Very poor management and lack of communication and leadership skills. The academy is just one whole…read morebig classroom and over stimulating environment for kids. Very repetitive and kids seem to get bored very easily. The staff could use a lot more positivity and not be so miserable looking. They also are not very empathetic and pretty much ignore when kids are hysterically crying and seems like they don't know how to handle that in a professional manner but just let the crying kid wonder around ALL day and not even try to engage them in any activities simply bc they don't want to deal with it. Ooh, there's a nice park for them in which they go to on weather allowing days but that's pretty much the only positive thing about this little academy.

We couldn't recommend this sweet little school more. The staff are caring, the learning approach…read more(Bank Street model, similar to Montessori but with an extra focus on mixed-age learning) has been phenomenal for both of our kids. We love that it is a small business owned by two sisters and not a big chain. The interior radiates joy and there are lots of celebrations the families can participate in. They truly care about the children's educational and social-emotional development. This is not a daycare, it's a preschool run by educators and that really shows. We love PPA!

This school has become really terrible this year. There are about 22 kids in each class, and the…read moreteacher simply can't handle it. My child often comes home with poop on the underwear. My child is very upset going to school every day, so we decided to transfer. The school's admission office still refuses to refund the tuition for November. It has been a very bad experience. I hope this school take this matter seriously!

Our son has been going to Apple Montessori, Sinatra Drive for 8 months and we have had very good…read moreexperience with this place. Ms. Jules, Ms. F and other teachers in his class has been great and taken very good care of him. We highly recommend Apple Montessori.

GOMS is a hidden gem in the Jersey City Heights neighborhood. My son has been attending GOMS since…read morehe was about 9 months old and has been in all three classrooms. The staff have been exceptional caregivers, very communicative, and are loved by my son. Some of the things we like most about GOMS: - Most of the staff speak Spanish and they do some lessons in Spanish. This was a big plus for us as a Spanish speaking household. - The GOMS community is a warm and welcoming one. The staff is incredibly consistent (low turnover from what I have observed) and therefore, it really gives a community feel. They never hesitate to give me updates, particularly when my son first transitioned to daycare and are always so supportive during transitions and milestones. - The hours are flexible and helpful for parents commuting to work. They are also open more often than other daycares because they don't have any week long closures, at least for the past 2 years. My son has learned so much from his teachers and the other kids. We absolutely recommend GOMS to anyone looking for a daycare in the Heights.

Our son has been attending GOMs for seven months. He started when he was a little baby of 5 months…read moreand is now a wild little toddler of one year. We all love GOMS. He literally laughs out loud when he gets to school. He loves it there so much. The teachers and directors are amazing care givers and you can feel how much they care about the kids. I feel like I'm leaving my baby with family. They have been there with us every step of the way through all our learning as new parents. The other parents and kids are also great and it's a really nice community. They recently added a shed to leave strollers which is a huge convenience.

-Been a "customer" of this place for years…read more -Infant room is only okay - the lead teacher has stated that "crying is good exerecise for the infant's lungs" wtf? -Rooms for intermediate ages seem pretty good (1-2 year) -Room for older kids are chaotic/dangerous (3+) - likely no better than the public option in the neighborhood (this is seemingly universal to NJ daycares as the staff/child ratio drops significantly at age 3 - so overnight kids go from having a 1:6 ratio to a 1:10 ratio while, appropriately enough, the monthly fee goes unchanged or increases) TLDR - put your infant anywhere while they are infants, from 1 to just before 3, this place is nice, then enroll them in prek 3 if you live in JC - no point at all in spending $27,000+/year when the quality is no better than the public option (or maybe worse to be honest) -also, this place has completely closed down a few times because their heat and air conditioning has just completely broken down, just a warning about that

Our baby has been going to River School in the infants class at the Warren Street location since…read moreOctober of last year. So far our experience dealing with the management and teachers has been great. The daycare is incredible and the teachers here take very good care of our baby. We are amazed and very pleased by all the activities and music classes that are conducted on a daily basis to keep the children engaged while helping them achieve their developmental milestones. The teachers worked with us from day one to set feeding schedules and sleeping patterns for our baby. We are very grateful to them for providing a loving and healthy environment for our baby. We highly recommend River school for anyone looking for great daycares in Exchange Place/Grove Street area.

My 2 girls attended ELA, i enrolled my older one 3 years ago, when i first came to New Jersey, she…read morewas 2 years old. Last year, i enrolled my younger one. ELA is a very good place for toddlers & pre schoolers. Staff are nice & friendly. Although the turn over of teachers is slightly high, i would say all the teachers are warm & caring & they do their best to help kids improve. The hours are very convenient for working moms, they have early drop off & late pick up. Their price is comparable to other nurseries in Jersey city. Kids learn interesting stuff beside the usual English & math, like sign language, yoga & Spanish...etc It is a multicultural place, there are kids from different countries, my girls learnt few Russian & Indian words :) My overall experience with ELA is terrific & i recommend it to anyone who has kids age 1 to 5 years old.

This is about Early Learning Academy, which took over this space…read more.. We moved out of Jersey City around 9 months ago and had our son in ELA for a year. We were very skeptical of ELA at first. Honestly, we were a little desperate. We needed to get our kid out of his daycare and River School had a waitlist for forever, so we took a chance on ELA. It was close to our place and an easy walk to PATH. Oh my gosh, I am so glad we did. My child blossomed so much at ELA. He was coming home knowing his alphabet, his numbers, singing songs. Truly truly great experience. The teachers loved him so much that they all literally came out and cried on his last day. We really wanted to come back to Yelp and give them a stellar review because they deserve it and they deserve a serious look for any parent in the area.

I have nothing but great things to say about Bright Beginnings! Both of my children have attended…read morethis center since they were babies. The staff members are always helpful and friendly, and the owners are always open to suggestions from parents. We were also lucky enough to have met some wonderful teachers who really treat the kids like their own. Both of my kids are thriving, and I believe it is in no small part to their time here!

I hope that Maria, who was the manager, as to other various individuals that work there are fired…read moreand go to hell. I went to that daycare since I was 5 until I was 13 and I can speak for all of the kids there that this place is hell. I was emotionally abused by various of the staff, favoritism played a great part, lack of respect towards the children was to greatly to mention. Many times they have lost various kids when on trips as simple to the park, yes the authorities stepped in. There was a child with special needs that was very abused by this placed due to his needs and I vividly remember him being DRAGGED on the floor. Some of the teachers resorted to HIT the children when misbehaving. When I was 9 a teacher handed me a baby that was under her care because she just wanted it to "shut up". These are only a few of my and others experiences . PLEASE what so ever you do do not bring your child to this hell of place

I came across Kidz Inn Day Care almost 3 years ago when I was looking for a school to enlist my…read morechild in. Not many Day Cares offer the Abbott Program but Kidz Inn does. As of this year two of my children have attended this school, so I feel pretty confident in leaving a detailed review. When it comes to my children I take great lengths to making sure they are getting the best of the best, especially when it comes to academics. And I can definitely say Kidz Inn is a great Day Care. This is a very tight knit school with limited staff and classrooms, but offers so much for their students. Spots fill up quickly so I suggest inquiring as soon as possible. For the Abbott program specifically, they operate from 8:30am-2:30pm with the opportunity for early/ after care(that is charged to the parent). However, the Abbott program is completely free. Activities: They take the children on field trips. Daily engagement includes: drawing, painting, puzzles, counting, reading books, and so much more. They send home the children's work for parents to keep. They also host occasional parades and parent activities at the school which is nice. What I enjoy most are the take home projects that allow me to assist my child with. They also take the children to the park or to their outdoor play area. My children's overall development has without a doubt excelled. Communication: Communication is done through mainly through text messages and email. But, every time I have called the office I never had an issue speaking to someone. Pictures are sent by the teachers on a daily basis to showcase child engagement. There is also an app used to communicate with parents called Kaymbu. Within this app, progress reports are sent (COR Advantage Reports). Within these reports the teachers inform parents of their child's progress. Food/ Nutrition: Parents are able to pack lunches and snacks for their children but the school also provides it for free. They offer nutritional food for the kids. They offer breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day. The menu is not automatically given, so be sure to ask the teacher for it every month. Attire: They just started implementing uniform shirts to be worn. This is beneficial it serves as a safety procedure in locating the children easily for when they do go to the nearby park. They do charge for each shirt and sweatshirt. Overall, this is a great Day Care and I highly recommend. A big thank you to Ms. Allie and Ms. Cecilia, they are the best of the best over at Kidz Inn Day Care! https://www.kidzinndaycare.com

My daughter has an IEP and this school made enrollment easy and had all things a great daycare…read moreneeds: great teachers, outdoor area, great food, great curriculum and overall great management! I also love the communication i receive daily by her amazing teacher, Miss Cecilia! Free prek program and they offer affordable aftercare and summer programming!

We were extremely happy with our choice for our child to go the HCA (Willow location). From the…read moremoment you step inside, that people in the front are welcoming and so warm to the children and families. The staff members are so kind and caring for the children. In addition, the added bonus of food being included just alleviated a lot of stress. It definitely forced our child to try new foods and helped to see everyone else trying it. They have so many activities that include the families. We only experienced the staff in the oldest classroom, but we, and most importantly our child, loved his teachers. When he first started going there he had a super rough time, but they helped him transition, and eventually got to the point where he often didn't want to leave at the end of the day. I would absolutely recommend this daycare for anyone who is looking!

Our son has been in HCA since the middle of July and after attending another day care for about a…read moremonth I can honestly say there is no comparison to the excellent service HCA provides. Beyond the loving and caring environment they have provided for my son in the infant room I truly feel that my son is more aware and active having been in HCA. They run a professional, friendly and courteous staff that always seem to be enjoying themselves while caring for the children. Two factors I like and do think is importantc is the phone update that they send updates on and the live webcam.