Came in one day to find someone's child holding a bleach bottle. Dis enrolled our daughter per the written notice - they sent messages at the same period saying that because of covid they had the right to also charge us 5 days a week even if they could only offer 3. This is a scary place, do not send your babies here. After removing our child from their care they started sending threats for collection because we didn't give enough notice. We gave plenty. What they really meant to say is they only pay their workers minimum wage and treat them like crap to keep this facility barely functioning. read more

We really loved KinderCare! Michael, Cindy, and all of the teachers are truly amazing people who love their students. We sent our daughter there from 5 months -14 months with a few month break due to COVID (we kept her home out of our own caution). As an infant, she was so well taken care of at KinderCare! Of course it's hard for any parent to drop off your little one while you go work, but the teachers in the infant rooms really helped me adjust. They were okay letting me come visit whenever, and even invited parents in for story time. They helped her gain some independence with napping and bottles as well. Of course after covid, parents can't go into the classroom but I'm sure it will be back to normal eventually. Ms Denise is the nicest teacher and really made our family feel connected. Also, since my daughter was out of daycare for a few months, when she came back and transitioned to the waddler room Ms Denise made her a memory book of her first year with photos and art projects! It was so nice that she did that even though our daughter missed a couple months! Waddler room teachers are also great! Our daughter was always super happy when we picked her up and they did a lot of fun activities. Overall the curriculum is great- safe space for kids to move with lots of music and art throughout the day. They have themes and vocabulary lessons too. We moved to a daycare next to our house since we no longer commute downtown but will always love KinderCare for helping us get through the first year!!! read more

My son attended this center from 8 months old until almost 2 years old. This Kindercare, overall, is adequate. The place is extremely clean; they use plenty of bleach. It's very conveniently located if you live or work downtown. The staff are nice people and they mean well. But it's an industrial-sized kid factory maxed out on the state-mandated ratios. I think they do the very best they can under those conditions. I would have put just two stars except for this very fact - the teachers and directors treated us very well. It tore me apart to have to return to work when my son was 8 months old. Kindercare was the only place in town with an opening for an infant, because they have FOUR infant classrooms, so they have the capacity for a whopping 32 infants. Their enrollment was in fact full but they accepted my son on the assumption that there would always be at least one infant that wasn't attending that day, which really helped me out as a newly single mom in a huge crunch to find care and get back to work. That said, the tuition was painfully high, even for an infant. It's not the highest in town - Bright Horizons charges slightly more - but at nearly $400 a week I didn't have much financial breathing room (that's about 21 grand a year, after taxes). I suppose the rent is high in downtown Seattle, but I always suspected that with 7 classrooms and a capacity of something like 96 kids that the Kindercare corporation was still making a nice profit off the top. My experience with the teachers varied. There were some that were very friendly to the parents but spoke to the kids most often to correct bad behavior. There were others that seemed more engaged with the kids. There were a couple of superstars. A handful were smokers who washed their hands when they returned from a break but still smelled. (This might be an industry standard, I am not sure.) Some of the teachers "floated" from classroom to classroom so my son was exposed to lots of different people. In the infant room, the teachers rely on bouncy seats and exersaucers and swings when the babies are not sleeping or crawling on the floor. Occasionally the teachers got on the floor with them but just as commonly the teacher would be in a rocking chair feeding one while boucing another to sleep with her foot on the base of the bouncy seat. If babies could hold their own bottles, they were expected to and were fed in bouncy seats or high chairs. In the toddler room, it seemed that a lot of the time the teachers were changing diapers, taking attendance, cleaning up meals, etc. which are obviously necessary but somehow with 14 toddlers in a room and two teachers they didn't have much time to interact with them. The kids do get to go outside for about a half hour a day to a fenced playground in the courtyard of the building. The food is not organic or anything, just a basic nutritional program that meets state requirements. Sometimes looked really yummy, sometimes kinda mushy like the canned green beans. Probably a lot of canned food, standard for a large institution like this one. The curriculum, such as it is for pre-verbal kids, seemed like a lot of energy had been put into it. My son did art and sang songs etc. based on a theme. They were very organized on the schedule and the curriculum which was nice because my son always knew what to expect. Notwithstanding, when I picked him up at the end of the full day he often had a glazed look in his eyes and was wandering aimlessly around the room, unresponsive to my presence. Once I moved him out of corporate day care and into care with a stay-at-home mom, I saw a dramatic change for the better in him at the end of each day. His verbal skills also improved right away. This is not a criticism of Kindercare itself - it's just what happens when you pack 14 toddlers in a room together for 10 hours. The kids don't get as much individual attention. It's hard for these centers to break out of the assembly-line style of care. But at Kindercare they usually do their best to stay human. read more

This is a great facility! My son has been here 6 months and he really likes it. It is super convenient for me working downtown, and I like that it is open till 6pm. I also like that they provide lunch for my baby, who gets a lot of variety of different veggies and fruits there that he maybe wouldn't get at home, which is great as he is learning to eat solid foods. They have helped me figure out how to get my baby down for a nap and to sleep (he used to sleep on or next to me only). The caregivers are very loving and patient. I've never seen one upset or angry, even when many are crying. They have lots of toys and books to stimulate him and they have a "curriculum" where they do different things like science experiments and playing with paints, so he's learning everyday. I love this place! read more

My son has attended Kindercare since January. He is my fourth child, and I have a lot of experience with day cares centers. Based on that experience, I've found Kindercare to be very well run. The staff is friendly and communicative. The room my son is in is bright and cheery, and very clean. We get daily updates on how his day went. The billing and accounting is accurate and painless. Contrary to what the former employee said, the staff is concerned with his development needs. We read the 1 star reviews from passersbys and disgruntled employees before enrolling him, but didn't pay any attention because it was obvious they were from people with axes to grind for whatever reason rather then actual clients. Personally, I don't think people who haven't used a business should post reviews about it. A word about the fire drills, since one reviewer (who isn't even a client) seems to have an issue with that. I imagine they are required by law, but even if not, I'm happy that the day care practices how they would get my son to safety in the event of a fire. It's a no brainer to me that they need to practice doing exactly what they would do in the event of a real fire, so there's no time to put on jackets. Altering the plan during the drill sounds like a pretty bad idea to me. read more

I like to get feed back from others. After sending my kid there for the past 3 months, I say I do like the staff and want to say "Thank you!" because they really helped her development. Their rate is about $400 higher for infants than another nearby daycare, but I like KinderCare because it seems to be well organized and clean. read more

Our daughter started at the Seattle Downtown Kindercare at 4 months old, and we have enjoyed both the staff and center for the 1.5 years she's been there. Despite a pandemic and at times an unpredictable environment downtown, they adapted to ensure kids and staff all were safe, happy, and thriving. We have been so grateful for every teacher, support team member, chef, and management team member, who have built a wonderful community for our daughter. Everyone is so kind and our daughter happily waves goodbye to us every morning, eager to start her day with her class. Can't say enough good things about this center and team! read more

Daycare is daycare is daycare! It is a difficult situation to be in when you want to make a profit on a service that is thankless and glamorless. Being a teacher and being underpaid go hand-in-hand throughout the ages...this is nothing new. The turnover is nothing that can be controlled and having the consistency of parents and others should be adequate for a kids' development IMHO. I have been pleased with Kindercare in Seattle. My son has attended since he was a year old. We had a nanny share prior to that and I wish we could have had him in KC instead. The nanny share was fine but the opportunity to be around other children and in an environment where there was some structure (I don't know anyone who can put structure around 1-year-olds) has been very good for him. My son comes home everyday happy and well cared for. He has made friends and seems to enjoy all of his teachers. There have been multiple times that he has learned a welcome manner (saying "yes, please" or learning to wait his turn) that I know is directly credited to his teachers at KC. It is expensive but there are places that are much more expensive and have no more to offer. I would like to keep my son at KC until he is five. I believe he will be well-prepared for school and all the myriad of other challenges that come with life. read more

My daughter has attended Kindercare since March 2019, and there aren't enough words to describe how happy we are to have landed a spot here. This is a caring and well-run facility with excellent teachers and leadership. The teachers are kind and patient, and we're are continually impressed at how much thought and energy is put into creating age-appropriate curriculums to encourage learning in fun ways - even at the infant level. Our daughter lights up when she realizes it's a school day! Director Michael and assistant director Cindy are clearly passionate about creating an environment where kids can grow and thrive. They are thoughtful, organized and communicative, which has been reassuring in the midst of the pandemic. We trust them and their leadership implicitly. read more

My son has gone to school here since he was 6 months old (now 3.5). Never for a moment have I questioned or been concerned about the love and care he has received here. I love that every teacher knows my son and always so warm in their interactions wIth him. The management is always on top of healthy and safety. I aLso really like the additional programs available to students - STEM, phonics, music, soccer, etc. they are always seeking to enrich the curriculum with new and educational ideas. Do not hesitate to send your child to school here!!! read more

The Downtown Seattle Kindercare has been a wonderful environment for my son for over 2 years. The staff is dedicated and attentive, they create positive environments in the classroom and have excellent communication with parents. The center has done a great job responding to the coronavirus, remaining open with strict new procedures to keep everyone safe. The teachers and administration have been wonderful with my son and easy to work with through any challenge, I highly recommend them for anyone looking for downtown daycare! read more

Ilana S. Amazing daycare! My son loves going there. The teachers are loving and responsible. Leaving Peter in the mornings, I knew he is in good hands:) read more

I almost never write reviews online. But, as a parent, I know exactly how parents feel when they are leaving their newborns and toddlers with 'strangers', so I feel compelled to share my experience. Bottom line: I completely, wholeheartedly recommend Downtown Seattle Kindercare...100%. My little girl was there from 4 months to 1.5 years old, until we moved away from downtown Seattle. We enjoyed our experience so much that we moved to another Kindercare location much closer to our home. Then, why no 5 stars? I leave that 1 star off to set parents' expectations. If parents had it their way, 5 star daycares would wrap our little ones in a bubble in a germ-free environments, with doctors, nurses, and ivy-league trained child specialists with 1:1 ratio. As a new parent, my wife and I freaked every time our little girl's mouth touched carpet, another kids' toy, or when another baby touched our girl's head a little too hard. We even had an incident where another baby bit our baby's face and left a bruise. Were we concerned, and did we voice it? Absolutely. Did Kat (Director) take care of it, and make sure feel safe? Absolutely. In hindsight, did we overreact in certain situations? Absolutely. Were we made feel that way? No, never. Kat, the director, is awesome. Not only does she run the place, she is often seen playing with newborns, or running around with the toddlers. Our girl loved Kat as much as any other teacher that took care of her. She is also very responsive via email/phone, which gives us assurance that she's always there for both the parents and the child. Now, onto the teachers....we LOVED our teachers. Especially the teachers in the infant room where our girl started. I just read other Yelp reviews from ex-teachers about lack of training/leadership/etc. I don't recognize their names, but I will say this....there are A+ employees, and there are the not so good employees. The difference is that the not so good ones blame training, rather than taking the initiative and making the work place they want it to be. From my observations, the teachers that took care of our daughter did exactly that. They owned their rooms to ensure that their babies/students are taken care of. I remember them talking about how they don't like the configuration of the setup, toys, etc, and next day, it was moved to how they thought it best. I also had conversations with infant teachers about their ideas about the curriculum, and eventually saw them implemented...painting, playing with water, bubbles, etc. It's Kat's job to identify and retain top talent, and I know Downtown Seattle has them. I'm confident that she will. For new parents, this is a short list of examples that will freak you out, when you send kids to any daycare...and it's completely normal, and you will get over them eventually. - It's too hot/cold - It's too bright/dark - Strangers/weirdos are staring at my child through the window, call the police. - My kid seems hungry/hot/cold/fussy/butt rashy/sick...what are they doing to my child!!! - That other baby/kid seem too active/aggressive/sick/coughy/big/small/diva/needy/snotty...what are they doing to my child!!! - I can't believe that other parents bring their baby in when they are sick. (This will happen, and KC is good about calling the parents.) - My baby cries when I leave, is something wrong? (They just miss you) - My baby doesn't cry anymore when I leave (then you start crying) - When I peeked/spied through the outside window, I saw my baby crying...what's up with that? (This happens to all parents) - Do they get enough love and attention? - I can't believe they play outside when it's raining. (It's Seattle. Unless they get hyperthermia, that slight fever is not from playing in the rain/cold. Colds are viral.) - My kid is always sick! (Yes, all kids are always sick. My child has had a runny nose since she went to daycare, and she still has it as almost 2 yr old child). - Are fire drills REALLY necessary? (Yes, they are. Even when it's cold outside? Yes.) - They forgot to report what my child had for lunch/snack/changed diapers/what they did. (Teachers are human, and they have to take care of many kids. Give them a break.) Because, of these real concerns/issues/risks that sometimes plague all parents/kids, you really have to set expectations for yourself and the daycare. Hope this helps. We love our baby girl, and we loved sending her to downtown Kindercare. ...EXCEPT when that kid bit her face. I almost yelled at Kat and wanted to spank the 1 yr old kid...who Kat didn't up the name...but we have a hunch who it is. Watch your back lil' man. read more

Boy, where do I begin with this one? I was excited about starting my infant at KC when I found out they had an opening. They were the only city daycare in the downtown area with an opening at the time, whereas other places had long waitlists. At $440/week, this place did not come cheap. Here's the upsides: -Superb location -Great array of toys for kids -Some caregivers really do care -The cook sometimes leaves out food for the adults when there's overflow -Their hours are pretty good and they rarely close -You only pay half the tuition for weeks your child is not in attendance (on vacation for example) for reservation -Pretty spacious for a downtown location. OK storage and always clean Downsides: -Poor ventilation. It got unbearably hot there as soon as the warm days came in the spring, and the A/C was either broken or unable to keep up, and nothing was fixed for weeks -Tiny fridge, so they put breastmilk in the door which is a safety no-no! And you bump your head on the fridge practically every time because that area gets overly crowded with crawling infants, parents signing their kids in/out, and staff trying to access the fridge or milk warming station -Indoor closed-in box. The entire time my child was there, I don't know if they went outside to their second floor playground. If they did, you can probably count it on the fingers of one hand for the 8 or so months my child was there -- they never actually mentioned to me that they took them outdoors even once. Kind of essential. Compare to the current daycare we switched to, where kids go outdoors twice a day, and she's been sleeping so much better! KC would complain to me that my child does not nap -- well, how about a tip as to why this is? Ever heard of fresh air? -Cookie cutter place. If you have a cookie cutter kid, send them here. If you have any unique requirement at all, you will find yourself struggling because they do not meet you halfway on anything. They also take no accountability even though they're taking care of your kid for 45-50 hours a week -The director is a vindictive, hypocritical, self-serving you know who. She is not interested in your feedback or the kids as much as in your paycheck. She does not take criticism or feedback well, so expect retaliation against you and your child if you dare say anything negative or comment on any concerns such as them being out of ratio more times than you want to admit as a parent sending your child there or you comment on any suggestion about how to improve how they handle your kid's needs. She also believes that she is qualified to give out medical advice. Which she is not. Or that she knows how to parent your kid best. Now you may understand why there was an opening. But let's face it, you're in a situation where your maternity leave is about to end, you have bills to pay, and your kid needs to go to daycare, and you will send your kid here regardless of the reviews. When choices are slim... it's hard to be picky. That kid factory is not going anywhere because it's the one in town. read more

We moved to a new daycare due to so many problems with staffing & supervison. We have been at our new place for 6 months now and the difference in our son is amazing! Do you research, visit a lot of places and really pay attention to teacher to child ratios and how the place is run. They make a huge difference in the quality of your childs care. read more

My son went there for a year (pre-k) and we were rather happy with our choice. As with any childcare center, a lot depends on the teacher, and, except for the days when our regular teacher was not there, we would get a report about our son's day, as well as recommendations for his continued development. I really liked that because none of the other places he's attended would we get anything as thoughtful and useful as our teacher's recommendations and observations. We also thought they did a fine job with letters and numbers - each child had a workbook and there were plenty of activities every day to help them learn and advance further. A couple of other things worth mentioning: 1. Price: it is rather expensive and unless you live and/or work downtown Seattle, it's not worth it. 2. Food: the food is nothing to write home about. To my taste, they could have done a better job, but then again their food is not that different from many other similar daycares. 3. Playground: is not huge but nice for the location. It is very private and provides enough activities/room for kids to play and run around. Compared to what many other downtown daycares have, this is much better. 4. Teachers: our overall experience was positive, though some teachers seemed to care less than others. I was pretty upset on those days when our regular teacher was not there and I could not even find out which teacher my son spent the day with. 5. Extra classes: there's a number available but some are pretty costly. All classes are extra on top of tuition. Overall, it is adequate, clean, and okay, though most certainly not the best childcare out there. read more

Our son has attended this facility in downtown Seattle for over a year. He started as an infant just past 3 months old. My wife and I looked at many daycares in West Seattle were we live and downtown where we work and were very disappointed with what we found. That is until we met Kat the director at Kinder and her team. For something that is difficult (leaving your child with strangers) the women that have watched our son have all shown love and attention that he needed when we were not there with him. Kat emails us photos some days (when she has time) and we get a full report at every pickup. Thought I would share our experience with some of the negative comments posted. Thank you to everyone there for all that you do!!! read more

My son started going to this daycare when he was 10 weeks old. I was nervous: we grabbed at the opening because we'd heard that most daycares have lengthy waiting lists, I needed to go back to work and finding infant child care that wraps around the work day has been astoundingly challenging for a metropolitan area. On our tour I felt distantly critical of nearly everything, but having seen so few daycares in the city I new I didn't really have a basis of comparison. We went with Kindercare thinking that we'd continue to look around for something better/cheaper/closer. I have since grown to really appreciate and enjoy this center. Cleanliness is a priority: no shoes in the infant rooms (hospital booties are available if you don't want to remove your shoes), sanitizing hand foam is available outside of each room, the rooms are cleaned thoroughly each night, the teachers wear latex gloves when bottle feeding the babies, mouthed toys are set aside for cleaning, babies are kept clean and dry (they go through diapers faster than I do at home). Security is considered: a key pad is used to enter the lobby and another to enter the infant rooms, security questions are arranged if I even need someone new to pick up my kid. Babies are well cared for: a variety of toys are provided, no baby is left awake in a crib, and teachers are engaged and knowledgeable, the way the teachers interact with the babies is respectful and kind. The biggest thing that makes me like this place, though, is its obvious effect on my son. When I pick him up he is calm and happy. Several times I've seen him give that wonderful open-mouth toothless baby smile to teachers I hadn't met yet, but he clearly had established a joyful relationship with. read more

After reading all the previous reviews of the downtown Seattle Kindercare, I was very hesitant to place my three-month old here. However, it was the only downtown daycare that had an opening for an infant when I needed to go back to work and it was very close to where I work. After two months, I can now say that I'm very pleased with this daycare. In fact, the only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that I only work four days a week, but the center charges you for all five days. Other than that, the staff has been wonderful and extremely flexible, the location works very well with picking up and dropping off, and our son is comfortable there. The "teachers" in the infant room are all very young, but they have been both professional and very sweet to work with. We will soon be changing our son to a daycare that will only charge us for four days instead of five, but I would not hesitate to return to this Kindercare if the new daycare doesn't work out. read more

Our daughter was born in September 2010 and started staying with a nanny in January of 2011. By August we were ready to switch over to a daycare and were a little nervous about how Anna would handle so much time at a new place with teachers and kids she did not know. We didn't need to worry about that at all because Kat and her staff do an amazing job every day of teaching the kids while also keeping them fed and changed...which I can barely do and she is my own daughter. I would recommend Kindercare to anyone looking for a great daycare with a convenient downtown location. The tuition is notably lower than other options (yes I am talking to you Bright Horizons) and they do a great job of getting to know every kid and their families. Kindercare does fantastic work and I just wish we could keep using them...unfortunately that can't happen but it is had absolutely nothing to do with Kindercare. We will miss them all very much, and are so thankful for the great work they did with our precious daughter. read more

We are happy our son is in this facility for over 2.5 years now. The teachers he had been when changing age groups had been with the daycare for a two plus years already. They approached child's development with professional skills at the same time keeping tender and caring connection with the little ones. Every child is well known by everyone from the stuff members or the directors thus making it easty to communicate your personal preferences. I would recommend this daycare with no reservations. read more

My daughter has been attending the downtown Kindercare for over a year now. The whole staff is participatory and kind. I like the consistency in the care and programs for the kids. I was very hesitant to leave my child with a group of strangers, but have grown to trust that everyone has my daughter's best interest at heart. It's gotten to the point that I stay at work a little late so she has more time to play there. Pretty good indication that she's happy there! read more

Wow! We loved our time here. We sent our son at 3 months and from his time with Miss. Bianca and Miss. Sohiba in the infant room to his final year in the preschool room with Teacher Ry and Miss. Chase it was a dream. If traffic to downtown wasn't complete hell we never would have had to take him out. The director Ashtyn and assistant Director Kristen are a godsend. So professional and available. Whoever takes our spot- we're jealous and you're in for a great experience! read more

Our daughter attended Seattle KinderCare from 3 - 15 months and our experience there exceeded all expectations. Every single member of the staff, from the cleaning crew to the director, is friendly, warm, and knowledgeable. The community is tight-knit and feels like a family, and this comradery is exemplified by how teachers know all the children, not just the ones in their own classroom. The facilities are well maintained and updated regularly, and since the new COVID-19 cleaning protocols began, even routine colds have become rare. Communication is clear, concise, and timely. Questions and concerns are approached with an attitude of collaboration with families. All of this helped us to feel confident in the safety and wellbeing of our child who attended Seattle KinderCare full time through the initial COVID-19 surge and later through nearby downtown protests. Perhaps the greatest testament of all is how much our daughter enjoyed her time there, and the huge smile on her face every morning when she was greeted by staff. We changed daycares because of a change in commute, but cannot recommend Seattle KinderCare highly enough for all who want to know that their children are not only safe and stimulated, but also loved by those entrusted with their care. read more

Seattle KinderCare has been an incredible place for my family. The Director Ms. Ashtyn and Assistant Director Ms. Kristin have provided awesome support and leadership for the day care, and the teachers in the infant, toddler and preschool rooms were so affectionate, patient, and inspiring with my family. During a period when my child was having trouble adjusting to some changes, Ms. Ashtyn and Ms. Kristin spent significant time and energy to help my child to work through problems, and never did I feel like I was alone or that I wasn't supported by KinderCare. read more

I think the reviews from parents reflect the emphasis on parent relationships and PR that Kat and the corporation work at. The reality is very different. My college graduate daughter worked here just out of college with a degree in psychology and child development. It was a horrible experience for her and she stayed as short a time as possible because she really cares about kids and couldn't in good conscience work where kids are just used as means to revenue. The way the little ones are treated is unconscionable, and very different from the way KinderCare presents themselves: 1) Kids are moved around from room to room during the day as needed to keep the headcount in the room at the maximum and send "teachers" home to lower costs. This means that at the end of the day, the staff may be having to tend to several tired and frightened babies who aren't familiar with them so they can be warehoused until they are picked up. IF YOUR CHILD IS AT KINDERCARE, TRY TO PICK THEM UP AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. The goal of the corporation at the end of the day is to control staff costs and that's not in your child's interest. 2) The Seattle KinderCare implies they implement child development curricula. This is a deception. My daughter was encouraged to put together a curriculum, but although there is a cheerful wall chart showing what they are doing with these little kids, staff are never trained on what to do nor are they given time with the constant chaos of too many kids and too few staff to actually get any of this done. They don't even try. And who's going to correct the perception of parents that the kids were exposed to the fancy curriculum? The 18 month olds? 3) Instead of training on child development or preschool curriculum, staff training focuses almost entirely on how to talk to and please parents. Parents write the checks, kids don't. And judging from the positive statements from very involved and concerned parents, KinderCare is right -- focusing on keeping the parents deluded and happy works for them. 4) Staff are forced to come to work sick. My daughter had a fever and sore throat and tried to call in sick, but Kat told her that she had to come in because "as she should know, they are short staffed and no one else can cover for her." She went to work. I called to complain, not on my daughter's behalf but on yours: Parents should be able to count on their kids not being exposed to infectious diseases by childcare staff. In addition, the way staff are trained and treated is not consistent with good childcare practice. 1) Pay is awful, and the employer expects staff to come to trainings and events with no pay. They are squeezed out of a full week's pay if your child doesn't show up. That means that company profits are better, but the poor staff have even less than the full-time poverty wage they're paid to try to live on. 2) "Teachers" have to do most of the janitorial service for their rooms, including mopping up at the end of the day. 3) The kicker for me was that KinderCare actually expected the staff to purchase treats to serve at a "parent thank you" event. If you go to that, you might thank the staff for your goodies. KinderCare didn't buy it. Unbelievable. My daughter made a number of child and parent friends, who stay in touch with her, so she made the most of a bad situation and did her best to be there for the kids. I hope my semi-insider information is helpful. It's a side of the operation the company works hard to hide from prospective parents. read more

We had our son Gabriel in Kindercare for 3 years (until pre-K) and he loved it there ! The teachers and the directors (Miss Ashtyn & Miss Kristin) are very attentive and always helpful. They did everything to accomodate our constraints always with a smile ! I highly recommend the extra classes (math & phonics) with Mr Mike. The progress made by our son was spectacular! Overall, an excellent daycare that we highly recommend ! read more

My child attended the transition-toddler classroom. It was an unpleasant experience especially so since this was the first time she was going to a large place with many children. 1. Not enough trained teachers.Most teachers have not been working in the center for more than a year, some do not even have background checks completed. My child's classroom had a supposedly 1:6 ratio and it used to invariably end up as 9 to 10 kids crammed together. And we were lucky if it was not a floater teacher who worked with my child. 2. Not enough group activities planned for the children. they have a daily schedule which is loosely adhered to...really really loosely... depending on the teacher's convinience. 3. Extremely tedious process to get the kids to an enclosed playground by an elevator. 4. An uninterested director, more interested in the finances than the well being of the children that attend. read more

Our toddler attended this daycare for approximately 11 months. The first 4-5 months went well, our son seemed well cared for. During the last half, he was routinely ignored, unsupervised, and not cared for. The teachers are constantly being swapped out, the supervisor seems organized but has a very poor relationship with the staff, and the staff seems poorly trained. Do not send your child here unless you like to constantly find your child bruised without explanation and with constant diaper rash. read more

If you care about your child, please DON'T SEND THEM TO "KINDERCARE" I used to work there and ran away as fast and as far I could. Unfortunately kids cant do the same. I have been working with kids in various setting for over 15 years. Kinder care is the most terrifying place I have ever seen. I would cry after my day work was over. I saw kids suffering, humiliated, always being criticised, being pushed over. this is not fair. This place should be closed down. I think the problem starts with the KC higher management and hard rules. the the child care staff are nice and good people, but they are also being pushed to impossible and stressful situations. please don't send your kid there. the parent that send their kids to KC need to wake up and take their kid out of there before its too late. save your kid. Get him/her out of Kinder care! ASAP please! read more

Oh my goodness...I don't even know where to begin. This place is the most depressing daycare center I have seen in a long time. I work in a corporate building adjacent to this baby prison and would never in a million years send my children here. I actually get a sick feeling in my stomach when I pass by - my coworker and I have decided to change our afternoon walk route to avoid this place. We've been walking by this facility for over a year and have never witnessed happy babies, toddlers or caregivers. The size of this place is equivalent to a shoebox and anyone passing by can see directly into the glass enclosure. On numerous occasions we have passed by only to witness several hysterical infants laying on their backs or in a bouncy chair while an overwhelmed and outnumbered caregiver attempts to calm a few of the infants. I have literally stopped in my tracks and stared the caregiver in the eye begging to connect...is this really happening? Are parents really allowing this to happen to their children?! It's so incredibly upsetting and sad. Perhaps some parents go by the out of sight out of mind philosophy?! I can't imagine any loving parent being okay with what is happening at this daycare center. If you do place your children under the care of this child prison, please make an unexpected visit...walk by on any given day and witness how your little ones are being "cared" for. Read the reviews from those who have worked there and have genuine insight. They will tell you the truth and have nothing to gain. Don't abandon your children when they need you the most! read more

My baby attends this day care as an infant and she is very well taken care of and happy here! The teachers are very good at their job and care about the babies as if they were their own. The facility and staff have many procedures that are followed to help ensure the babies are well taken care of and the facility is clean, such as documenting everything the baby does (sleep, eat, etc.), wearing gloves for feeding and changing, washing the linens daily, etc. I visit the day care during lunch frequently to see my baby and I can tell all the babies are always very happy and the staff is always very nice and sociable with the family members. I would completely recommend this day care to any parent. read more

We are new to the center for Infant care (about 1 month in) but so far very happy with the management and staff. They are the only center we found in town that would let us lock a spot for a future date (vs. playing the wait list game everywhere else). The location is also very convenient. So far our daughter has done well and has been well taken care of. The staff seems to genuinely care about the kids. I feel that she is safe when we leave her. They do a lot of extra activities as well (painting, etc) that we would likely never do at home so feel good that she is getting exposed to lots of new things at such a young age. read more

We enrolled our child here for a year and a half. The care was very inconsistent. Basically a very expensive baby sitting service. The management does not have the experience needed to run a daycare center in this area. They are very nice it is just either their inexperience or that corporate holds them back from making good decisions. This place is corporate and there is little or no parent involvement and it is not really encouraged. In the year and a half we were at this center we went through 6 teachers and for three months our infant child "floated" from class to class with out a dedicated care giver. If you want quality consistent care for your child downtown Seattle this is probably not the place for you. After 9 months of waiting for things to get better we started looking at other daycares. Most of the others(not all but most) downtown are run by more experienced and better management and this results in better staff and happier families. the good things about this place is that the facility is nice and clean. the bad side is that staff turnover is very high and you are lucky to have the same teacher for 8 to 12 weeks before they leave. read more

My son started to go to Seattle KinderCare when he was 4 and half month. As other mentions, Seattle KinderCare was the only place that has TREE infant rooms. I was VERY worrying when I had to send my son there at this young age. It turns out really well. First, he gets very good care and enough attention. People might think ratio means something. I do think a good teacher can really handle better than 1:1 care. second, school activities help my son grow well and it helps my son to explore the room and different things. This school plans a lots of activities based on the season. Kids do have a lot of fun. Third, the new director is always available and opens to any suggestions. She recently moved to this center few months ago. I see a lots of details have been addressed. More teachers are hired and the whole center has more warm touches. Last, this center offers one-night to open late until 9pm to give parents a night out. I personal think this help with couples relationship.! The only downside is that this center is little bit more expensive than others. We tried to put my son at other cheaper center one day, and we realized that expensive center pays more attention to details and teachers work harder and nicer to kids. read more