We have had experience with a few childcare facilities in this area and Hillcrest Academy is by far…read morethe best around. Amy and Danielle are very welcoming every day we bring our children in. They have gone above and beyond and worked with our son to break a habit. We are so grateful Everyone on staff is friendly, caring, and compassionate. It impresses my husband and I to see that everyone knows all 3 of my children by name, even if they are not their teachers. If you are looking for childcare and have the opportunity to become a part of the Hillcrest family, I would highly recommend Hillcrest Academy.

the school is absolutely amazing! great staff great teachers and great friends! my daughter learned…read moreso much and had such a fun year at hillcrest! we will truly miss everyone there!

Peppermint Tree is excellent when you have an only child! Even if you don't require child care,…read moreaffording your child that social interaction is huge for their growth! It is also an excellent place to prepare your child for Kindergarten so they won't go in overwhelmed and scared. At home we can provide structure and learning tools but it just isn't the same as a true school environment. My son gets excited to see his teachers & his friends. He looks forward to gardening, dance parties and art projects. His overall growth has also jumped leaps and bounds from when he first started last year. So much so we extended his hours from half to full day! We also LOVE that the classes are small & the teachers build a close relationship w/ every child. Touring other schools was quite scary seeing kids screaming and overwhelmed staff. I can assure you Peppermint Tree is not and never will be that way! You also have a built in Summer Camp w/ 2 pools to accommodate all age groups. Did I mention swimming lessons, class trips, gardening, ice cream days, etc? All those things are either part of class or an option to add on. So if you are on the fence about where or if you are going to enroll your child, Peppermint Tree is definitely the Best Choice!

My child was enrolled in Peppermint Tree's summer camp. He was there for 5 hours and he was out…read more(playground & pool) from 10:30 am until 11:30 am. Then they'd go inside from noon until 3 pm. This was their time to eat and sleep! Their naptime was 2 hours. So, if you want your 4.5 year old toddler to go to summer camp and nap for 2 hours this is your place. There were no other activities as promised on the schedule we were emailed to before camp began. The schedule showed that they were going to do arts, science and so many fun things. When I asked if he was doing any of these things I was told by his teachers that most of these were happening during his pool time. Really? Isn't the establishment's responsibility to ensure that all groups get to do these "fun things?" Why should a 4.5 yr old eat and sleep from 12 pm - 3 pm. There is plenty of time for his "teachers" to read books, engage them in fun/educational activities while they're inside. So really, all that money we paid for was only for 2 hours (run around in the playground and use the pool). Our child didn't learn anything, there were no educational activities as the written schedule showed, and we basically paid for 5 hours, 3 out of which were eat and sleep! I don't recommend this place whether it is for summer camp or as a daycare. Unless you want to use it as a babysitting place, sure, then it's fine. Just don't expect your child to learn here...

My daughters went to Berkeley Child Care Center, and I took them out as of today due to multiple…read morereasons. First, when I visited the school for a tour, the director was very adamant about me enrolling my daughters. I was still deciding where to send them, and for about two months I kept getting calls from the owner about enrolling my daughters. I saw this as a red flag, and honestly it creeped me out. However, I tried to look at it on the positive side and thought maybe she was just interested in having my daughters at her center. One thing that stuck with me during the tour was when she said that a lot of parents send their kids to the free Pre-K program, and that she did not recommend sending my daughter there because many parents had taken their children out of that program and sent them back to her center. To me, that was unprofessional and made it seem like she's money-hungry and couldn't care less about the child's best interests, only about herself and money. Secondly, I had two incidents that were handled very unprofessionally. My youngest daughter has emotional dysregulation, which I made the director aware of. She said, "I don't think anything is wrong with your daughter. Mother to mother, I think she's not getting enough attention at home." To me, that was disrespectful and inappropriate. She was making assumptions about how I care for my children. I made her aware of my daughter's struggles, and my daughter would cry in the classroom. According to my daughter, whenever she cried or started to cry, her teacher would yell at her and tell her to stop crying. She eventually started coming home crying because she felt she wasn't allowed a safe space to cry at school. I find it highly concerning that this is a daycare center where parents are supposed to feel comfortable dropping off their children. Children cry. If crying is not allowed, then they are not adequately equipped to be around young children. I called the owner, Christine, about the incident, and she told me that she has "the best daycare ever" and that "none of that happens here." The entire time I was talking, she was talking over me and not hearing what I had to say. On multiple occasions, I had to tell her, "I need you to listen and hear what I have to say before I lose my train of thought," because she is loud and constantly interrupts before I can finish my sentences. Lastly, my younger daughter was put into a room with younger children, and I felt that was inappropriate. What made it worse was that nobody informed me she had been moved. My oldest daughter was the one who told me. Zero communication. My daughter started there when she was 2 years old and turned 3 in May. She had been in the 3-year-old room up until summer camp, and then all of a sudden she was placed in a room with children who were 18 months to 2 years old. I believe this was because she is money-hungry and wanted to accept as many school-age children as possible. Instead of putting a limit on enrollment so children could remain in their appropriate classrooms, younger children were moved around to accommodate summer camp. Children need structure, routine, and consistency, and I felt those needs were ignored because everything had to benefit Christine. Oh, and to mention, about a month ago my daughter came home with a tick attached to her hair. I am praying her blood work comes back normal. I also believe this may have been due to the outside landscape not being properly maintained. Christine herself told me she had contacted the building owner regarding the upkeep of the grounds. Her response to me was, "That does not happen here. Were you in the woods over the weekend?" Yet she also admitted that another child had been found with a tick just a week earlier. Throughout my experience, she was never the problem and always found a way to deflect responsibility. I found that extremely unprofessional. Between the poor communication, dismissive attitude, lack of accountability, and the way my concerns were handled, I would 100% never recommend this place to anyone.

Owner is very unprofessional once mentioned CHS she turn my daughter away after my daughter has…read morebeen there for a month and then she wouldn't have enough money to pay her staff because she only has four workers Christine also grab my daughter by her backpack and she is rude to other children The lady that wrote the review down below below saying the owner is rude to the kids is a 100%. Very nasty. I also come to find out that none of the workers are even certified. I wish I could put no stars

This daycare has changed my sons life. He absolutely loves the teachers there and all the kids…read morethere are great! My son has learned so much also from being there we will be going on a year and a half !

From the owner: Busy Bee's Daycare is a small, family-owned childcare center. Located in Beachwood, NJ, we are…read morestate trained and licensed for up to 20 children starting from ages 6 weeks old to 5 years of age. We provide a safe and positive environment, offering fun and exciting lesson plans to build an educational foundation for each individualized child.

My son absolutely loves Kiddie Academy of Toms River! He has adjusted so well and is always happy…read moreand excited to be there. It makes me so happy as a parent to see him smiling, playing with the other children, and becoming more comfortable and confident every day. The teachers have been wonderful, and I truly appreciate the care and attention they give him. I feel very comfortable knowing he is in such a warm and positive environment.

I'm a social worker who works with children & families across NJ and I have three children who…read morecurrently attend this daycare for well over a year now. Ms. Angela, Ms. Kayla, Ms. Tamia, & Ms. Zeba have been there from day one and are amazing early educators. I cannot thank them enough for the care & education they provide my children with on a daily basis. Other teachers/aides are also wonderful with the children, Ms. Sam & Alyssa have been wonderful additions to the classroom. The front office staff is very friendly, super helpful with communication, and answering any questions that may arise. Jamie, Julie, Bonnie, and Amy have always been supportive and available to our family and I've even seen them help out in the classrooms with the children when needed. The school has camera access so when I get a chance, I often see the children learning to write, sensory learning, circle time, and many librarian visits. They also offer breakfast, lunch, snack, & transportation. Kiddie Academy in Toms River has been a huge support for my family.

My children have attended smart start for a few years. Wonderful staff. Clean environment. And most…read moreimportantly they are learning. Both socially & academically.

My son has been attending Smart Start Academy for 6 months now. He loves his teachers and his…read moreclass!! They are the best teachers and so attentive to all the children. He is learning so much in the toddler classroom!! I highly reccomend this day care!!

Professional and caring staff. Very low turnover makes it feel like you are part of a big family.read more

New I would like to share my disappointing experience with…read moreWestminster school. My grandson was potty training. His teacher initially assured me that the school would follow our routine. However, when the teacher went on leave the teachers assistant took over and expressed that she couldn't regularly inquire about my grandson's needs. this seemed unreasonable, especially considering his age. The situation escalated when the teachers assistant falsely accused me of being aggressive. I was disappointed by the administrators handling of the situation, including false claims that I had instructed other parents on snack options due to my grandson's egg allergy. The administrators dishonesty coupled the teachers assistance. Actions led to our decision to withdraw my grandson from the school. The administrator, subsequent expressions of sadness seemed in sincere as it appeared to be motivated by financial concerns. I just want to caution others that it appears to be a culture of dishonesty among staff members. If a teacher assistant inability to engage in a conversation with a grandparent because she is sensitive. She shouldn't be interacting with the public. No one knew that the teacher went out on maternity leave.

What an amazing program! We did the ​field program and the one at preschool and our son loved it…read more Highly recommend. The coaches are so patient and kind.

I removed my children from this daycare after an incident that left me very concerned about their…read moresafety. The owner's foster son hit my daughter and encouraged a younger foster child to hit my younger daughter as well. As a parent, seeing one child encourage another to join in against my child was extremely upsetting and made me feel like my daughters were being ganged up on. What concerned me just as much was the response when I brought it to the owner's attention. I felt the behavior was brushed off and treated as normal childhood behavior rather than being taken seriously. I understand that conflicts can happen between children, but I expect a daycare to provide a safe environment and to respond appropriately when physical aggression occurs. Because of both the incident itself and the way it was handled, I no longer felt comfortable leaving my children in their care and decided to withdraw them.

My son started daycare there in 2023. I was so nervous, first time mom and having to go back to…read morework and leave him with strangers worried me . But they were amazing and friendly and understanding. He started off with just a few hours to see how he'd do. I cried and he totally embraced it at less than 2 years old. They have been like family. He loves school. I love the app where you receive updates and pictures. The price is very affordable especially for all they do with children. I highly recommend