher stuck it out and assisted in getting him potty train which we greatly appreciated. Most individuals would ask why leave those things are minor, your child is happy and well taken care of after you had several meetings. Under the suggestion of Mrs.Forbes we had our son's behavior evaluated, findings came back normal with the exception of him needing a new environment. Mrs. Forbes is condescending, her attitude is nasty, she believes the parents have some obligation to her and the way she wants things done, there is no accountability, and she forgets that she works for the parents and children. I gave a four weeks notice before I left, I ultimately pulled my son out before the agreed time because she is not a woman of her word, as far as contract and hours that were suppose to be given. Mrs. Forbes made and executive decision to give me a credit instead of honoring the last 2weeks at 12hr days. Mrs. Forbes made it seem like she was doing me a favor when gave me a credit. Mrs. Forbes didn't stand by her word, when that was brought to her attention she disregarded what was agreed on and basically ignored the agreement that was made. My wife and I were upset over agreement that was made that she didn't honor. So we called for a meeting (Monday). Mrs. Forbes has a camera as well as a mic outside her door, my wife who does not curse called her a witch because she did not honor the agreement we set. Mrs. Forbes then called me to call me unprofessional and how she had patience with my wife and I. I think i had the patience. I will never recommend her business again. Good Luck to the Guy I Seen outside trying to get a spot at Missed Steps. FYI We did get our deposit back, i believe it was out of damage control rather than sincerity.

I don't usually write reviews but I really feel like this center needs to be recognized. First…read moreSteps is always concerned about the safety of their children. The center is always kept clean and you can tell the owner really loves what she does and cares for my daughter like she's her own. It's like a home away from home for my daughter who loves it there. There was separation anxiety at first which is normal when first being introduced to a new environment, but now she really enjoys it. I can really see a change in her developmentally. I love this place. It's really a step up from all other day care's. They really put in the time and effort. I wish this place was open when I had my first first daughter!

Love this place. Everyday my daughter is super excited to go. Highly recommend. Good teachers and…read moregood people running it. If not for Happy hearts we would've probably moved out of the area.

Received an email last Friday in February that my 3 year old son couldn't return due to him hitting…read moreanother kid in the class even though 2 weeks prior my son was getting praised because of how outstanding his behavior was. When speaking with daycare director to ask about the email, they informed me that the other parents in the classroom who weren't even involved had called in pretty much teaming up to say my son needed to be removed. No warning , no type of plan, but accommodated another student who was a biter with a biting plan in a no biting facility. Nonetheless , teachers were very nice, but lacked classroom management. I would come to pick up my kid and other kids were climbing and classroom smelled like diapers. I waited a month to write a review in order to see if my son would have any issues with the new center he's in and he has not . This place had me get my son evaluated in which district said he couldn't be classified and classroom needed to find other forms of keeping the class engaged. Best of luck to you guys though.

Beware. The owner of the daycare and nursing home, Personal Healthcare, places profit over quality…read moreof care and safety. The daycare, run under the name Yorktown Child Care Center, was forced-shut down by OCFS in May 2022 for a serious mold issue that the owner had known about, and ignored, since at least October 2021. The owner hired a unlicensed mold assessor and never produced any results or useful information to desperate parents who have been left with unanswered questions about why multiple children are experiencing persistent respiratory issues. Personal Healthcare shouldn't be allowed in business let alone be allowed to continue to buy and operate facilities that provide "care" to our most vulnerable populations.

Our first two years at the center were fantastic, with caring and experienced teachers and…read moreassistants who were communicative and exceptional. Over our son's final year at the center, the quality of care declined and staff turnover increased at an alarming rate. Issues with access, including getting in and out of the center, changed for the worse. The swipe system they had in place stopped working and was replaced with a new system that continued to fail. There were times where I had to walk around and through the other side of the center (which is NOT secured) in order to get to my son's classroom. Newer staff never identified themselves or confirmed the identity of those picking up the children, which was concerning especially given there were children in the classroom who were covered by orders of protection. My son was fed food that had been included on his allergy list several times (which was supposedly posted throughout the classroom), after which I would receive photographs of his face covered in hives and red rash that lasted for hours afterwards. I no longer felt confident in their ability to care for my son, and caught wind of other instances that took place where other children were neglected that was not properly reported, and so I made the decision to remove him from their care as of April 2020. We have since found alternative and far superior care in a local preschool program.