**** I cannot say enough great things about The Merit School…read moreof Stafford. My daughter just graduated from kindergarten here, and the education completely exceeded what we paid for school. We actually enrolled her a couple of weeks late, but her teacher, Mrs Sleydin, took her time and got my daughter acclimated to the learning environment right away. Here is what makes this school so special: *Individualized Learning:* They structure lessons to meet each child's needs. They know how to recognize children who are more advanced and those who need a little more help. Because of this, my daughter made incredible progress in reading and math. *Well-Rounded Activities:* I love the art, gym, and playtime. Plus, they offer great extracurriculars, tutoring, and before/after care. *Caring Staff & Community:* Every teacher cares about every student, even if they aren't in their classroom. The director, Sherry and the Asst Director, are wonderful in not only the way they run the school but their personal involvement with the children. The PTO also works hard to bring the best environment and value to the school. Every dollar spent on my daughter's education was worth it. If you want a school that truly delivers, I highly recommend them!

My son and I have had a wonderful experience at The Merit School of Stafford. The staff is…read moreprofessional, attentive, kind, and very involved with each student's development. It's clear they care about the success of their students on a personal level and go above and beyond to ensure progression. The small class sizes allow for each child to have individual attention from their teachers to work with them one on one. My son enjoys the music and language specials and has a great time in the after school programs. The campus is beautiful, clean, and secure. I'm so proud to be a part of The Merit School of Stafford family and highly recommend this school.

My children went to the Leeland Station location for nearly 3 years. Over that time, there were…read moreNUMEROUS instances of negligent behavior including specifically an assistant putting her hands on my child's neck to redirect him, leaving claw marks from her long nails (no video evidence and my son wasnt old enough to explain well plus no other adult saw ... so oh well nothing they could do). Moved his room and the next teacher, though nice, missed him going out to the playground and left him there crying and reaching through the gate. They claim it was a few minutes but he was so upset it took a long time for him to calm down - that was more than a few minutes and another teacher was the one to notice him. There are constantly new, untrained assistants rotating around and they arent observant. My son was assaulted and violated in the room out in the open and no one helped him. Police report, hospital visit and cps involved but because it was a child there wasnt much they could do. No exact date to figure out which adult and they dont record the videos anyway. That is their way out of everything. Sons were pulled immediately but it is so disturbing that when you reach out about such serious things you are dismissed by the director and assistant director. They are good friends with the person in licensing who claims they dont have a violation for that or no way to prove this... its all a big run around and no one is really looking out for your babies except for the few amazing teachers that are too good for that place. Oh and an added awful detail - they (directors) forged my signature on my sons medical document they redid. The few good qualities do not come close to having your child neglected and traumatized. My oldest had a great experience, but my youngest literally has a standing appt for therapy through the county after they heard his video account of the last incident. That trauma was 100% preventable with decent supervision and they should be ashamed of themselves for not doing more to prevent these instances before they happen. Every concern was brushed off and no matter what route I went I was known as being a pain to deal with instead of an educator and parent bringing issues to the forefront before something awful happens. LLE is their management group and clearly not correcting things from the top down. Be careful when enrolling your kids around the area - MANY daycares in the area are also LLE and ran/trained by the same people. There are better options. The violations on the DSS website do not reflect all of this - they find ways to not get the violations or it falls in a gray area with no evidence. Dont just use those in your research - reviews matter! Best of luck finding a good fit for your little one. Like I said, we had one good experience and one traumatic one - are you willing to roll the dice? I wouldnt risk it.

I toured here a year prior to touring again and enrolling a few months ago. I wish I'd listened to…read moremy gut. Throughout the enrollment process I didn't even realize who the director was because she could hardly answer any questions about facility procedures or regarding my child's food allergy. I actually thought the assistant director was the director since she was the only one who gave me information. More days than not my son was picked up with poop in his diaper, dirty hands and dirty face. I understand they are little kids and there's a lot going on. I didn't want to be that mom so I waited a while to bring it up to admin hoping it would get better. It didn't. I bring it up to the assistant director, she says she'll check in with the teachers. It gets better for a week or so but not consistently. On top of this, the door to the outside toddler playground is left unlocked and cracked with no one out there open multiple times at varying times of day. Each occasion I let a staff member know it was open. At a 630am drop off, it's open. I told a staff member and she replied that "they had a training the previous day and someone must've left it open" not seeming surprised. Concerned that this door was open all night I emailed the director asking if there was a reason for this that I wasn't thinking of. I detailed days and times this previously occurred and who I let know. She responded that this is the first she's hearing about it and she'll address it. Not even two weeks later it happens again. This tells me that she doesn't walk around the building and employees don't bring concerns to her attention. The final straw was coordinating with the director about moving my son to the next room. She thought he would get more attention and better care with the next teacher up. I definitely wanted to do this since his current room was chaos with no consistent lead teacher. Director and I agreed that he would transition for few hours a day for a week and then move up. The week he is supposed to be moved I see notifications from his old room. I call asking what's going on with the room situation. She doesn't know what room he's in, why he didn't go to the new room as he was supposed to etc. just in general no clue about the plan for my son. This was the last straw for me. The next day I grabbed his stuff and went to grab his EpiPens from the medication box where staff showed me it was since there was no one around other than the 2 opening room teachers. It was unlatched and unlocked. I didn't even find my son's EpiPen's in the medication box. Immediately emailed the director saying he wouldn't be returning or fulfilling the two weeks notice because of my documented concerns and to ask where the epi pens were since it wasn't in the box. She said that they had it, but didn't tell me where it was. We did pick up the epi pens but they were clearly not where staff previously told me it was kept. In addition to all this, one day I had my mom pick up my son. I gave her the door code and told her to bring her license. She walked in, the director was in her office with another staff member. They didn't pay her any mind. My mom asked if they needed to check her ID. They hesitated and then the director said "we'll take a look since you have it out." I filed complaints with DSS about the medication box and the door being left unlocked and open multiple times. The investigator called me and said she couldn't cite them for the door being unlocked and open since there's no specific code for that, but recommended I reach out to their district director. I did reach out to the district director who told me the door and medication box had been fixed. Too bad the center couldn't do that all along with my concerns instead of me having to submit complaints with DSS.

My daughter and son have been at Celebree since they opened and we feel we made the best decision…read moreby coming to this school. The children needs and feelings are prioritized above everything else. The kids get outdoor play, clean classrooms and fun activities and the awesome teachers put in tremendous efforts to create a solid environment for these children. Strongly recommend this school to anyone who wants to give their child a strong learning experience.

My child is currently attending the summer program and is enjoying it immensely. I had the…read moreopportunity to work with the owner of the school, who was an Assistant Principal for Fairfax County Public Schools. She is incredibly knowledgeable and truly understands what students need to stay engaged and excited about learning. My child especially enjoys Ms. Bella, who shows genuine care for her class and takes the time to connect with each student. It's been wonderful to see my child so enthusiastic about going to the program every day!

Love this school! My granddaughter has been going here since she was 6 weeks old. Great teachers -…read moreperfect communication - food is nutritional and my granddaughter is a proud member of the clean plate club She's 1.5 and loves her teachers, loved to "read" - you'll sometimes find her sitting alone with a book. Staff sends updates and pics throughout the day. Can't say enough good things about this facility! Check them out!

I absolutely love this center. Walking in you can feel the love all around. The rooms are bright…read moreand inviting, evidence of learning is everywhere, and all the children are happy! This all inclusive atmosphere is where I would suggest anyone bring their child to learn and thrive.

My son's time at Goddard has come to an end, and I feel it's only right to share my experience…read more On his very first day, I picked him up and noticed he was limping. The owner, Wendy, was present and even asked what happened. However, the staff had no explanation, and no incident report was provided that day or the following day. That evening, I had to take him to KidMed because he could not put weight on his left leg. (I have attached the KidMed invoice with the date.) When I asked my son what happened, he said he twisted his ankle on the playground. What prompted me to write this review was my final interaction with the owner, Wendy. Earlier in the day, I had called Mrs. Ray and asked if I could receive my son's medication back and a letter confirming my prorated rate in writing. When I arrived, Mrs. Trina and Mrs. Ray kindly greeted me, returned the medication, and Mrs. Trina even gave my child a hug. However, when I asked about the letter, Wendy stated, "It was sent to your bank." I reminded her that I called two hours prior and specifically requested something in writing, which Mrs. Ray acknowledged at the time. Unfortunately, Wendy's demeanor was dismissive and unnecessary. I also reminded her that I never received an incident report for my son's injury--something that, by law, should have been given to me immediately without me needing to ask. Despite the negative experience with Wendy, I do want to express my gratitude to Mrs. Trina, Mrs. Ray, and Ms. Bri. Thank you for always welcoming my child with warmth and care. Please continue doing what you do--you truly made him feel comfortable and valued.

Our daughter went here for Pre-K and our son went here for 2 years for toddler+ classes. The staff…read moreis absolutely amazing, you can tell they truly care about each child. Miss Dorothy was super hands on when it came to assisting our son in potty training. they carry an open door policy for communication which is something I highly prefer when it comes to growth discussions and milestones of our kids. Their educational system is top tier and they are constantly doing weekend/holiday events to make the families feel included and involved. we were so happy and appreciative of their dedication. shout out to Ms Ki'ah, Ms Ray and Ms Wendy for their continued support and creating a positive learning environment for the children filled with laughter and love!

My daughter has been going since last July 2025 she loves it! Mrs. Smith has been amazing with my…read moredaughter! She noticed she was having trouble writing her name and took the time to sit with her one-on-one, encourage her, and help build her confidence. I truly appreciate her patience, support, and dedication to helping my daughter grow.

My son has gone here since 7 weeks old he is cared for daily with amazing caregivers. He is doing…read moreso well with his daycare and the front desk staff are great! Thank you for helping me with Jalen !

We love this preschool! As a cooperative school, there is a lot of parent involvement. You really…read moreget to know the teachers, parents, and kids. The teachers are wonderful. My daughter is always excited to go.

I am writing as a concerned parent to share my experience with Callahan Learning Center on Maple…read more My child has been attending for the past four months, and during that time, my child has been sick several times. This is not my child's first daycare experience, so my child has already been exposed to group settings before. Because of that, I have concerns about the cleanliness and overall condition of the facility. I believe the center needs repairs and a much deeper cleaning routine at the end of each day. On several occasions, I have arrived in the morning, when my child was only the second child there, and noticed that the floors and tables were still dirty. I have seen crumbs underneath the tables and trash left behind, which is concerning for a childcare environment. I also do not feel that this facility is a good fit for healthcare workers or parents with demanding schedules because of the strict 9-hour limit and the added charge for every minute after that. This policy can be very difficult for working families. Another major concern is the K4 class. I personally do not feel that it is preparing children for kindergarten. I asked several times what curriculum or program they use and whether formal teaching is taking place. Through the app, I would mostly receive pictures of stretching or occasional activities, such as learning about plants or coloring ice with food dye. However, I never saw evidence of a structured daily educational program. I also asked about workbooks, and although workbooks were present in the classroom, nothing had been completed in them. Honestly, it often felt like the children were mainly being supervised and given paper to color rather than being actively taught. From what I have seen, my child has not learned much during this time. I would often ask my child what they learned or what they did during the day, and I did not get the sense that there was consistent academic instruction. One positive is that students are allowed to bring snacks and drinks from home, which helped because my child did not always like the food served there. The center does document food intake, but there were several times when I questioned the accuracy because foods were marked as eaten that my child does not eat at all. I also have concerns about hygiene practices. On one occasion, the children had been outside playing, and afterward there was a bowl of grapes on the table. The children were allowed to put their hands directly into the bowl without washing them first, even after playing outside. That was very concerning to me. I do want to say that Ms. Kat, Jamiese, Ayede, Jessica, and Lexie were wonderful teachers and worked well with my child. I truly appreciate their efforts. However, I do not understand how Whitney became the supervisor. In my experience, she has had a nasty attitude and is often on the phone. I have also seen other reviews mentioning staff being on their personal phones, and from what I observed, that appears to be true. Overall, I am sharing this because I believe parents should know both the positives and the concerns. My intention is not to tear anyone down, but to speak honestly about my experience and the areas where I believe serious improvement is needed

We cannot say enough good things about Callahan. Our daughter has been welcomed with nothing but…read morelove since joining Callahan in the Twos classroom. We are greeted by name by multiple staff members each time we enter the building. Every teacher my daughter has had has provided the best care with a high quality education. She is learning new things everyday and loves going to school. I love the ease of use and updates we get throughout the day on the app. My questions are always answered quickly and with care by staff and administrators. Staff seem like they truly love working with littles and at Callahan specifically. Ms. Kacey is an excellent director. She is knowledgeable, warm and welcoming and it shows through her staff. I consistently see the staff cleaning and working to ensure the center stays safe for our students. We love Callahan