Dear Tagoush, Like…read morerippling rings on a pond, your encouraging words, your kindness, and your assuring smiles are all going places. One of those places is Indiana where I am writing from and where I returned from visiting my cousins family and helping her with kids. I just cannot forget your professionalism and patience with which you treated my cousin's kids. You truly have a way with things. Thank you for making learning a joy for our kids and for being someone who we can always turn to when things get difficult. You are one of those teachers who are remembered not only for what they taught but also for what they are. Bless You!

We love love love Tagoush! My daughter has been enrolled at Blooming Minds Day Care for over 2 1/2…read moreyears. She loves it there and Tagoush so much that she often doesn't want to leave.

Andi took care of our little girl from when she was a little older than one to nearly four, and…read morewhen we met her we got the sense pretty quickly that she's one of those souls that's capable of such love and yet firm boundaries. She was also very qualified but certifications, and always careful about following health & safety mandates & policies. A fantastic spirit in the place, great activities including music and especially in summer the amazing and safely fenced in pool--we couldn't recommend her more highly!

From the owner: My philosophy is to advance each child to their own best development. My daycare motto is "Play To…read moreLearn & Learn to play" I have a love for children with 30 years experience teaching school & operating my daycare. I have a Master Degree in Regular & Special Education as well as my Child Development Associate (CDA) & keep current always with special trainings

Best school ever! My son is 5 1/2 yrs old, and has been a student since he was 15 months. I would…read morehighly recommend this school! I am very sad that it's his last year since he will be starting Kindergarten in September, but if you want the best education and an amazing staff of teachers, this is the school!

From the owner: Now enrolling children ages 15 months to 5 years at Newton School for Children in Newton, MA. We…read moreoffer nurturing, play-based programs that support each child's growth and development. Our experienced educators create a warm environment where children engage in age-appropriate activities that promote learning and social skills. Conveniently located at 25 Lenglen Rd, Newton, MA 02458, we provide flexible scheduling options to accommodate your family's needs. Spaces are limited--call (617) 965-3549 or visit our website to schedule a tour and secure your child's spot today.

Our son started attending BCJ at just 5 months old and is now nearly 3.5 and absolutely thriving!…read moreDomitila has been a wonderful partner to us raising our son and supporting his development over the past 3 years, she has truly become a part of our family. The intimate setting of BCJ allowed our son to develop close, deep friendships while also receiving the care and attention he'd receive from a family member. I highly recommend BCJ for any family looking for care for their child.

Our 3.5 year old son has been at BCJ since he was 4 mo old. It is a warm yet very structured…read moreenvironment, has great hours, provides meals and has a wonderful big backyard. My child adores his teachers and loves going to school. He has required EI services for years and they were incredibly compassionate and willing to help him grow in any way they could. BCJ is a part of our family and we are so thankful we found them.

This is a great place with wonderful volunteers! I'm very glad I had someone helping me who was…read morepatient and had a great sense of humor. If you have taxes that are complicated, please be patient and remember that everyone is still learning (some more proficient than others). Also, be sure to bring all your paperwork including receipts (even if you have digital, print em up!). There is a parking lot in the back of the building, but there is also a lot of street parking. Be sure you don't go to their old location. Their new location is around Oak Square on the same street. Make an appointment, as well!

This is such a great resource for parents and children alike! My 2-year-old and 4-year-old used to…read moreattend a playgroup on Mondays, and they LOVED it! This is the group led by early intervention. Both Carol and Cheryl were so good to the kids, and it was a great mix of free play followed by supervised activities- a circle time and arts and crafts. They still play "Carol school" at home. Parents in that group were very nice too- very involved and caring. I wish my schedule permitted me to participate in more activities by WFN- they post their calendar every month, and there is always something you can find for your child.

I have two children in preschool and toddlers at Creative Kids and they really enjoy it. They are…read morewell cared for and teachers adore them. My kids enjoy the art and music enrichment classes in addition to their daily activities. They are well fed and the kids enjoy the food. My older son is learning a lot in preschool/pre-K to prepare him for Kindergarten. The school is clean which makes me feel comfortable and secure. I am happy to send my kids there and would recommend to other families.

My 3 year old daughter loves this school. As a parent, I love it even more. This school has it…read moreall! Aside from academics, she's learning music, art, dance, gets regular exercise and loves her teachers. A huge selling point for me is the teachers speak multiple languages with the kids. My daughter is 3 and she's already speaking 3 languages: English, French and Russian!

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!

Great place for kids and families! We came in a Saturday in July and it was not packed!! There was…read morea sign at the parking lot saying the water park was closed but it wasn't, maybe the sun kept the crowds away....? There are bathrooms here, as well! Clean ones!!!! Plenty of shades areas and play areas for each age group (toddlers and 5-12).

I had a very bad experience with Soule and I had to withdraw my toddler daughter after 3 days. In…read moreshort, the problem is management and, perhaps, its culture. Before I explain what happened, I should note that Soule was the only school that did in-person tours in the peak of the pandemic in February whereas every single school/daycare was doing it remotely. I think that says something... After I enrolled my child, I was told that a week before the official start day, she will come in everyday for an hour with me accompanying her in the classroom. Third day of that transition week, I was told to wait outside as she seemed to be doing fine alone. I left briefly to go to Starbucks to pick up a cup of coffee. When I returned, I found her crying, and I was told that I should stick around because it is the transition period. At week 2, which is the official start week, on Monday I did stick around whole day, because that is what I assumed I was supposed to be doing. Nobody gave me any instructions or explained me any plan. At 10am, they took her out since she was crying asking me to take her home. That did not sound right to me, because she will never get used to the place if I take her home after each cry. So, I gave her some food and I let her go inside again. They had a tendency to say goodbye throughout the day, eager to send us home. I stayed and assisted her to nap there. I thought this was weird as I cannot spend my days like that sticking around whole day, so I asked them to come up with a plan. They said I should leave her in the morning and go home because when she knows that I am outside, she will try to go out and cry. I agreed. The plan was that I was going to leave her half a day for two days and on the third day we would try full day. This plan was reasonable to me, because she was not doing terribly bad at all: she loved the toys and the school, but she needed to learn to stay there without me. Btw, I should note that I did not even do sleep training with her since I am not ok letting her cry for long periods of time. But, our original plan was good, because she seemed to be doing fine. An hour later, the director calls me and says, they decided to switch her enrollment to half day for that month because it is too stressful for her. When I said let me think about it, she says, no, that is what we decided! So, they are making a decision by themselves without thinking about my personal circumstances. I am a single mom who needs to return to her full time job. This was very disturbing for me. I talked to some friends with kids. They all found this whole thing very strange. They all thought that it is their job to entertain/distract her so that she does not cry; they thought that it should not be up to them to make a decision unilaterally. I needed them to do their part so that she gets used to the place as soon as possible. "She cried, take her home" is not a solution. Plus, this created extreme anxiety for me as I could not rely on them to organize my life. I decided to try one-two more days. I found myself calling/texting them to see how she is doing. The second day, nobody even replied to my texts. Somebody should have explained me how the communication was going to work (e.g., they would check with me in mid day, or just reach out to me only if there is an issue). None of that. No explanation of the processes. I talked to the director and explained her all my thoughts. (Oh, btw, the director also said the center is getting rid of all the Covid rules which prompted her to resign.) She kept saying that I am right. But, I don't think that she cares, as she is leaving anyways. Where does the process break? I think the lead teacher has as much responsibility as the director in making sure that there is proper communication with the parent, educating the parent, and setting the expectations of the parent. After we made a plan together, what did she say to the director which made her call me and tell me that they are changing her enrollment without my consent? Plans, of course, can change. I was not going to torment my child if she was not adjusting well, but it should not be up to the school to make a decision without my consent. I am the customer. I eventually decided to cancel her enrollment (which the director offered me), because I could not trust what kind of uncertainty and unreliability was waiting for me in the future. I need reliable care. I do not recommend this place. The core of the problem perhaps is that they have a state institution mentality, which they are. They are employees of the city of Brookline. Private daycares care so much about customer satisfaction and their ratings; the directors seem to be hovering around to make sure that the place is functioning properly. I got the impression that the director of Soule was jaded. Not sure if the new one can change the culture because incentives most likely are there to stay.

Incredibly happy we made the decision to send our 3 year old twins to Parkside! The staff is…read morewonderful - owners and classroom teachers really care and go above and beyond to give the kids a fun-filled experience with so much variety in what they do. Lots of creative art projects. I expected the transition from their old daycare to this new preschool to be tough, but our boys loved Parkside from basically day one. Also, quite affordable ( compared to some other local options) for the quality of the school. I also really appreciate the flexibility of hours with before school and after school hours for working parents. So glad we found them!

A great experience for kids! As we arrived from France in…read morethe middle of the year, we were quite worried about finding a pre-school that would welcome our 2 boys even if they were speaking only french. All the team at Parkside welcomed them so warmly. They enjoyed so much their time there, doing a lot of fun and various activities in a peaceful and smiling environment. I highly recommand!