This facility and its staff are now called Moon Valley Preparatory Academy and are still located…read moreoff of 7th street in N. Phoenix. The owner and manager, David Weekely, along with his "new" staff are very capable and caring in their administration of this excellent facility. They have recently had a significant turnover in staff due to a couple of disgruntled caregivers and many hurtful and vindictive allegations that are just plain not true. My little 3 year old Granddaughter is the most important person in my life. I totally trust the staff at Moon Valley Prep to take care of her and also provide her with an excellent education as she continues to grow in to a wonderful young lady!

I remember searching for daycares before I had my daughter, worried to find and secure the right…read moreone for my infant as I returned to work as a first-time mom. APA was/is my favorite because of how tucked away it is from the hustle and bustle of traffic; it has a beautiful mountain outdoor landscape for outdoor play; and the center is extremely secure and cozy with a key code and a new digital checkout system... BUT, the teachers are community environment is what really made it for me. My daughter has been at Anderson Preparatory Academy since she was 6 months old. She is now in the young two's room. I love it because, even though the teachers are young, they really do care about their students. The teachers are trained in how to respond and nurture young children instead of just being thrown into the room and expected to learn. And it seems like all the teachers know all the children and what rooms they belong in, etc. It truly is a community as it's easy to connect with the parents since your child is growing up with theirs! I sincerely loved picking up my daughter from school and seeing her teachers interact with love. So important for any child, especially toddlers. APA is now directed under Tara O'Neale, who is a former kindergarten teacher. She is incredibly proactive in making sure the daycare and preschool are updated with monthly flash cards, the latest learning trends (Learning Without Tears), Scholastic book fairs, and monthly themes. Mrs. O'Neale has also brought on the SmartCare program - WHICH IS AMAZING! My husband and I consistently get updates whenever my daughter is working on activity, napping, getting changed, moving rooms, etc. Plus, the teachers always update adding pictures of what my daughter is doing, which is way more secure than texting. It's just a really neat program, and my in-law's in Washington love being updated with their first grandchild. And I know it makes my day when getting a picture of my daughter playing with her classmates. Along with the curriculum and community, APA has a monthly calendar and everyday has a purpose. Whether it be "wear your pajamas to school" or "crazy sock day," it's a great way to get the kids involved. My daughter especially loves Tuesday because that's karate day. That's when a teacher from a local karate school comes in to teach the kids a few moves. The school also has amazing holiday events -- from a school egg hunt for Easter to a Mother's Day tea. I personally loved the Christmas holiday because each grade level performed a holiday song. During summertime, they have activities like a bounce castle, weekly field trips to Arizona Science Center or even Fry's. But, I love the way this school is organized; it really is a community. I am a high school English and journalism teacher, but did teach early education 10 years ago... I really do feel like my daughter is getting the best education at her age. My husband and I considered enrolling her at the Montessori that opened up nearby, especially as she is getting older, but the level of community isn't what it is at APA, and I do feel like since Mrs. O'Neale has joined, that the level of academic rigor has increased. She is engaged in play-based learning, always bringing home craft or painting projects. She loves playing "teacher" and showing us flashcards for us to guess. Her counting is remarkable and she is extremely verbal. She loves her friends and her social skills have completely blossomed over the past year. Her infant teachers have moved on from APA, but we still keep touch through social media. Her one's and two's teachers, Ms. Brianna, Ms. Diana, and Ms. Stephanie, are THE BEST TEACHERS any parent with a toddler could ask for! They are on top of things, organized, creative, nurturing, and involved in seeing their students succeed. Without a second thought, I would recommend APA to anyone! It is THE best daycare and preschool in the North Valley, hands down.

I'm sorry to say but this is the worst day care ever . I'm disappointed truly! this daycare does…read morenot accurately keep track of your payments. that's not even the only issue. an diaper rash ointment was used on my son without my permission around the first time he came, and toward us leaving my son had a fever and had a febrile seizure which nobody told me about til i called! this is terrible ! never again ! and upon my son having horrible diaper rashes the excuse I got was " there's a lot of kids" arnt you trained for that! why have a daycare if u can't do your job properly . Not professionally ran at all and disappointed that it's black owned truly a shame to our culture.

I love this daycare! The staff is super friendly and they are always so helpful. I have an infant…read more6mo old in their infant center and my little one is IN LOVE with Ms. Penney the locations is perfect and the price is very reasonable. I highly recommend

My 3 sons were at Childcare at Tatum Highlands for many years, from when they were babies through…read moreKindergarten. Linda is the best childcare provider there is. She makes the children feel safe, the house is immaculate at all times, she is organized and professional and will really work with you. She forms relationships with the family. She has many options available and all you need to do is ask. She is very loving with the children. I have recommended her several times over to family and friends. Helene R

We had two children attend Linda's over about three years. We felt comfortable from the first day…read more(we toured multiple in home daycares and only felt comfortable here). We were so grateful to have been able to have her care for our babies, especially in the infant stage. My mind was put at ease knowing that it was a smaller setting with less children and less germs (she always keeps it very clean). She has great communication skills and was supportive of breastfeeding mothers. We trusted her with our children and felt that they were safe and well cared for throughout their time there. Our oldest child never wanted to leave, ha! And our baby was usually crawling around happily on the floor or sitting on the floor with Linda at pickup. It was the perfect childcare environment for our children in their earliest years!

I really can't say enough about how blessed we were to find Lifeprints a few years back. We have…read moresince moved on to Pre-K but we desperately miss all the incredible ladies that make this place so wonderful. The kids are happy, the teachers are wonderful and the Administration is caring and very capable. We have made lifetime friends here and would highly recommend Lifeprints to any parent that wants a safe, happy community for their babies and toddlers to thrive in. God bless the staff

I honestly never saw myself being the guy who reviews a childcare center, but life comes at you…read morefast and here we are. It's taken me approximately 6 years to complete this review, although it should take you only 6 minutes to decide to bring your kiddos to this place. These folks do God's work, literally daily. I don't have the patience or aptitude to do what they do, and I'm so thankful they're here. I can't imagine managing in this type of environment and the director, Jennifer is masterful. Like most businesses, there's turnover occasionally with teachers, but having had both of my kids go through most of their lives here, everyone has been caring and professional. Now, as you may have guessed, I'm not exactly the type of parent who is overly involved... err, micromanagey, so, I let them do them, and I'll do me. That arrangement seems to produce the best results. Kids will be kids, they'll do what they do, and again, these wonderful people are here daily watching them grow and teaching them stuff. My kids would've basically already turned into Blippi if they were home with me all day, because that's all they would ever do. The classrooms are clean, the grounds are nice and the kids are well taken care of. This place is a hidden gem and it's largely because of the people leading and the teachers commitment to the kids. I hate writing this because, the more people who read it, the more will bring their kids here, thus increasing my cost, but in this case, you have to know what it's like here-- I can't hide this gem any longer. It's wonderful. You would be lucky to find a place that's half as good as Lifeprints, and this place is the whole deal.

Our son went here for 9 months to get him started in a school type setting…read more We're sad he's leaving but he's onto kinder. The teachers are awesome. They communicate with you daily. The food was awesome as it's made in house and our son enjoyed it. The office and play area to gather is kept clean and changed out almost monthly. Overall this place was amazing to our family and we searched high and low before picking a place for our son to grow :)

I booked a tour for my 10 month old daughter. When I showed up, the door was unlocked, they said it…read morewas because of a delivery, but I was a "random" person walking in and it took five minute for anyone to notice me. After that, the person I talked with was not sure why I was there and none of the papers were prepped and they did not have any information that I had filled out on their website. Once the tour started, the individual giving the tour didn't even take out her Apple earbud which I found extremely rude. I am not sure if she didn't realize that I saw, as she had her hair down. However, I am a middle school teacher and can spot those things from the other side of the room. She knew that their Quality First scholarships had been given out, but was not confident on whether or not there was a waitlist for the scholarships. I was really excited to tour here and was hopeful that my daughter may be able to attend here if they had a scholarship available, since the cost is very high and we cannot afford it without a scholarship. Definitely too high for what I saw. However, I was extremely disappointed in almost every aspect of the tour. They were within the state numbers for ratio, so that is why I gave them a two instead of a one.

My daughter just finished at Children's Playhouse, where she had been attending since she was one…read moreyear old until she started kindergarten--and we couldn't be more grateful for the experience. From day one, it felt like a second home. The environment is always clean, warm, and focused on the whole child--socially, emotionally, and academically. We actually drive 35 minutes each way just to be part of this school, and it was 100% worth it. This was the most loving and wonderful place we could have ever asked for. The staff truly feels like family. Cheryl was always available and responsive anytime I had a question or concern, and I appreciated that so much as a parent. Tina, Katina, and every teacher along the way loved my baby girl like their own. That kind of care is rare and means everything. Thanks to Children's Playhouse, my daughter walked into kindergarten fully prepared and confident. We're going to miss this place so much! Highly recommend to any family looking for a loving and supportive preschool environment.

We drove 35 minutes each way because Children's Playhouse was absolutely worth it. From the time…read moreour daughter was one until she started kindergarten, this place felt like family. It was always clean, caring, and focused on helping her grow in every way. Cheryl was great anytime we had questions, and the teachers--especially Tina and Katina--loved our girl like their own. She was more than ready for kindergarten, and we're so thankful for the years we had here.

Small People Preschool has been amazing for our family. My daughter has attended for 13 months,…read moresince she was 6 months old. The teachers are caring, communication is excellent, and the facility is newer, always clean, and beautifully decorated for holidays. I also really appreciate the security measure, in which, there are cameras in all classrooms and a secure sign-in/sign-out process. Highly recommend.

My kids attended this daycare for about 8 months, I picked up my 2 yr old with 4 bite marks in…read moretotal and my 10 month old with a bite mark as well. They told me "biting is common" and they would do anything they can to stop the issue. Anyway, I picked up my daughter up 3 times in 1 month with bite marks. They said they called the child's parents to pick him up but they removed my child from her classroom 5 instead of the child with behavior issues. A lot of children in this daycare are dcs cases so a lot of them have behavioral issues, they told me they mix special needs children with the regular classes and the children cannot tell. They said they don't offer special teachers to be assigned to certain children. No concern for my children's safety was shown here, so I was forced to remove them before my transfer was done. Now I'm out of a job and don't have childcare either. This biting issue could've been very simply fixed but was not.

We recently moved, and after touring several preschools closer to our new home, we made the…read moredecision to keep our son here, even though it means a much longer commute. The biggest thing that stands out to me is the staff. Many of the teachers have been here for years, and some for well over a decade. After visiting other centers where nearly every classroom seemed to have brand-new teachers, I realized just how unique that is. Low turnover tells me this is an organization that treats its staff well, and that stability has been really awesome for our son. The educational program is also excellent. The teachers clearly put a tremendous amount of thought into their lesson plans and daily activities. We get lots of art and other work sent home regularly. Through the app, we receive detailed updates about what our son is learning and doing each day, and it's clear that he's growing academically and socially. They've also been incredible partners during potty training, reinforcing the same skills we're working on at home. Communication is another area where they excel. The teachers and administrators are proactive and responsive. We've always felt well informed. One thing I didn't realize I'd appreciate so much until we toured other centers is that they provide hot breakfast and lunch every day, plus a snack. It has been such a gift not to pack meals each morning, and the menu offers a great variety of foods. Our son has become more adventurous with eating because he sees his classmates trying new foods, and we've noticed him eating things at school I don't think he'd try at home. Our daughter went to a different preschool -- she's 7 years older than her brother, so that was years ago -- and we were truly pleased with it at the time. But, now that I can compare it to this provider, I have to say.... First Steps is better! We couldn't recommend this place more highly.

I would highly recommend First Steps Preschool to any parent! My daughter has been here for about 5…read moremonths and all I can say is she's so so happy there. All of her teachers are amazing! They go above and beyond for my babygirl. Her needs are always met and they help her reach her milestone goals. Everything is documented throughout her day so I can stay updated and I LOVE that they document pictures as well. I'm so happy and appreciative of everything that is done.