Melrose offers my 3 year old son the most wonderful experience possible. It is an amazing school…read morewith a play-based learning philosophy that teaches children to be happy, creative, confident individuals. My son grows everyday through art classes, gardening, tending animals, reading, playing, drama, dancing, yoga, and so much more. It is the BEST preschool/kindergarten in Jacksonville and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful school in our neighborhood!

I don't have much experience with day care as this is my only child. From the few we toured this…read morewas the one that definitely seemed to care most about the child. We're about 6 months in and very happy with our decision. The hours aren't the best but we tried another one we didn't like as well but that had better hours and that lasted all of three days.

We enrolled our son at age 2 and on the first day, the director said "we just couldn't get him to…read morefollow directions". I was surprised that anyone would make a negative comment about a 2 yr old on day one! That should have been a sign. Things were fine once he acclimated, but then we had two incidents involving injury, and at one of the pick ups, he was alone crying by himself with a bloody nose. The teacher seemed more interested in sharing that he had thrown mulch on the playground rather than consoling him or making sure he was ok. After several attempts to get details about the accident, we met with the staff, it was revealed that the director, Ms. Quarterman, had instructed the teachers NOT to talk to us about the incident. Absolutely unacceptable for us. We never returned. Poor communication, they deter parent involvement, they have rigid expectations about compliance in young toddler aged children, very dismissive to parents concerns, and have a "convenience over compassion" mindset.

I thought long and hard about posting this review, and I've waited a year to do so, but I really…read morewould have appreciated if I'd known this before I made a decision that so deeply affected my child. This is based solely on my family's personal experience. 1. SJKP offers curbside drop off and pick up. If this is convenient for you, great. If, however, you are like me and enjoy walking your child into his/her classroom and getting them settled before hugging and kissing them goodbye for the day, you will be discouraged from doing so. Although I was told during my tour that "parents are always welcome in the classroom," I was asked by the teacher to say my goodbyes outside the door and not come in (this was also later formalized in a memo from the director to all parents). When you pick up and drop off your child this way (in a rush at the curb with a line of other parents waiting), you get no feedback from your child's teacher(s) about his or her day and no real opportunity to communicate your own questions, concerns or comments. I felt alienated and found it very dismaying and distressing. 2. Nap time policy is that children do not have to sleep, but if they do not sleep, they are expected to rest quietly on their mats with no toys, books, or other distractions for approximately two hours (I don't know any adults that could do this with no phone, book, tv, etc, let alone a two-year-old). My child is not a napper. We struggled with this the whole time he was there. If I didn't ask if he napped, no one told me. They waited until it was so bad (he was yelling, kicking walls, and causing a major ruckus) to tell me on a Friday that he would not be welcome back for naptime starting Monday. There is no alternative available to a non-napper. 3. During summer session, they rotated teachers every couple of weeks so leadership was very inconsistent for my child. They were loose on the "rules" so when the school session started in August, we had to overcome two and a half months of letting certain things go, then backtrack to reestablish what would be expected of him. 4. Because I was discouraged from entering the classroom, I had no idea who my child's classmates were, and I rarely had the chance to meet any other parents. 5. This school's philosophy is very centered on obedience. When a child is "disobedient," he/she is sent to the director's office. My son told me once (and remember, this is a two year old!), that "Mrs. [director's name] was very angry to me." I found this attitude to be very unrealistic for such young children, and that it limited creativity and independence. I removed my son from this facility after approximately four months.

3 years ago I was looking for a VPK for my daughter, who had stayed home with me her whole life…read more It was a big, scary decision. A mom from my daughter's dance class recommended "A Little Preschool" to me. Knowing she was a teacher herself and her daughter had attended VPK there the previous year, I didn't look any further. I couldn't be happier with my choice. The first thing I noticed upon walking into the school is how happy the kids were. They all greeted my daughter and me with smiles and giggles. Mrs Grimes showed us around and gave me a great explanation of their policies and curriculum. When we showed up on the first day of school, Mrs Grimes remembered us and our names after only meeting us once, about six months prior. That really meant a lot to me. She is so kind and nurturing with the children. Her assistant of now going on 10 years, Mrs Strickland, is upbeat and loving with the kids also. My daughter loves her teachers and her school. The entire staff have provided a loving, nurturing and safe environment for her while developing her social skills, confidence and preparing her for Kindergarten. My daughter has learned so much there. She comes home every week with new songs she has learned. She is always sharing little tid bits of current events, history, & science she learned at school. Her penmanship and art skills have improved significantly. I truly can not say enough good things about "A Little Preschool" and it's staff. Knowing my daughters heart and mind are in good hands made the first year of school a great experience for both of us. My daughter is now wrapping up 1st grade. In both her Kindergarten and 1st grade class, she has been one of the top students. She is a strong reader. Her kindergarten teacher was so happy with how prepared she was during the first weeks of school. My son will be starting VPK in August this year & I am really excited for him to attend A Little Pre-School. I feel confident that he will be well taken care of & will have just as a successful year as my daughter.

Punkin Place is Outstanding! I have been going to Punkin…read morePlace for over 4 years. They take care of the children there better then any other childcare center I have experienced. The office staff and teachers are always friendly. When you walk in it feels like home!!!

From the owner: Child care for infants through 12 years. VPK and Before and After School. Summer Camp.read more

A beautiful church in Riverside, Jacksonville…read more I had the honor of watching some friends tie the knot at this church and it was absolutely beautiful! The architecture of this church is beautiful and the acoustics inside were to match. Seems like it would be nice to come here for a Sunday service.

Love this church. Old and beautiful. Please help the congregation! We live in Riverside so we just…read morewalk to it each week.

They accept all children, but are pricer than most caregivers in the area. They have a waiting list…read moreat the moment. Full time only

From the owner: DLC Nurse & Learn is an inclusion child care center for children of all abilities. Children with…read moreCerebral Palsy, Down's Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Microcephaly, seizure disorders, g-tubes, apnea monitors and other special needs are welcome at DLC Nurse & Learn! We have classrooms for infants-5 year olds, including VP-K for 4 year olds. We also have after school programs for children up to 22 years of age. Scholarships are available for families that qualify. Our services include child care, preschool, extended day programs, registered nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, early intervention, developmental screening and low adult to child ratios for more one-on-one attention to individual goals for each child.