A preschool for 1 & 2 year old's!!!…read more When I started the program last year with my 2 year old, I didn't really understand it; the whole learning-through-play, the parent education, the committees, Bates affiliation, and the real meaning of co-op/cooperative. But this one-day-a-week school really changed the way I am as a parent. This is my second year at the co-op, since I signed up my 1 year old. My daughter's love the sensory table-it changes often; cornmeal, rice, dry pasta, water, potato flakes, lentils, oatmeal, and more. The toys around the classroom are constantly rotated and every single toy has a specific purpose-nothing was picked up from Toys-R-Us because it looked pretty or was on sale. There is a lot of thought behind every detail. What motor skills are they using and what are they learning. The teachers are so lovely and sweet. The epitome of preschool teachers, seriously. I liked having the parent educators, because I constantly had questions about how to handle my rambunctious daughter. Parents don't go and simply sit and chat, but are led in discussions with your child and their age in mind, so it's all directed towards you being able to apply it now. This isn't a traditional sit-down-and-learn-letters sort of preschool. Midland really emphasizes the importance of play. As a parent, you learn the importance of play too, and how much children are actually learning while playing, which I was completely unaware of. My only regret is not starting this program with my first daughter when she was 1 years old.

A small cooperative preschool listed in the Midland area of Pierce County. Midland cooperative…read morereally excels at its mission. Fostering a environment for children to be able to learn about themselves and the world with other children in the class. Teachers Erin and Jennie lead their classrooms with great care and thought. My son cole loves his teacher. I was able to attend a class and saw how he interacted with the other children and the teacher, and could tell he was in great hands. Midland follows a fairly similar schedule. Free play time to start, then the parents go and have their 'education' while the kids and the teacher play and work on activities. After this it is time to clean up and have a snack. Finally there circle time for songs. This is a wonderful space and with such caring and attention by the teachers and staff, it really feels great knowing there are places like this out there. As a parent however, there are expectations that you help out during the classrooms and on various boards and committees. Cooperatives offer a less costly alternative compared to non-cooperative pre schools where the costs are higher, but there is less parent involvement.

In the middle of the pandemic I was struggling to find a reputable preschool that I felt confident…read morewould be a safe and enriching environment for my child to start easing into the classroom type setting. I honestly don't think that I would have found anything to be a better fit for my child even if everything had been at my fingertips to choose from. The patients that I have noticed even just during the drop-off/pick-up to and from preschool never goes unnoticed.

Very disapointed. My son started preschool - less than 2 days in (after only 3 hours total in the…read moreclassroom), they kicked him out and told us they weren't equipped to help 'a kid like him'. There was no discussion beforehand, no working with us to make a plan, and no time to adjust to his first out of home care experience. I have since talked to many educators in my circle of family and friends and they were all surprised (and a little horrified) that he was kicked out so swiftly. If your child is hyper or neurodivergent or if there is there first out of home care experience - look for someplace with more empathy, patience, and parent communication.

Great atmosphere and very sweet staff! Easy to communicate to as well. I feel comfortable if…read moreanything were wrong they would fix it. My daughter loves it there and this being her first year in school I appreciate that so much.

Katie and teachers do an excellent job at communicating and organizing a well put together program…read morefor the kids. I love her weekly emails that highlight the events for the program. If you're looking for a program that focuses on k-prep and core values, this would be a great fit.

Miss Nicole is a wonderful teacher, she is the heart & soul of this co-op. This is our 3rd year of…read moreco-op, I'm so glad we transferred our child out of our last co-op preschool and decided to try Puyallup Valley Co-Op. My child is happier and that ultimately makes me happier as a parent. As it's a "co-op" these responsibilities and duties fall onto the parents, there is no paid staff besides the teacher, who gets paid minimally and works hard, to provide the children with the best possible preschool education at a affordable price. Its not her responsibility to take home and wash the laundry, clean the restrooms, provide snacks, find substitutes to work shifts when parents don't show up, etc.. Its a collaboration of all the parents working together, doing their " assigned" and required "jobs".

I was very sorry to read the previous review regarding this coop preschool and would hope that…read moreevery family enjoy a wonderful experience with their child. I'm glad to say that I have a different experience and hope that others will consider this co-op preschool. I think the biggest challenge with this school (as with any school) is that there is turnover. When the oldest class graduates and leaves for Kindergarten, there is a void that needs to be filled by the two younger classes/new families. This adjustment takes time but with strong leadership, bumps can be smoothed out rather quickly. My 4 year old son enjoys the program a lot. He loves going to school and the teacher is wonderful. The families are amazing and I think that is a big factor -- involved families will make the difference. You can't be a member of a co-op and do nothing -- it will hurt any type of success for the year. An active and cohesive Board makes a big difference too. My son has already enjoyed one field trip and is learning a lot. This class is really preparing him for Kindergarten and as a newly Stay At Home Mom, it's great being involved in his class. I know that two of the classes are full this year but I hope that other families will consider bringing their child here for preschool. Disclaimer/Background: This is our first year (and will be our only year) at this co-op and I am a member of the Board. I decided to become a Board member in an effort to better understand the needs of the school and I wanted to be involved.

They really go above and beyond for their students, the care is unmatched. I'm so happy my niece is…read morein good hands and she has had the best experience before heading off to kindergarten!

I have only heard good things about this place! My niece is absolutely thriving here with their…read moregreat, caring, and attentive staff and environment.

My son went thru the step ahead program for speech services. Everyone was very kind and gave my son…read morethe attention he needed. He received in home services and they assisted in getting him into preschool within the district when he turned three. The Care and attention he received was very reassuring in hopes of strong his goals met. He learned a lot and thrived

From the owner: A Step Ahead in Pierce County is one of the region's most progressive organizations for children…read moreages birth to three who have one or more developmental delays. We provide convenient, home-based therapy and educational services, including speech, physical and occupational therapies and special education. Our team of talented and tenacious professionals work with families as partners, advocates and a support system of care. Our pledge is to unlock the full potential in every child we see.

This place has gone from great to disgusting and unsafe over the past couple of years. Management…read morehas turned over a couple of times since then and teacher staff is now a revolving door. We just pulled our daughter out of there because they aren't even pretending to apply a curriculum for pre-k. They're babysitters, now, and not even very good ones at that. Most recently, we found soiled clothing stuffed into her backpack with her other clothing, sheet, and blanket. Not in a bag, just right into her backpack which now is soaked with urine. My four-year-old doesn't often have accidents, but good lord, what lazy, thoughtless person thought this was ok? During the pandemic, staff was supposed to be masked. Almost daily, either on dropoff or pickup, there were staff seen in classrooms or in the office (the part parents and kids walk though) either completely without a mask or the mask pulled down. Every time I brought it up, I was told that they'd "mention it in a staff meeting" or confirm that yes, it is their policy for staff to mask up. Regardless of your views on masking, the fact that they just didn't enforce their own policies that are supposed to be in place for safety, is unacceptable. The owner, Tom, also spread misinformation during the pandemic regarding masks and other preventive measures via signage posted at the center and at the summer camp location. This place started going down hill quickly when the director (a couple of directors ago, I think) left. Andrea was the last good one, but it was clear that she was being hamstrung from actually doing anything good there. I know it's tough finding a child care center these days, but please, if you have the option, look elsewhere. I'm sure there are other places just as bad or worse, but I no longer trust this place to keep my child safe and certainly not to prepare her for kindergarten. The dozen or teachers who have cycled through that room in the past few months have been uninterested in getting to know the kids, have completely ignored kids who clearly needed attention, were downright mean to kids (witnessed during dropoff on numerous occasions). If you can help it, please trust your children to another center. Also, the five star review that this is updating was written with the promise of a starbucks giftcard. I'm not sure how many other positive reviews are genuine.

They're always very nice when I arrive to pick up my niece, Kaleiah. They already know me. LOL! The…read moreschools smell like Clorox. They seem to always be cleaning. The kids always appear happy.

This center doesn't have daily reports or does not keep record of incident reports. My child came…read morehome with unexplained marks and the owner doesn't know how to conduct an effective meeting. Letters from the owner are often poorly written. The staff is not equipped to handle more than 3 kids per teacher. The owner and staff do not handle conflict appropriately either.

Teacher Anna is absolutely amazing. She is so calm with the kids- she is like the preschool…read morewhisperer. My kiddo happens to be the only child, which means occasionally (a lot...) she gets into an only child emotional temper tantrum over toys. She has improved immensely since starting preschool here. Since this is a co-op, parents are expected to work at least once a month in the classroom. If you like being involved in your child's education, a co-op is a great place to start. Dues each month are extremely low due to the tremendous fundraisers and work the board does to maintain the school. Highly recommended. Sad that we have to move- but happy that we had the opportunity to be in Wapato!

From the owner: Our cooperative preschool program provides developmentally appropriate learning experiences for…read morechildren ages 2 - 5 years old. Our program supports the development of the whole child, including physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth.

Great preschool! We love New Horizon and my son is thriving in his classroom. The people are…read morewonderful and welcoming. Highly recommended!

From the owner: Hands On Learning Your child will be provided a number of…read morehands on learning experiences such as planting, harvesting, and science projects related to class themes. Lots of music and movement will enrich transitions and learning times.