If you are considering the Goddard School of Sparks Maryland as a daycare for your child(ren), you may want to think twice. My husband and I selected this daycare because of its great reviews and other parents telling us how wonderful it was. However, we found that the Goddard School of Sparks did not meet our expectations. We were constantly called about minor illnesses and trivial incidents. We would take our children to the pediatrician who was astounded that a daycare would send a child home for such a small thing. Staff, and more specifically the directors, make a lot of medical accusations that are consistently wrong. Leading us and many other parents to argue with the directors, which we saw more than a few times, in the office or in the parking lot. The directors would also not respect doctors notes, and despite a board certified pediatrician writing that a child is ok to return to daycare/school, they would still force children to stay home. It is difficult to think of how many times our children were in a full week of daycare from the ages of 6 months to 2 years without receiving a phone call. One of the more concerning things for us was the fact that we were told, "to not to have long conversations (which was considered more than asking about their day) with the teachers about your child, since the teachers are busy at drop off and pick up." Which makes no sense since the teacher is in the classroom with your child for hours on end, not the directors. If something is going on, I want to speak with the person who spends the most amount of time with my child. Additionally, myself and a few other parents have been told we spend too much time at drop off or pick up, which directly contradicts their open door policy. Because of these "rules" we encountered major inconsistencies between teachers and directors. Interestingly, one of the director's children was always in the front office and out of the classroom spending time with her which was ironic considering how ourselves and other parents could not spend more than a few minutes with out kids. Classrooms are pushed to the legal max of head count with children to staff ratio. We understand this is a business, but the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a classroom size of 8, and there are 12 kids in a classroom around the ages 2-3. That is a 50% increase over the recommended limit. Again I would expect this from a cheaper school. You would think, if this is such a prestigous school, they would be following the American Academy of Pediatrics evidence based practice information and spin this into saying "we use the American Academy of Pediatrics information to better support your child". But all they care about is your money. We will be direct and state, the directors of this school are not qualified to be in their positions. In fact, when things got bad, they had to hire an administrative director to settle things, which speaks volumes about the three directors "who are in charge". These directors make decisions and assumptions about children, when they have no medical or childhood education training from a college or university. When our children were babies, the teachers of the first three classrooms were great, but the directors made it difficult, and we want to be clear that we have no complaints about those teachers. However, teachers from the older children's classrooms were lackluster and underqualified for what was to be expected from the amount of money we were paying per month. Once our children were older and in the fourth classroom and upward, things became really unprofessional from the directors. Even one of the directors accused one of our children of being aggressive. And yet when we would ask what happened, they seemed to always know what our child was doing wrong and never telling us anything he was doing a great job of completing. Furthermore, whenever my eldest child was "doing something wrong" they always knew what he was doing and always somehow managed to see the bad behavior, but when our child came home with a bruise or injury, the directors or teachers wouldn't know what happened. Another noticeable problem is the obvious teacher swapping and movement. Teachers would switch classrooms and would be placed out of their comfort zone. Teachers were used to a certain age group would be placed in a different age group. This would lead to problems with the children because the teachers didn't know how to handle problems or situations and it lacks consistency for children. When considering the Goddard School's child to teacher ratio, the teachers should be more interactive with the kids when outside. Many times we came outside to pick up our kids, and all the teachers are in a large group talking to one another, ignoring the children. We would have expected this at a cheaper school, but not a higher end school, which the Goddard School claims to be. And if something was to read more

I think the Goddard school is great! My daughter comes here and has been for 4 years and we love it! Very welcoming and loving. They have so many hands on things to do. They always have activities for the children. They are never bored!! I have no complaints and I recomend the Goddard school for your children. I love that it's not just free play I love that it has structure for my child. I wouldn't take my daughter any other place. read more

My family couldn't be happier! It was most important for us to find a school the had an educational program which stimulates the children on multiple levels. From activities that develop creative skills, cognitive skills, motor skills, and social skills, the Goddard School has an effective way of making sure the children are developing a well rounded foundation. In addition, the administration, the teachers, and the staff are top notch, keeping the child's care and experience at the forefront. Goddard School's approach along with strong communication with the parents provides an enriching environment for the child and a cooperative atmosphere with the parents. read more

We had an awful experience with this school. If you have a child with a lot of energy who doesn't always follow directions, I'd think twice about enrolling here. Our son had just turned two when he started. He has a speech delay, but no other issues. After 4 months, we were forced to only attend half days. After 9 months, we were asked to leave VIA EMAIL. The whole time he was enrolled there, we got a sense that this place was all about the bottom line. For example, despite the difficulties that Goddard was having with our son, he was "graduated" into a class with older kids and a higher child to teacher ratio. The communication was abhorent as well. We were not told of any issues until the day we were asked to come in to be told that our son could only attend half days. When I asked why were were told that our son was doing "fine" or "great" every day when I picked him up, I was told that the teachers were not allowed to discuss their concerns with us in front of the other children because of confidentiality issues. These other children were also two years old... ??? Totally bizarre - and that wasn't even the worst of it. Our son has just turned three and is now enrolled at Celebree in Cockeysville, and the experience has been SO MUCH better. The teachers are much more willing to communicate with us. They are receptive to our ideas and really seem to care about our son. Plus, we no longer have to live in fear that we will have to find a new daycare at the last minute! I'm sure Goddard is a great school for kids who are very well behaved, but it wasn't a good fit for our little guy. read more

The absolute best in every category. From the first visit, to my daughters first day, the staff and management at Goddard have been nothing short of exemplary. My daughter is three and is absolutely in love with her teachers and friends at Goddard. They couldn't have made our transition to the area any easier. read more

Our son started going to Goddard when he was 20 months old. He had never been away from home before, and we are concerned about sending him away for the whole day. We researched ALL schools in this area. Once we met Mike and his team, we got a sense of warmth that convinced us that the Goddard at Sparks was the right place for our child. Anything that we write here is not enough appreciation for the patience of Mike's team in getting our son "settled into" the new environment. He is now 3.5, and I could not have been happier. He has come back from school with a new learning almost every single day. He is just...we are amazed by his confidence and the range of things he talks about. He loves his teachers, and wants to be the "last one" to leave the school! We had to move out of the Sparks area because of work, but I would recommend this school to all parents who are looking for a high quality, nurturing environment for their little ones. Goddard @ Sparks feels like extended family!! read more

This time i will be extremely detailed. Number one...they were unprofessional when they answered the phone. I called twice and asked for someone specifically and was transferred to a voicemail once and hung up on the second time. As well, i was promised return phone calls regarding my questions and they never materialized. If this is how the handle their daily operations, especially with potential new customers, it leads me to believe that they must handle the children there very well either. read more

I like the quality of education provided. The teachers are always nice with me, providing me with detailed feedback about Maks's day. One day we were passing in the hallway, and several teachers from other groups wished Maks a good night, calling him by his name, which really surprised me. I was super happy to know that Maks gets acknowledged. Plus, this is the first daycare he enjoyed going to ( fingers crossed), which gives me a piece of mind during the day. The facility is very clean and well-organized. I like how teachers get rewarded for doing an excellent job. If I could, I would leave a thank you note every day for each teacher for all the hard work they are doing. read more

Our daughter started going to Goddard when she was almost 3 months old. We researched and visited four child care providers in our area. After touring Goddard, we knew we wanted our daughter to go there and we have never regretted that decision. We love everything about Goddard. The teachers and administrative staff are amazing and really know each and every child individually. They are also great resources for advice and treat your child as their own. I cannot say enough good things about Goddard. read more

I have to say I was quite confused and shocked respectfully by the negative review of this school. My son just graduated from Goddard and has attended this school for four years. When my wife wanted to go back to work I wasn't happy about putting my son in a daycare. I was thinking at that time I would quit my job and stay home with him. I drive by Goddard on the way home and know the school by name. We took a tour and I was instantly amazed by the school. My son was 18 months at that time and I knew he would greatly benefit from the program at Goddard. We all want the best for our kids and I knew instantly I wanted him to attend this school. The care and support over the years has been wonderful. Most of the teachers and staff have been working there for a long time which reinforces the support and care from the owners. After four years of attending I can't think of one negative experience or encounter with this school which says a lot. I feel extremely grateful to Goddard for their support and program; it was quite a sad moment on our last day. The Goddard school has been a big part of my families life and want to thank Mike the owner and all of the wonderful teachers and caregivers for all their support. read more

I would not recommend this Center to anyone. ON my daughter's first day, the teacher completely ignored her. We walked into the classroom and she just looked at us and continued what she was doing. I did not expect this from a school that was suppose to be so prestigious. My daughter was only 3 and very nervous. I was going to leave at that point until another teacher acknowledged us. I did report this to the director, however, from that point on, my daughter was singled out. She was not greeted or acknowledged when entering the classroom even though other children entering at the same time were greeted. She knew this and did not want to go into the classroom when that teacher was there. Another teacher who was friends with that particular teacher also started to act the same way. After complaining several times about this, I was told it was a misunderstanding. NO, it was not. I was going to take her out so many times, and after a year, I finally was able to. She never had any art work or pictures of her anywhere in the center. She was the only child who did not make a father's day gift for her father. I was told she was absent that day. Well, then make it when she comes back! She was the only child who did not have a birthday sign posted on her birthday and she did not receive the standard birthday card from them. I was told it got lost in the mail. I was uncomfortable with a male teacher monitoring the bathroom. I was told he would not be doing this, however, I saw him doing this many times. I was lied to in order to make me feel more comfortable. My child needed to have the food she ate written down for medical reasons. This was hardly done and not always accurate. If it was done, it was only lunch ,even though I specified all food. If she had a sandwich, I was told she ate all her nuggets. If she had oranges, I was told she ate all her yogurt. I had a teacher give me a hard time and say that she was given too much food and they didn't have time to check what and how much she ate. This was a MEDICAL necessity. She would have left over milk in her cubby at the end of the day from lunch that I caught her drinking. She was made to sit at the table or rug by herself for a time out which I was told was NOT in their policy. The biggest problem of all? I went to pick her up and they did not know where she was! I found her in the bathroom crying!!!! The teachers were sitting at the table talking. I did not report a lot of this because nothing was ever done when I did. I am soooo glad she is out of there. read more

We had a wonderful experience at The Goddard School in Sparks. Goddard was our first pre-school program. Everyone from the owner and administration to the teachers and staff were extremely welcoming and pleasant. I left each day knowing that my children were in good hands and I enjoyed hearing about all of the educational activities that they participated in all day. We appreciated all of the additional programs that our children were exposed to on a weekly basis like rebounders, yoga, music, spanish and sign language. Goddard does an excellent job with added benefits such as tadpoles(we always looked forward to receiving pictures of our children), conferences (receiving feedback on our children's development and interactions while at school was informative and helpful), pizza days(loved the days we didn't have to make lunch!), entertainment (our girls always enjoyed the special guests and petting zoo). We also feel that potty training was a much smoother transition with our first child because of the support and patience we received from the teachers at Goddard. I would definitely recommend Goddard to others. Our reasons for needing to withdraw our children were purely financial and had absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the program or staff. read more