We are very thankful for the Goddard Dedham School. The communication is excellent and we receive a…read morenumber of pictures and details about our children's daily activities. My kids started as infants and have learned so much! Colors, ABCs, numbers, writing their name, etc. They've learned even more about kindness, empathy and gratitude. The social skills they get at a young age are incomparable. We couldn't be happier with the teachers and staff that create such a wonderful experience for the children to learn and grow!

My family has been a proud member of The Goddard School of Dedham for 4 years, having sent 3 of our…read more4 children here. We have felt as though the teachers and staff have been an extension of our family. My children have all loved their time with The Goddard. They are greeted with hugs and smiles each day, and talk about missing their teachers and friends when not at school. The curriculum fosters learning with an interactive, age appropriate approach that makes learning exciting each and every day. We have been blessed to be part of the Goddard Family, and without reservation recommend them to care for and teach anyone's child. There is no better peace of mind than knowing your children are loved and treated so well when in someone else's care.

Our family has been having a wonderful experience at LLEC. The staff is professional, responsive,…read moreunderstanding and attentive. The babies are well cared for and receive positive stimulation between music, fun toys, books and just interactions! Plus, we are at ease knowing we can check on our baby throughout the day both on the app and on the live stream. Also, the communication to and from management has been great. They are proactive in offering timely and helpful updates and responsive to any questions or concerns we have. This day care truly "cares". Recommend!

Today 3/12/2020 at around 6:30 pm after all parent picked up their kid. The center sent out an…read moreemail to parents stating the center will be closed the next day morning until the end of the month for now due to the Corona Virus. Unlike other daycare which gives at least 24 hours notice. They decide to avoid any conversation with parents in person and just shot out an email after all parents leave with their children. Closing of the center to prevent community spread is understandable. However, the Center still demand parents to pay for the full tuition which is over 100 dollar a day while it remains closed is not very reasonable. In a time like this, school employees still need to get paid and the money comes from either the owner of the facilities or all the parents, but I wonder if they are getting their full-salary while parents paying full tuition or they are only getting paid on a discounted rate because that would be a shame.

Neponset Child Care Center is a great preschool. I've had my son there for the past 2.5 years, and…read morehe enjoys it there. The staff are very caring and dedicated. The school is clean and neat, there's a huge, enclosed play area behind the building that is well-stocked with toys and things for the kids to play with. They structure each day, and the kids learn a lot. If you're worried about safety (which any good parent is), you'll be happy to know that NCCC is about 3 buildings down from the local fire station. The other kids and their parents are just nice, normal people from all walks of life. We've only had positive interactions with the kids, parents, and teachers. My son will heading off to kindergarten soon, and it's really hard to leave. They are great people who care for your kid just as much as you do.

I love, love, love this daycare. The staff is so friendly and loving. The children do cute crafts…read moreand get to play outside in the large yard. My child opened up so much after just a few months here. Its a great price too!

My son is in his 2nd year at Gentle Dragon and I'm so impressed with how much he has grown both…read morementally, emotionally, and socially. We visited several preschools locally and nothing even comes close in terms of quality of care as well as transparency of what happens in class. I believe this is due to several factors: - Joelle, their teacher, is deeply caring, very experienced, and highly skilled - Not only is it a parent co-op but it seems that the type of parents it draws also care deeply about the development and well being of the kids. This shows in our monthly meetings, in the activities and offerings that are created for the kids regularly, as well as the sense of team work and camaraderie among the parents and Joelle, all in the spirit of making it the best place possible for our children. - Lastly, the level of misbehavior, conflict between children, etc is negligible. A vast majority of the time the class feels pleasant, harmonius, and is such a joy to be in. I look forward to the 1 or 2 times a month I get to be a parent helper. Its often the highlight of my week. I also attribute this to Joelle and all the parents, helping the kids build great socio-emotional skills and a deep sense of safety and security. If you are looking for preschool for your child and you want the best for them, I dont think you need to look further.

Gentle Dragon is such a special place! We feel so lucky to have found this hidden gem of a…read morepreschool. GD is a cooperative preschool, meaning that the parents actively participate in running the school, from helping in the classroom twice a month to serving as board members. It really has a "village" feeling, where everyone gets to know one another and supports one another. There are just 13 kids ages 3-5 in one mixed-age classroom led by preK teacher extraordinaire Joelle. She is one of those magical individuals who is simply amazing with kids. She has decades of experience and was the director of another preK program before deciding she wanted to get back to the classroom and the kids. She runs a truly family and child-centric program and accepts every child (and person!) for who they are, meeting them where they are and helping them grow. Our daughter had a lot of trouble separating from me even for activities like gymnastics or swimming, so I was expecting a pretty tough transition to preschool. But it was so smooth! Joelle lets incoming children and parents visit as often as they want during the school day to get to know her and the classroom, AND she does home visits for every single student before September rolls around, so our child was already super comfortable by the time she started. There have been some teary partings, but Joelle has really helped us work through her separation anxiety, and our daughter absolutely LOVES school. The day to day at GD is exactly what we were looking for: plenty of free play, sensory and art play, focus on social/emotional learning, and above all a truly nurturing environment and warm community. The hours are 8:30-1pm with an option of extended day to 2pm for a limited number of kids. Because the program is only half day, it unfortunately isn't a workable option for some families. Most families in the program have one parent who is either stay-at-home, working part-time or flexible hours, or studying. But if you are able to make it work, GD is a really wonderful school and community to be a part of!

Choosing Peabody KinderCare has been one of the best decisions my family has made. I have the…read moreunique perspective of being both a staff member and a parent, and from both sides, this center consistently exceeds expectations. What immediately sets this location apart is how genuinely connected the leadership team is to the families. The director and assistant director greet children and parents by name each morning and take the time to check in, have meaningful conversations, and build real relationships. It's clear that they care not just about the children in their care, but about the families as a whole. The educators here are attentive, thoughtful, and deeply invested in the children they work with. They understand each child as an individual and create a supportive environment that encourages growth, confidence, and emotional development. The classrooms are calm, welcoming, and intentionally designed to help children feel comfortable and engaged. As a parent, the most meaningful part of our experience has been seeing how quickly my child has flourished. In just a few short weeks, I noticed positive changes in communication, confidence, and overall happiness. There is nothing more reassuring than knowing your child is spending their day in a place where they are safe, supported, and truly cared for. Peabody KinderCare goes above and beyond what you'd expect from a childcare center. It's a warm, professional, and nurturing community.

Children can learn values and knowledge every day at that school. I adore the entire staff the…read moredirectors and teachers are wonderful and treat my daughter like family .the teachers who are professional,kind,encouraging,playful,creative, happy and stimulating

My older daughter graduated from the school two years ago and my youngest is about to begin her…read moresecond year. For our family the school has been wonderful. The staff is talented and committed. There is a parent participation component, as with all cooperative programs. This is something that drew me to the program. I was amazed my first year how varied people's situations are - one or both parents working outside the home part or full time, nanny's, grandparents and family friends helping out at pick-up and drop-off, as well as moms and dads working as stay-at-home parents. I didn't carpool, but some families arranged carpools. I often swapped child-care of my youngest daughter (when my oldest was in school) on parent-help days and then would watch another family's younger child when it was their turn. I've benefited from the sense of community at the school, and the chance to have a few hours every month or so to be with my child at school. The best part though is the positive experience my children have had at the school, developing social skills and learning through play.

My youngest attended their toddler program last year, and will be entering the 3-year-old program…read morethis fall. We had a great experience in his first year. It is a cooperative program, so you have to be open to that aspect. I personally loved helping in the classroom and getting to observe my child interacting with his friends. There are some volunteer components -- one work day a year to help maintain the school and grounds and service on one committee -- but they certainly aren't onerous. It's not for everyone, but so far I've found it very manageable as a working parent. The other parents are very supportive and open to switching schedules. I'm new to town, so I've found it a valuable way to meet other people and find a sense of community. The curriculum is play-based, so the focus is more on developing imagination, healthy social interaction, etc. I'm looking forward to seeing how the curriculum develops as my son progresses.

My family has been at BY since my son (now 6 yrs old) was 15 months old…read more He has since "graduated" and is in 1st grade, while my daughter is currently in the toddler 2 classroom (she started as an infant). We have been very happy with BY over the years, and still make the drive from Medway each day to bring my daughter to/from BY. I think the best park of BY are the amazing teachers! Each classroom has a special group of teachers that are just wonderful and have really become an extension of our family. I highly recommend BY for families looking for quality early education in a nurturing environment!

My two children are enrolled at Beginning Years, in the preschool and toddler full-day programs. I…read morecannot say enough good things about the Center, its staff, and its director. The staff is fantastic. They're all very competent, patient, and loving. My older child has a flair for the dramatic, but they handle her sometimes grandiose tantrums calmly and lovingly. They have a very stable staff; remarkably low turnover compared to most program. This was very important to me. When your children spend close to 30 hours a week somewhere, it needs to feel safe, secure, comfortable. High levels of turnover would make that impossible. My children are very attached to their teachers. The curriculum at the center is exemplary. They use a lot of targeted play that allows children to learn and develop skills while enjoying themselves. For example, in any given day, my kids look forward to playing in the sensory table ( filled with anything from coffee beans to shaving cream), the imaginative play area (that is set up as a grocery store this week and a doctor's office the next), outside on the play ground, taking a field trip to the post office, having the music lady / yoga lady / tumble bus come, meeting in small groups to work on counting skills, and more. Another feature that was very important to me when I was selecting a center was NAEYC accreditation. It's hard to compare programs; you should be able to hear positive things about any center, and it's hard to know you found a good one until you're already entrenched. But NAEYC accredited programs are relatively few. This accreditation was important to me for two reasons. A) you can't get that accreditation unless your curriculum is up to the association's high standards, and B) it is a lot of work to get and maintain, and thus shows that the center believes that "good enough" really isn't good enough; that they want excellence. The program is top-notch. I adore BY. Even more importantly, my children adore BY. More days than not, my daughter is disappointed when I come to pick her up. I hear "No, I'm not ready to go. We're just about to read another story/go outside/dance/ play in the imaginative play area." For me, that says everything.

UPDATE I'm taking a moment to update this review because I…read morehad a concerning and odd interaction yesterday with Monica Ryan the owner of Strawberry Childcare whose license was revoked by the ECC. I fear that she will someday be able to renew her childcare license and open under another business name. In my opinion she is not emotionally or professionally fit to operate a childcare program. Monica felt it was appropriate to approach me while at a local nail salon and confront/scold me (inches from my face) about a poor review I made about her on Yelp from 2/2018. This was unprovoked. We made initial eye contact but I did not exchange any words with her or look in her direction a second time. For context, I posted the initial review on yelp when we chose to leave Strawbery Childcare due to several unprofessional and negative interactions with Monica herself. I found it difficult to engage Monica in constructive or helpful conversations. It was as if you had to walk on eggshells if you had a concern or question. We saw a change in my child's behavior and an increasing resistance to attend school which he previously loved. She often discouraged parent interaction and would send whole group emails saying she would end contracts for gossip. Monica also stated to me that she would often hide under her office desk and cry. Monica: "Hi hello how are you, I wanted to say hello and let you know I know about the post you made about me. You could have included your name, I know it was you saying those things, did you think I wouldn't know." Me "honestly I am a bit shocked you are actually confronting me about this right now" Monica: "Why because of what happened with the baby?!" Then she had the audacity to reference the letter sent to her from the parents who lost their child in her care. This has nothing to do with my review which was made months prior to the child's death. This is incredibly disrespectful to a family who has faced an unimaginable level of pain and loss. Me: No because I was a former customer of yours and I have the right to...(couldn't finish she cut me off) Monica: "So just because you paid for a service makes you think you can say whatever you want? My lawyers have seen the posts as well. Monica Ryan....my name is Lisa Johnson-Bechtel, which you know. I stand behind my post which was made on a public site. I know many families who had children at Strawberry who share my concerns. This interaction further confirms my opinion of your lack of professionalism. It's been almost two years. I am not only a social worker, I have worked in early childhood education and currently work in a school. Any comments I have made about you were examples of my personal interactions with you as a mother who's child was in YOUR care.

I complete love this childcare! My daughter have been…read moreattending Strawberry since she was 3 months old and she is 2.6 years old. The price is normal and in range for what day cares change these days. The centers and rooms are always clean and organize. Every morning when you come in, you are welcome with a clean and fresh smell that tells me that the center was tediously clean the night before. The teachers/caregivers are amazing! they are loving, gentle, friendly and respectful! You can see that they really love the kids and treat them very well. The program is a bilingual education and not a Spanish immersion program. My daughter lives in a bilingual home where my husband only speaks english and me (mom) speak spanish. However, my daughter speaks mainly in english and I have seen most of the teachers communicate to her in both languages. If for any reason, one of the teacher have difficulty expressing herself in english, there is always other teachers around that are able to speak to you in english. Teachers rotate throughout the classrooms, practice that I have found its actually good, since it gives the children the opportunity to know them and be comfortable with them. They do not rotate everyday. They are in the classrooms for a consistent amount of time. Another thing to know is that the children do a lot of activities outside the center. They go for walks, go to the park, the library and fire house. I found this amazing! Great exposure and experience for the children. I know about other centers that they don't take the kids outside. The management staff is very professional, respectful and dedicated. The director is a great person that is dedicated to provide the best care for the children. I dont have anything negative to say about this center. Its a great place, the children are save and loved! And most importantly, I can see that my daughter is happy there and she loves it!