The childhood every kid deserves! This place is magic. While they encourage students to grow in all…read moreareas, they also honor how and when each child is ready. Each thrives in their own way. True play based learning (which is sadly rare) throughout every day. Tree houses, sand pits, mud pies, dolls, books, cozy nooks, rope climbing, sewing, carrot peeling, daisy chains...all the best parts of the old days. As a child development specialist, my heart grows every time I observe teachers interacting with students. They are "gardeners, not carpenters". Love, empathy, curiosity, and firm boundaries all shine here. They are as engaged with social emotional teaching as they are "academic" skills. The world would be a better place if every child experienced this kind of early education.

We feel so lucky to have found A Loving Space school. All of the teachers and staff are so…read morewelcoming and caring, and truly make school a home away from home. They are amazing!

I would not recommend this school to anyone who was planning on their 3+year old going there…read more If you want a daycare that masquerades as a Montessori school, this is it. They "follow the child" in a way that also doesn't help to guide, help, educate , or keep the child safe. After 6 months of our eldest being there, she said she was repeatedly being bullied by a child. I contacted the teachers, asked for help, and they said "it's normal childhood development." I said I would like them to keep an eye on it, they didn't. After more bullying, I talked to the bully's parents. They stated, the teachers had never even talked to them about his behaviors (You might be asking how do you fix something if you can't talk about it at home, the answer is you can't). The parents stepped in and it was better for a short time, but then he began to bully my younger child instead. The owner of the school, is too afraid of conflict, so she does not address bullying. She was completely unable to have a constructive conversation around a child's abusive behavior, AND she scares the other teachers away from those conversations as well. She also didn't address a random mom that frequently taught there, yelled at my 2 year old after the abusive 5 year old had lashed out towards my son. There is no reason a caregiver should yell at a two year old to the point of tears. I watched said 5 year old physically shoulder check, push down, and call my son mean names on the playground at various pick ups/drop offs. He also shamed him about being friends with his older sister and her friends that were girls, to the point of which he would not come into a woman's restroom with me (it was later determined the bully repeatedly called him a girl), my son was 2 years old, being bullied about gender is totally inappropriate. Yet, the school would not talk with me about a possible safety plan after all these incidents. The interaction with the mom "helper" (also friends with the bully's parents', below), was the last straw, despite family hardships we made it work without child care, rather than leaving our children in the unsafe environment with these people. I want to reiterate, I asked for a plan to help these kids at least 4 times, over the course of a year. I even offered to help find services to the other child's family. The owner gaslighted everyone involved, including her other staff members who had observed the situations. The other staff members confirmed that not only that the child was bullying, but that he was also stopping lessons for everyone in the class. The owner denied everything, until our exit interview, which she acknowledged the child was abusive and encouraging his younger brother to act in an abusive way as well. She had no plan to curb the behaviors. Do what you have to do for child care, but don't expect the helpful, safe, kind values they state. They can't uphold them.

We love Kelda, Skylar and the Gardenview community. They provide a positive, loving, safe,…read moreintentional and thoughtful environment for our children. The recent negative review/rant from an angry parent is simply not true and can be verified by many folks. Clearly this person is lashing out, possibly due to larger issues in their life, past and/or with their family. Personally attacking folks who invest 110% love and compassion into the community is innapropriate, borderline defamation and plain mean. Our family and friends Highly recommend Gardenview.

My Daughter has been going here for over 3 years and loves it! She is familiar with all the…read moreteachers and all the kids. I can tell that at the end of the day, she is happy and well taken care of. All the staff know my daughters name and make a effort to say hi to her each time they see her (She is friendly with all staff and enjoys their company). My daughter is now is the preschool program with them and has learned SO much in the last few months that she made the transition. It has been just a joy watching her learn and explore new things. If there are any issues they have always been address right away and I've always felt heard, which I think its very important in a child care center.

I am thankful for A Child's life learning center! Both of my boys went to this preschool, made…read morefriends, and have fond memories of the staff! Every time we drive by, they point it out and share a memory they have. It is really sweet to listen to their conversation! First, they were super accommodating when we needed part-time during the day. My oldest went to another pre-school in the morning and then Child's life in the afternoon. He came at nap time but they were great greeting him and then, giving him a space to transition. It was really great to have this smooth transition because we did it on a lunch break. My youngest is my shy one and had always had a hard time leaving me but when we arrived each morning, they always said his name and gave him a variety of choices. I honestly felt like they cared! The staff was great! If asked, they shared my boy's day and I always received art work to take home, which is fun to see when you are away from your babies all day! Also, I am a teacher myself so I think I automatically wanted to connect with the staff and they appreciated it. Elaine, the director, was always thinking of ways to improve the preschool and reaching out for resources. This was amazing because it showed she truly cared about the kids. I guess I am writing this review because A Child's Life has a special place in our family's heart. My boys are still in contact with friends they made and when we see a past teacher out and about, they come talk to us. Thank you A Child's life!

This is a great school! Teachers here are so wonderful they truly care about the kids here.read more

From the owner: At Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center we know that quality early learning experiences matter…read more We believe that regardless of income, it is of critical importance that children in their earliest years develop in an environment that is safe, loving, and stimulating. BCLC is grounded in the belief that children are competent, curious, resourceful learners. The child's role in the classroom is to construct their knowledge and develop skills through exploration, self-expression, and collaboration with their teacher, parents and peers. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has recognized BCLC as an accredited early learning program since 1999. It is a true validation of the quality of the program and the dedication of the staff. The heart of NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child's experience. The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children's relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. Unlike other childcare facilities, BCLC calculates tuition on a sliding scale, based on a family's ability to pay. BCLC is the only Center in Whatcom County that offers this unique sliding scale program empowering parents to work and gain higher levels of education while providing essential early learning opportunities for their children.

The admissions process is really getting the one star review. I can't comment on the actual…read moreexperience of having a kid in this school because after taking my deposit for two children and then talking at myself and my husband about how superior the school is and how there's a million year waitlist because not only is Waldorf education the best but this particular Waldorf is the only one in the Pacific Northwest to do this and that, and despite myself and my husband having ample experience and knowledge about various alternative pedagogical approaches including Waldorf, we felt the admissions person just didn't really want to know about us or our children. Our family has moved a couple of times for work and we've applied to many different independent schools in the most competitive systems in the country; NY, LA, SF and Seattle. They have gotten into most but not all. Never have I come across a school however that despite having checked in a couple times along the way, stating interest, and being told decisions go out in April and then April came and went and no communication, at all. There were a bunch of other strange lacks in communication along the way as well I just don't need to bother. For a school that seems to think they're community and respect based, for the first time in applying for schools I definitely felt like my deposit was just money they like to collect every year. I feel like it was a dodged bullet though, I have talked to others that had a similar experience. The campus is adorable though!

Bellingham has wonderful public schools staffed with committed teachers. A private school here…read moreneeds to offer something dramatic to make the financial sacrifice worthwhile. For us, it was the appeal of a rounded, rich curriculum that includes the arts as an intrinsic part of daily routines. Waldorf kids spend more time outdoors, have differently paced days with carefully established rhythms, and develop close relationships with teachers who honor and respect individual patterns of thought and learning. One of the high school principals in Bellingham once told me that he always spots the Waldorf kids at his school as they are often the ones that most easily converse with adults and they bring with them a unique kind of engagement and curiosity about the world. He said that they were some of his favorite kids to work with. We have seen a Waldorf education work its magic on both of our kids. Our older son thrived at WHWS and went on become a confident and successful student in public high school and now college (where he has created a classic Waldorf-type of major that combines his love of economics with art history). Our younger son is currently in third grade at WHWS and we hope that he will remain through 8th grade.

Our children have attended TCS since first grade--and our whole family loves it. The school…read morecommunity is warm and welcoming. The small classes allow for significantly more individual attention from teachers to students. The classical approach to teaching and learning aligns with the growth and development of a child's mind. We are so thankful TCS combines God's truth with a strong academic curriculum.

My daughter absolutely loves this place! It's been so great with my other kids learning Spanish in…read moreelementary school and her learning it at A Step Ahead. Craig and Margarita are incredibly caring people. My daughter actually says she's her best friend. She's extremely happy at the end of every day when we pick her up. We love A Step Ahead and couldn't be happier! The staff is always very friendly as well and really helps me if she's ever clingy in the morning. She always wants me to stay to play with her friends and is disappointed when I pick her up early!

My daughter loves going to school here. The teachers are warm and welcoming and Craig is a great…read morecommunicator. We looked at so many different options and this was the only place that took 2.5year olds that we liked. The busy road outside did kind of make me hesitate at first, but the covered outdoor play areas out back and the interior of the building are wonderful. They have handled the Covid-19 pandemic so professionally and I'm impressed by the way they teach, nourish, and care for my daughter everyday. Gracias!

American Girl Camp…read more Yes, you heard me right. A week long camp that allows your AG obsessed little one to share-no, FLAUNT her obsession for these strangely addicting dolls. They have daily activities focused on the different eras of the dolls and even a play at the end of the week that my little one was ecstatic about. The best part isn't just that the camp exists or even that it's super affordable, it's more that the kids actually have a BLAST and ::GASP:: always learn something in the process. Heidi, the director, is a kid-whisperer I'm pretty sure, she seems to be the human embodiment of a modern day Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. My daughter, a transplant from Seattle, was charmed immediately and had the best time ever at camp and now goes yearly. At the end of camp, she hovers around Heidi to tearfully say goodbye with thoughts of next year already in her head. The space is well laid out and perfect for learning and playing, the staff are always kind but firm and learning seems to happen around every activity they engage in. I would recommend BCP to any parent looking for a great fun camp or preschool for their kids. Heck, we drive up from Seattle so she can attend camp-that's pretty much a standing ovation!