Researching a "good" daycare is hard. There aren't a whole lot of reviews posted. At the end of…read morethe day, you'll need to visit them and go with your gut even though you might get glowing recommendations from acquaintances, friends, family....and a total stranger, like me. I'll share my experience. I knew I had hit the jackpot when my kids were saying things like: "Why did you come so early to pick me up?", "Can you come back later", "Can you wait?", "Can you pick up my brother instead, then come back for me?", "But mom.....I just got to playscape...and I want to play!"
We have been part of the TGS family for the last 7.5 years since both kids went there. The school opened in Oct 2014, and we enrolled our then 3-mo old in May 2015. (The 2nd one went in at 8 weeks old!) It was not our first choice because it was so new, and there weren't many reviews posted, so we went with an established daycare provider close to 28 and 50. It did not go well at that location, and luckily, TGS had an opening. We enrolled and it has been very good for my family. It made me realize what was important in choosing a daycare:
1. Responsiveness of school administration. I've never needed to leave a voicemail, and emails were responded to within a couple of hours.
2. Teacher turnover. While turnover is expected, there are some teachers still there who were present before we enrolled!
3. Being accommodating for unique needs. Nebulization? Sure. Wiping down cranial band at intervals? No problem. Use gluten-free bread on grilled cheese day for my son? Of course! I felt comfortable asking for these things because I felt like we were on the same team.
4. Teacher-Parent communication. Teachers were honest in letting me know how the kids were doing. This could be anything from behavior issues, to asking for advanced workbooks to be sent in because my kids were bright enough to handle it. Also, they were pretty good about sending updates and photos so I had a good idea what was going during the day.
5. Opportunities to move. Kids have a TON of energy. A huge sell was the playscape. It's raining/freezing out. No big deal, they go to the playscape! They do dance parties, yoga, musical chairs and other movement-centric activities in the classroom, but nothing burns energy like running around for free play.
6. Preparedness for kindergarten/public school. The transition to public school has been much easier due to the routines they followed at TGS. They were also confident since they were familiar with what they were learning during the school day. They learned a lot at TGS through brief, instructive periods, free play (building/STEAM-type toys, books, costumes, toy kitchen, etc.), and art and got far ahead academically without having to sit all day like they do in public school. The kids were able to read on their own (e.g., Dr. Seuss) toward the end of pre-K.
7. Enjoyment. Do the kids look happy? Are they having fun? Do they go in willingly, or put the brakes on? Are they talking about things that they did at school and their friends? Are they proud of their art/creations/worksheets? YUP.
8. Facilities. Safe? Secure? Clean and well maintained? Yes to all. Also, toys and books get replaced. I've seen toys *actually* get cleaned too, since kids can be pretty gross and germy.
9. Coverage. The hours of operation, coverage on some holidays and inclement weather modifications (e.g., delayed start, early dismissal) met our needs. Also, summertime coverage ("Camp Gardner") was always a special time for my kids and they always looked forward to the special visitors, events and treats woven into the schedule.
There are some negative reviews here. I skimmed through them and noticed they were all from 2016. Administration and staff changed that year. That's when Sara Shoulers came onboard. She runs a tight ship, and reviews post 2016 are positive. There are also 8 reviews that are not recommended, BUT they are all positive (?!). I wish I had chosen TGS first - but I didn't because it didn't have many reviews, and the other daycare was recommended to me by a trusted friend. Well- she had a good experience there, and I did not. Either way, set up an appointment to tour the school, then go with your gut. Our time at TGS lifted a lot of stress and anxiety off my plate since I knew my kids were well cared for. I felt good about dropping them off every morning.