Ashleigh is amazing! She tutors our middle school son, primarily in English but also in other…read moresubjects (e.g. history) where writing is needed. She is a warm and caring person who has a unique ability to form connections with people - my very shy son immediately clicked with her. She has built my son's confidence and inspired him to do more than he thought he was capable of. She has also helped him develop his own self advocacy skills while running interference for him with his teachers when needed. Not sure how we would have made it through the school year without her. Both my son and my daughter have also participated in her writing workshops and had a great time. I attended one myself at the Writing Barn (what a beautiful spot!) and left feeling inspired to keep writing. I plan to attend more in the future. If I could give 6 stars I would. Highly recommend!

Both my kids Maddie 14 and Brennan 16 have attended some of Ashleigh's workshops and Brennan has…read morehad Ashleigh as his tutor going on 2 years now. Not enough stars or space available to tout the unique abilities and talents of Ashleigh. While her technical skills are exceptional, it is her wonderful ability to connect with kids on their level, and help them discover a voice they possibly didn't know they had. Aside from being a complete ninja of an educator she is a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. Our family not only got a great teacher/tutor but a friend as well.

We absolutely loved the Get Really Prepared two-day course at Planet Birth with Amy! She was so…read morewelcoming, funny, and engaging that she kept us entertained throughout the entire class. At almost 9 months pregnant, I was a little worried about how manageable an 8-hour class would be, but Amy did a great job of getting us up and moving, keeping things interactive, and making sure there was always time for questions. One of my favorite things about Amy was how comfortable she made everyone feel. You never felt like you couldn't speak up or ask a question, and she never made any question feel silly or insignificant. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does, is passionate about helping families prepare for birth, and enjoys learning from others, too. My husband and I left the class feeling SO much more informed and prepared than we did walking in. I feel more confident about what to expect during labor and delivery, and I'm excited and ready to begin my breastfeeding journey. We're so glad we took this class and would absolutely recommend Planet Birth and Amy to any expecting parents!

Amy was knowledgeable, experienced, personable and made the whole day and a half class fun! She…read morethoroughly explained all the options for the birth plan and process, whether in the hospital or birthing center, without bias. As a chiropractor who also works on pregnant women, I will be recommending her class to all my pregnant patients moving forward! And as a first time mom, not only did she give more confidence in laboring & delivery of this baby, but she also REALLY equips the husbands to support their wives well. My husband, having 2 kids in a previous marriage, said he didn't realize how much he didn't know & how much more he could've done to be more supportive through his other children's births. That spoke volumes! We were recommended to take a different 12 week class, but just didn't have the time to do it. I'm so thankful our midwife referred us to Amy instead! This is the class we were meant to take! 10/10 recommend. Thank you Amy!!

Holly Leoni at Austin Area Speech and Language Services was wonderful to work with. Levi felt…read morecomfortable with her right away and genuinely enjoyed his time in sessions. She not only engaged him in a fun, supportive way, but also gave me practical tips to help expand his language and encourage more speaking at home. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm very grateful for her help.

My son saw Susanne for about 2 years to help with his speech development after he stopped sucking…read morehis thumb. Honestly, cannot say enough good things about her. She made sure that we had the info we needed to work with him at home, and worked with his teacher so that he could get additional support in his classroom. She always went above and beyond, and was such an amazing support and resource for us during some challenging times and transitions. My son formed a genuine bond with her, and he actually teared up when he "graduated"! You can really tell she cares about the kids she helps! She is so knowledgeable and warm - it is rare to find someone who is experienced, excellent at what they do, and still can make your kid laugh and enjoy the session! She helped build my sons confidence and we are so grateful to her for all her care and consideration! She is AMAZING!!

We had a great 4 years with INIC at their Austin Campus. I always had great communication from the…read moreteachers along the ups and downs that come with raising a baby into a little child, and felt that each teacher went out of their way to have a bond with our kiddo. There was lots of hugs and affection, and we never had any concerns around his safety or academic growth. He loved going to school and would run away from me at pickup time because he wanted to keep playing.

My family was part of the INIC community for nearly four years. I sent both of my daughters there…read moreas infants and previously left a 5-star review. I would have enthusiastically recommended this school. Today, I cannot. The issue is not the teachers. The teachers have been exceptional and are the reason so many families choose this school. Despite years of tuition increases and persistent concerns from teachers and families, the school has not made the investments necessary to retain them. In early March alone, at least 7 teachers left or announced their departures--nearly 20% of the teaching staff by parents' count. Both of my daughters experienced unexpected teacher departures in their classrooms during that same period. For young children, teachers are not interchangeable. They are trusted caregivers and a critical source of stability. When teachers leave, children lose important relationships and families are left helping them navigate yet another transition. During enrollment, families are told classrooms are staffed with a lead teacher, an assistant teacher, and additional flex staff available for coverage. In reality, my oldest daughter's classroom frequently operated at the legal minimum ratio of one teacher for fifteen four-year-olds. Multiple current and former teachers described being unable to reliably use sick days, vacation days, or even take basic bathroom breaks because there was often insufficient coverage available. When a school is staffed so leanly that teachers struggle to meet basic human needs during the day, it raises serious questions about how well both teachers and students are being supported. Teachers reported compensation in the $14-$17/hour range despite bilingual education being one of the school's primary differentiators. Comparable non-bilingual childcare positions in Austin often advertise higher wages. The result is predictable: teachers leave. Children lose stability. Families absorb the consequences. Demand for bilingual childcare in Austin far exceeds supply, and many families have few realistic alternatives once enrolled. Given that reality--and given that tuition has continued to increase year after year--I expected a greater commitment to investing in the teachers and staffing stability that families are ultimately paying for. Parents who attempted to ask questions and advocate for improvements--including efforts to reestablish the PTA--often received little to no response. While our family's relationship with the school ultimately ended following disagreements with leadership about these issues, the concerns described here are based on nearly four years of experience and conversations with numerous current and former teachers and families. The teachers are the school's greatest strength. The challenge is whether the school will make the investments necessary to retain them long enough to provide the stability and continuity that young children deserve.

Choking back tears we said goodbye -not to our kids- they're in the backseat arguing about…read morecrackers. We were going to miss the warmest daycare with heart that exists. They got us through Covid with an infant, prepared her to thrive in kindergarten. They seamlessly worked with us to help our son with special needs. Their staff was a natural extension of our kids community. The infant room teacher attended her PreK graduation. This daycare is one of the few that is actually worth the cost.

My second child will be graduating from SMS next week and I can't believe our time here is coming…read moreto an end! The SMS staff and families have been such a huge and wonderful part of our lives for 8 years. It was hard dropping my older son off for the first time (at 3 months), but when it came time to drop my younger son off for the first time (also at 3 months), I knew he was going to be in such great hands, it really was like leaving him with family! I also believe that my older son's smooth transition into kinder was thanks to the 'academic' and social learning he experienced at SMS.

Our 1 year old just started going to Didactica and despite me being anxious about letting her go,…read moreMiss Gladys and her classroom have been so wonderful at ensuring our girl is happy and taken care of. We get photos and updates all day long which help with knowing she's doing alright, and they are soooo friendly and supportive of how we can best help her feel the happiest when she's there!!

Didactica has been a wonderful and loving community to join! We moved to Austin with our 14 month…read moreold son and immediately enrolled him in full time care with Didactica. We had such a great experience with Miss Glady, Nelly and Erika in his first classroom. He has now transitioned to the one of the older classrooms and we absolutely love Miss Julie. Each morning he has a smile on his face when we talk about going to school and seeing all his friends and Miss Julie. It has been amazing seeing his language skills develop at Didactica and understanding so much Spanish before the age of 2! We now have our 5 month old baby girl enrolled as well and she has been with Miss Yisel since she was just 2 months old. We know she is safe, happy and loved in the classroom and is always welcomed with a smile! Miss Eva, the assistant director, has always been great at communicating with us and clearly loves the school and children! We are so fortunate to have found Didactica for our family!

I can't say enough about how incredibly helpful Austin Childbirth's services were for our family…read more If you are on the fence as to whether to get a doula I highly recommend that you talk to them. When my wife first suggested a doula I was concerned that a doula might be "woowoo" or try to influence our decisions or approach. This was not the case at all. Prior to childbirth they offered unbiased information, introduced us to helpful tools and practices and took much of the mystery and anxiety out of child birth. During child birth the doula offered a steady and experienced hand so that my wife could focus on a safe delivery. Their techniques substantially reduced my wife's pain and in our case helped her have an unmedicated delivery. In short they helped us make an educated delivery plan and then used their experience to support our decisions relative to that plan during childbirth. Here are highlights of their service: - Met with us in our home and helped us prepare a birth plan and understand the birth process. - Were available to answer questions leading up to birth (which was particularly helpful in alleviating anxiety) - Met us at the hospital and advised throughout the labor. This was HUGE. Our doula helped us follow our birth plan, made recommendations for pain relief, did hands-on pain relief, gave me (dad) options for how to be most helpful, told us what was coming next, encouraged mom, and stayed with mom after the birth. - Stayed with us after birth until we felt comfortable -- What she didn't do (also important) was meddle in medical care or personal decisions, sideline dad or push an agenda. She had a great rapport with the hospital staff who clearly valued their help and were also glad she was there. I suggest that you talk with them if you want to learn more about the doula option.

My husband and I learned about this class through our prenatal care provider with Women Partners in…read moreHealth. We registered for an all day Childbirth class complete with a Seton hospital tour-- it was a wonderfully informative day that left us feeling confident and prepared for what to expect on "Labor Day". Jillian Silva, our childbirth instructor, was communicative via email and text in the days leading up to the class and welcomed us at the door upon arrival. The class presentation was delivered through PowerPoint slides, lectures, videos and hands-on demonstrations and practice. Jillian was very knowledgeable on all points discussed during the class, and had tangible hospital items for us to view and touch for further understanding and familiarity. We covered topics such as: what to pack in your hospital and baby bag, stages of labor, relaxation techniques, responsibilities of partner, options for labor pain relief (degrees of natural and non-natural options), labor aids/tools that the hospital provides and more! Jillian, who is also a certified Doula, has such a calming and confident nature. She was professional, timely, prepared and very friendly; she even made brownies for the class! Anyone who chooses to have her presence and expertise during their labor and delivery is one lucky mama. The class was from 9am-4pm with a 30 min lunch and the hospital tour from 3-4pm. The long day was totally worth it! I walked away from the class feeling equipped to do what my body knows how to do naturally, and if and when I need support, I now know who to contact. Thanks Jillian for being a great instructor!

My daughter has been attending Ladybird Montessori since she was just 4 months old, and now that…read moreshe has turned one, I truly could not be happier with our decision to choose Ladybird. The growth we've seen in her over these past eight months has been incredible. She is constantly learning, playing, exploring, and becoming more social, and I love seeing how much she is developing and discovering something new every day. As a parent, there is no better feeling than being able to drop your child off each morning and feel completely confident that they are in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment. I especially cannot say enough wonderful things about the Nido room and its teachers. Ms. Kristina, Ms. Magadelane, Ms. Tobi, and Ms. Evan have been absolutely amazing. They create such a kind, welcoming, and encouraging environment for the infants while also giving them so many opportunities to learn and grow at their own pace. You can truly tell how much they care about each child, and knowing my daughter is in their hands gives me so much peace of mind. We are so grateful for the care, patience, and love they have shown our daughter during such an important first year of her life. Choosing Ladybird, and especially having such an amazing experience in the Nido room, has been one of the best decisions we could have made for her.

Couldn't imagine sending our daughter anywhere else. She's been apart of the school for the past 8…read moremonths since she was 4months old. Her growth and development has exceeded all expectations. I can't speak highly enough of the teachers at this facility as they're some of the most thoughtful, intentional and incredibly caring individuals I've ever met. Don't walk, run! Get your child on the waitlist the moment you find out you're pregnant. This community and staff is incredible. From head of school, to the teachers and even maintenance. Everyday you're met with a smile by people who know you by name and care deeply about your child's development and safety.