Bottom line: My kids have been there since they were 3 months old (they're now 2 years old). They love (and more importantly, I trust) the teachers they've had. There have been 3 directors since we've been there and the newest director (Ms. Celia) is the most organized one thus far. I'd recommend them to my friends with infants, toddlers, or 2 year olds (but I don't know anything about the teachers for older kids).
The details: I have twin boys and they've always been a handful. They were born almost a trimester early, so we were/maybe still are a little bit helicopter parents, plus as they've gotten older they've gotten rambunctious. Kindercare has always been good to us and our boys. I know of at least 3 other kids that have been there since my boys started almost 2 years ago, so we're not the only ones who are happy with their care!
THE GOOD: 1) I TRUST the ladies who watch our boys. Ise, Barbara, Shay, Lily, Sandra, etc (when they were infants/toddlers) and now Erika in the 2's room... I know that they legitimately care about and mentally challenge our boys so that they'll grow. Before COVID we could go in and talk to the teachers and see them and our kids in their element for a few minutes. There is zero question in my mind that these ladies have our boys' best interest at heart, 2) They have kept eggs out of one kid's diet due to an allergy I told them about (I would see in the daily report for that kid that he had "Fried rice (no egg)" which tells me that they remembered). 3) We wanted our kids to have a snack at 4 pm, even though they don't offer a snack at 4 and they said, "Sure, we'll feed them whatever you guys bring in". I think they might have forgotten to feed the boys their 4 pm snack once or twice, but hey, after 1 year of this, that's not bad. Plus, on days where I forgot to bring their snack they provided their own food, no questions asked. 4) We tried that "3-day" potty training method with our kids. The book mentions that many daycares won't let you send your kid commando and that they are forced to wear pull-ups. Not at this Kindercare. Celia (the current director) basically said, "Just tell us how many accidents you're okay with and as long as we haven't run out of clean clothes and shoes, we're happy to follow your lead." 5) Every time we've given them a head's up that we're going to pick the kids up early for an appointment, they plan ahead and make sure their diapers are changed and ready to roll on time, 6) We also had occupational therapy come to daycare for both boys until they were about 1.5 years old. Kindercare helped her find a quiet place to do therapy with each boy, helped provide snacks when we were working on chewing, and our OT never had anything bad to say about the care she observed while there. 7) We are trying to keep a lower sugar diet for our boys (basically, minimal sweets like cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, etc), and after seeing a pic of my boys enjoying some Kool-Aid on a picnic-themed day I asked them to avoid sugary stuff. Now I get a head's up email whenever a parent is bringing in sweets (like for a birthday) or they have popsicle day and am given the option to either a) let them partake, b) bring in a substitute so that my boys don't feel left out (Celia's suggestion), or c) authorize them to offer our boys fruit from their kitchen instead. 8) LOTS of pictures of your kid! It used to be every couple days, but ever since COVID it's been like 1-3 pics (per boy for me) each day! 9) They are open basically every day except the most federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. For working parents, this is a godsend.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD: 1) I would agree with other reviewers that before COVID it was hit or miss when you called their phone. Now with COVID (or maybe it's bc of the new director?) they always pick up because that's how you notify them that you're there to pick up your kid(s). 2) When our boys were learning to walk they got a lot of bumps at daycare. I get that this will happen, but we had to push to get them to place bumpers on the bookshelf edges that one of our boys kept falling on (it's not that the daycare didn't want to, the director just didn't know how to procure the materials... also, this was with the interim Director that people have mentioned in other reviews). 3) I wish they provided fresh fruit instead of canned fruit, but I get how difficult that would be with all of the children of different ages that they have to feed. 4) They no longer do the 1/2 off tuition when you go on vacation (used to be a max of 2 weeks per year), but with COVID that doesn't really matter right now.
Final note: I really like this new director (Celia). I think if she would have been there the past 2 years this probably would have been a 5 star review. Literally the only reason I decided to write a review is because I saw how they were rated on Yelp and felt like other parents wouldn't give them a fair shot! read more