I am giving 5 stars wishing I could give 10!…read more
My daughter has been with First steps since she was 6 months old (she is now almost 3) and we absolutely LOVE it!!!!
Finding childcare is such a daunting task, and I will be the first to admit that being a teacher, I am overly (annoyingly) knit-picky about finding the right place.
It was important to me that my child was eating healthy and organic foods, learning social skills, kindness, and academically learning as well, all in a clean and safe environment.
Well First steps has it all, and more!
My daughter will be three in a month, and she is potty-trained (yes you read right), using full sentences, and independent and full of personality, yet polite and kind. She knows her colors, can count to 20, can sing the National anthem, and can speak phrases in multiple languages (French, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Tagalog, German)! It really is unbelievable. Miss Mangala is trained in the Montessori teaching method, and it shows with the kids. My daughter even understands and practices recycling! It's adorable!!!
We love her so much that we canceled our plans to put her into a Montessori preschool because I'm confident that this is the best place for her!
I have no doubt she'll be more than ready for Kinder coming from First Steps.
What I see and love is that Mangala - and her amazing assistant GNana -love and adore each kid individually. When I come to pick my kid up and see others leaving with their parents, I see the attention she gives each child. And it's not an act. When my daughter arrives, she runs to Mangala and gives her a big hug- same when we leave. Just today when we were walking from the front door, my daughter said, "Bye Mangala! I love you! See you tomorrow!" Then followed it up with, "I had such a great day!"
I am actually quite upset to read the bad review. And I don't usually do this, but I feel compelled to speak on it because they are so amazing and I would hate for a mommy to read a disgruntled review and miss the amazing experience there for their child.
Miss Mangala has ALWAYS notified me of the daycare closing -which is very seldom, btw- WELL in advance, and multiple times before it actually closes.
If there is ANYONE out of the ordinary there, she notifies and asks me first. The only time it was anyone other than a worker, it was her son. She made sure I met him and was comfortable, even though he was only there for a brief time, in a room far from the kids AND he was fingerprinted anyway!
Regarding any kind of bruises, It's hard for me to believe if there were any that she a) caused them or b) didn't notice them.
If my daughter has even the tiniest bruise or scratch, they notice and they ask me. If she has even a little fall or trip, they tell me. As a teacher and mother, I appreciate this very much. (Even though sometimes it's a teeny scratch or paper cut. She notices them all! Lol!
And personally, if I was unhappy with my daycare in any way, I surely would not keep my child there for more than a year. Oh, and First Steps has a waitlist too. Every family that I have ever referred has been ecstatic with the care- and some are still waiting to get in.
Again, I don't mean this as a review to speak ill of anyone. In fact it is to do the opposite. Miss Mangala is such a loving and kind human being that opens her school to so many different amazing families. I'd hate for the negative frustrations of a parent's paperwork filings to fall on her.
Mommies and daddies- go for a visit and see for yourself. I promise you, you'll discover your babies' loving home away from home.