This location isn't currently open. Regardless, I can't recommend this company. We had our kiddo there (he started a little after 12 months), and there was a range in the quality of teachers like at most other daycare. I did notice some teachers in the older kids' classrooms sharply yelling/screaming at kids from time to time (not what I wanted for our kiddo, but he wasn't in that room, so it was a "cross that bridge when we get to it" situation). The problem was the purposeful lack of communication and withholding of information. The director and company knew their lease was up. They knew their new space wasn't finished yet (literally not built, and no occupancy permit). They knew in January it wasn't going to be ready and ended up asking for lease extensions for about 4 months. They never told parents about this tenuous situation; it was always just, "oh, we'll be moving in [insert new month]." Not a word that construction wasn't even going on at the new place because BUILDING PERMITS hadn't been issued, and that they had no other backup plan. Well, the lease extensions ran out entirely and the building owner told them they had no more extensions and had to vacate. Did they tell parents? No. They waited until there was just 2 weeks before abruptly telling parents their only Pittsburgh location was closing. Oh, but we could request to be put into one of their suburban locations, the closest of which was 30 minutes+ each way with traffic (and at least 45 minutes driving near the end of the day because of rush hour). So, at least 2 hours each day of driving to/from daycare; out and back, out and back. Even getting a straight answer from them about which suburban location they'd place my son at was a nightmare. We had no other option, because they purposefully waited so long to tell us parents what they had known for months. We did the 2 hour drive for two weeks to see if it would work, while frantically searching for other daycares with open slots. The suburban location also treated anyone from the city like a second class citizen. Suburban staff acted like the Pittsburgh kids weren't their problem, they were just taking up space; it really seemed like there had been no planning or communication about the Pittsburgh kids coming. NO PLAN for parents to sign kids in and out; wouldn't let us use the electronic sign-in/sign-out system the suburban parents got to use, wouldn't give us door codes like we had at the other location and like they had for their suburban parents (until Pittsburgh parents repeatedly complained), no bins for kids to store stuff like extra clothes (and they literally had empty bins in my son's room; I heard a Pittsburgh teacher politely ask if they could use them for our kids since they were empty, and she was VERY FIRMLY shot down, "No. You CANNOT use them." No explanation.), not enough hooks, etc. for coats/hats/mittens, and they crammed all the Pittsburgh kids into one classroom regardless of age: infants, one year olds, and older toddlers all in the same room. Napping was a nightmare. I felt so bad for the Pittsburgh teachers. All in all, I wouldn't trust this company or the Pittsburgh Director (Maggie) again. The two stars is only because we had one excellent teacher who we really liked and miss. Hilarious note: the company employee's five star post was posted AFTER they closed this location. read more

From a parent's perspective... the director / leadership at this place with Maggie is the worst I've ever seen and I've brought three children through this facility over the past 5 years. Her communication is absolutely horrendous and extremely unprofessional. An alleged abuse incident involving my child and his behavioral tech occurred at the facility and was reported to DHS by daycare staff. Yet, Maggie - the director - never called us to tell us this happened. We only found out because DHS called us to come to our HOME and investigate. When we questioned Maggie about it she said, "I didn't want to bother you with it". Are you kidding me?!?!? Whether this report was unfounded or not, we - the parents - should have been notified. That's communication 101. This is just one example of her poor communication but I have an entire list. *Also... people who have been accused of child abuse work here. Leadership will tell you it's unfounded / retaliation between disgruntled teachers and maybe that's truebut I wouldn't risk it if I were you. read more

Wonderful company with many opportunities of growth! I have been with the company for 5 years! We were also very fortunate to get paid while the company was closed during the pandemic. TCLC is also a NAYEC accredited that also offers an excellent curriculum. read more

This place is a joke, DO NOT put money down because they will NEVER call you to confirm your placement. Read entire article to get a full perspective of this company. Original review: we visited when we were 6 months pregnant in June 2017 and were near guaranteed a spot for the following February 2018 because we had such a nice 8 month window and it was in the off season we'd be enrolling our little one. We were in "spot #10" all the way up to March 2018, which, at that point, I figured I could make it through the rest of the semester, but I wanted to see what was up, and make it CLEAR that we needed to be in by the following fall semester 2018 (yeah, over a year after we put the deposit down), we were willing to put her in anytime over this summer just to make sure that happened. So the very next day after I was told we were "still in spot #10," I visited with my infant to see what was going on, the ladies goo goo'd all over her & within 24 hours I got a call that she was in spot #1, a space miraculously opened up overnight (yeah right). Of course they already had messed up my semester, I figured out how to make it work, asked if I could give the spot to someone else and KEEP our #1 spot for the very next child that leaves Tender Care in her group - was told "absolutely" you're next in line! This was...March. It's August now, and no one has called (not one child has left Tender Care over summer?!). We've moved on. Something told me this place was a joke by the way they shuffled us around in priority, and we found a MUCH better place at the same rate. When we visited, it was ok, literally nothing special. We liked them because it was clean, seemed safe, open 30min later than most daycares & really just closest to home. The backyard is tiny, the AC units from the apartments above drip on the kid's heads. In all, It's not worth your time or money or effort because there are so many other great daycares in the city. It's really a shame how they prioritize people; there is clearly no official system, they are cherrypicking whomever they want whenever they want, which sucks for anyone who doesn't fit their mold. **Updated 18hrs later, after Sandy BELOW left her misleading comment 1. my name isn't even on my yelp profile, so how would you know the name the deposit was under? 2. It's misleading for you to say that you can't locate a deposit, making us appear to be the ones at fault, because we DID put $50 in to hold our child's spot. I called Sandys number today and gave her our child's name in which the deposit is under, but I did state that I don't want a call back at this juncture because there's no point, it's clear how the company works - taking people's money with no intention of ever confirming a spot for them + I think this post proves my point where you are trying to make your company look good by commenting as though we are at fault here. **UPDATE #3, Sandy called me back after I asked her not to in the voicemail, said she looked up my initials "A.F" and couldn't find my paperwork (duh) & also couldn't find my daughter's last name on the paperwork. I got annoyed (because she's calling me back after I asked her not to and she keeps telling me that I didn't leave a deposit). She went on to say that I was "being nasty and WHAT'S UP YOUR BUTT?" I told her "I didn't want her to call me back and to leave me alone" and she said "what is wrong with you? I'm trying to resolve this" I said what is wrong with me is that I didn't ask for my money back and SHE's calling ME when I asked her not to and she's literally asking me what is "up my butt!" THAT IS TENDER CARE CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE! You telling me that I am a liar is even more offensive. I did pay my deposit. I will also now look into Sandy's manager after she called me then speaks to me offensively and then hangs up on me. wow. *Last update. I called to find out who the CEO is, asked specifically for the CEO, and the receptionist put me back to Sandra Chaban (NOT the CEO) - I didn't leave a voicemail, I simply hung up. Called again to ask the receptionist WHO the CEO was, and (surprise) no one answered the phone! So I looked up Tender Care's CEO on my own, and in fact it is Mr. Frank Reabe. I left him a voicemail letting him know how I was treated, that I was never looking for my money back, that I was simply stating how his company functions on my yelp review, that SHE called ME, that she asked me what was up my butt, that this reflects 100% on why I initially left a ONE STAR review. I will also forward my enrollment agreement that I have from 6/22/17 signed by Andrea Weir that shows that we paid our $50 deposit, that Sandra keeps telling me never happened & that they have no record of (in the meanest most condescending voice possible to make me feel at fault). That is all, I want nothing more with this company, I'm happy to speak with Frank about Sandra, but there is no point in discussing anything further, the review stands! read more

I want to write this review while my child is still there! He will soon begin a public school Montessori with his big sister... I have now had a combined 7 years of experience with Tender Care, Shadyside - my daughter attended this daycare from 2009-2012 (infant room to preK), then my son attended from 2015-present (infant room to just now starting preK). So, this might be a long review. Overall, the daycare has been an absolutely great experience. My children have been safe and treated with respect, but I think most importantly, the daycare is run with the intention to teach children to respect each other and care for each other. These ages for young children are difficult, because they are learning so much from each other and, more importantly, from role models like their teachers. I have never seen a teacher shame a child, I have never seen a teacher yell at a child - they deal with the emotional outbursts that children inevitably have with a commendable amount of patience and caring. Children learn when they need to take a minute and how to express boundaries (my 3yo son's favorite expression to his big sister harassing him is currently "I don't like that, no thank you!" hahaha). This socialization and healthy respect of each other is something that I value a lot, and Tender Care has an amazing investment in supporting this from the leadership down. In terms of education, which goes beyond the basic needs of needing my child to be safe and around positive role models, Tender Care also has impressed me a lot. Most weeks, a lesson plan is sent out via email to let me know what they are trying to focus on during the week. This is great, because then I can ask my child "did you work with such-and-such" rather than (or in addition to) "what did you do today?" The latter question almost always yields a "I don't know" or something completely random, whereas the former question gets them excited to talk about whatever it was. The plans are widespread in terms of skills - from fine and gross motor skills to sounds/letters to quantity to weather to creativity to social/emotional development, plus more. When my daughter moved to the public school Montessori program, her transition was effortless - a lot of the "work" in a Montessori school was similar to the things she did at Tender Care. Additionally, she was very well socially adjusted when entering public school. I read some comment about communication being not good, and in my experience, I have to disagree. I have been given "boo-boo" slips when anything has happened physically to my child (not very often, and more often than not, it was a normal kind of thing - I think my daughter was bit once, which is completely normal in a group of very small children and is no fault of the staff at all, but it was not a recurrent issue and was discussed in a manner both respectful of my daughter and respecting the privacy of the other child). Every day, we get a list of things that happened in the day - what was discussed during circle time, what they ate, when they slept, when they went to the bathroom, any other notes. In the past year, they have transitioned to a paperless system that is AMAZING - it sends the daily stuff either by text or email or both, and can also send pictures of what happened in the week from time to time - these pictures are completely adorable. The director is Allison - she came to Shadyside when my daughter had been there already for 6 months, and the changes she made were amazing. She is a highly professional individual that somehow is, at the same time, a genuinely kind and nice person. My 9yo daughter still likes to come in and say hi to her, and to the current assistant director Vicky, who was my daughter's last teacher there! Allison has been able to hire staff in a field that overall has high turnover, but the staff she hires tends to stay for many years. In the 3 years between my daughter leaving and my son starting, we were surprised to return and see many of the same faces. The staff tend to be younger professionals, with a lot of positive energy. Many of them are working on degrees in the field of early education or psychology, and you can definitely tell that they are there not just to earn a paycheck, but because they really are interested in helping small children develop. I have come to rely on their experience with both my children and other children to help navigate and address things as a parent! I could go on and on - the preK has a little indoor greenhouse that the children have been helping to plant things in! The music and lighting during nap time even makes me want to sleep! The things that are on the shelves in the different areas of the classroom encourages exploration. The outside area is small, but my children get enough exercise that it has been fine, and when they add sprinklers in the summer for "water play," it is a highlight of their week. So - yes, I definitely recommend Tender Care Shadyside. :) read more

Great teachers but not so great management. I experienced the director yelling a child with special needs to the point wear he was shaking in fear. This has happened more than once. I also witnessed a child unsupervised in a room sleeping. I would suggest you do a pop in visit versus scheduling a tour. They like to make things look good when they need to. Please be cautious. read more

Understaffed, poorly managed and bad communication. I withdrew my son from this school because he was bitten 4 times in 3 days by the same child. The management would not remove the biter from the class or try to separate him from my child. The first bite was not reported, because the teacher did not see it happen nor did she notice the giant bite mark on his hand. The second and third bites happened the following day, I was called by the teacher and told that he was bitten above his eye and on his ear. The fourth bite occurred the following day, I was notified at pick up that my son was bitten on his arm. I withdrew my son from the school the following day because after several meetings with management I was told that they could not guarantee that it wouldn't happen again and that they understood if I needed to make other arrangements. So if you don't want your 17 month old child to get bitten repeatedly I would suggest you look somewhere else for child care. On the other hand, if you have a child that bites, be confident that you can send him/her here and they will not be suspended or asked to leave the school. read more

Can't say enough good things about Tender Care, especially the Shadyside location. I wouldn't send my kids anywhere else, and we've had our children enrolled there for the past SIX years. We recently had to pull them out for the summer due to employment issues at home, and not only did my husband and I miss it, our kids did too. We are SO excited to return next week and see our Tender Care family again! Allison and Vicky are a wonderful team and they are nurturing and fair. They are also organized, dedicated, and fun. Six years ago when I was pregnant with my first child, we were on the waitlist; Allison was very responsive, always understanding, and patient! Luckily we ended up getting a spot. There's a waitlist for a reason--people want to send their kids here, and good child care that you can trust isn't easy to find! read more

Tender Care has been a great school for both my daughter and I. She has been enrolled since she was 10 weeks old. She is now 5 and ready to start kindergarten. The school is well organized and rich in activities and education. Tender Care teachers are the "best of the best" they have helped me be a better mom and working parent. read more

We love this place! The teachers ansd staff are so supportive, caring and wonderful!! We have been going there for years. My son will be in first grade but has been there for years prior to entering public school and my daughter has been there since birth and she is now 2. We love their curriculum and my daughter comes home and sings songs, recites her letters and is now counting! She loves going there!!! The teachers and staff truly care about your child and go above and beyond what it is needed. The teachers and staff have created an atmosphere that is respectful, loving and fun. They make sure you and your child are welcomed each and every day. Communication is very important and I feel I couldn't be happier. My son, while there,was diagnosed with autism and I had a three hour parent teacher conference with his teacher. She deeply cared for our son and it showed not just by her but by the entire staff!! If I had a question, the teachers and staff would respond in a timely manner and would even let me know observations they noticed with my daughter and son. Everyone has been really respectful and friendly and I feel comforted knowing my daughter is in a great place. We are so appreciative of the teachers and staff and so glad we chose Tendercare. I highly recommend it! read more

Fantastic school - warm teachers, great supervision. My husband and I have been very happy with the care of our daughter at this center, and would recommend without reservation to anyone. read more

After years of experience with 4 different daycare/learning centers, we have always felt so grateful to have Tender Care Shadyside as care providers and educators for our two children. Compared to the other 3 centers we've experienced, which included a Tender Care center in another part of the Pittsburgh area, Tender Care Shadyside has always had our complete trust. The Director and Asst. Director are both personable and professional and expect all the teachers to be friendly and mature. You will never see a teacher there sitting on their behinds and being inactive or on their phones or gossiping, which we've witnessed at too many other places. They are always engaged with the children in age-appropriate play, and the education they have given our kids has been far beyond our expectations. They send you weekly and monthly lesson plans, daily activity calendars, and foster a strong parent-teacher relationship. They offer parent-teacher conferences twice/year formally and more as requested. The kids are happy, loved, and grow in this trusting environment. I love that they offer healthy meals and snacks, and how they send me little anecdotes and photos of the special things my kids experience. I am so glad for my boys to have this opportunity to develop relationships with adults and children. They also are attentive to when a child has a special need, opening up communication with the parents to share their observations and allow the parents to guide how they want it to proceed. I sincerely have felt like the staff at Tender Care Shadyside are part of our family. I am saddened that we will be leaving there when our youngest goes off to Kindergarten at the end of this month. I will be forever grateful to them for all that they have given my children and us as a family. read more

From the get go when we were scrambling to find a day care, Tender Care was accommodating, nurturing, and affordable for our growing family. Now, after three years, an addition to the family, and a work schedule change, Tender Care has responded to our family's needs with considerable flexibility and openness. Our daughters genuinely enjoy "school", because this is more than just a day care, it is a creative learning environment with qualified teachers. Our oldest has one year before entering kindergarten and I am confident in how Tender Care is preparing her. read more