Our almost 2 year old has been attending Cadence 2x/wk for the past 10 months. It has mostly been a…read moregreat experience. The teachers have all been wonderful, and it's a nice, clean facility with a good schedule for the kids. He has (as expected) been sick a lot since starting daycare, but with a suspicious amount of vomiting. My husband and I chalked it up to stomach bugs going around at daycare for a while, but with the frequency, we were getting concerned and wanting a referral to a gastroenterologist to see if something else was happening with him. A few weeks ago, I dropped him off at Cadence as they were serving breakfast and saw they had omelettes. Our son is VERY allergic to both eggs and nuts. I had to re-inform the teacher about his allergy as she offered him breakfast. He has also had a doctors note, Benadryl and an Epi-pen at this facility the entire time related to these food allergies. Concerned, I spoke with the administrator, Rachel Byrd, and asked their procedures to ensure kids with food allergies aren't provided with foods they shouldn't be eating. She informed me there is a list of kids with all of their allergens posted in each classroom that teachers are supposed to check before each meal. When I inquired about processed foods, she simply said the chef does a good job of not ordering foods with allergens. However, the assistant administrator then provided me with a menu for the next week, and as she checked their database with the menus/ingredients, we found THREE foods that contained egg. I then asked both administrators what their procedures were for notifying teachers which allergens are in each meal, to which I was told with jaws on ground of realization "we don't." I have obviously removed my child from this situation, and I feel incredibly guilty that we didn't look into the potential of this happening earlier. I thought a verbal notification, doctors note, and an epi pen were enough for a licensed daycare to understand to keep egg away from my child. I never in a million years would have thought we would have to babysit the babysitter to this extreme. What is the most concerning to me, is that after providing our two weeks notice and bringing him food from home during this time, the teachers have told me they have not been re-trained and there has been no changes related to their allergen procedures. So it appears administration is attempting to simply sweep this incredibly serious situation under the rug. Unless they have very quickly gotten rid of all of the food in their kitchen and only purchased allergen free food over the last 2 weeks, which I highly doubt. So I am posting this as a warning to other parents who either have kids at Cadence or are considering this daycare - if your child has food allergies, do not go to this place!! It could cost your child their health or even their life.

From the owner: Cadence Academy Preschool is a trusted daycare in Columbia, SC, serving infants through…read morepreschoolers, ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Our nurturing classrooms and engaging curriculum encourage curiosity, creativity, and early learning skills. From infant care to preschool programs, our experienced teachers provide personalized attention to help each child grow, explore, and thrive in a safe, supportive environment.