Our daughter has attended A Place for Children since she was 10 weeks old. The staff is amazing…read more Our daughter truly enjoys going there every day and it's because they spend quality time with her and are very caring! We would highly recommend it to anyone.

I highly recommend A Place for Children in Kirkwood. Our daughter has gone there since she was 12…read moreweeks old and seems very happy there. Gail, the owner, was very friendly and welcoming from the start, and she runs a wonderful program for infants. My daughter smiles when she sees Gail every morning! Gail makes a point to greet each family personally, and you can tell that she truly cares about each child and remembers details about each one's day. We found A Place for Children after checking out all the larger daycare centers, and and it was a relief to find a quality option for daycare that didn't have a year-plus waiting list. If you're looking for childcare in the Kirkwood area, definitely check them out!

We love it here and we feel loved here. I couldn't ask for a better director and staff. My children…read morehave been attending for about 2+ years now. There's good communication, a small environment, so you get to know everyone and entrepreneurs knows you. Highly recommend this location.

My children have been going to Growing Seeds Academy since they open the Facility. I love the staff…read moreand way my children are taken care of, the communication that I receives around my children care is amazing. One of my children was getting ready to start kindergarten and Ms. K help her with her learning and her transition from daycare to big girl school. It really helped me as a parent to have some support with my child transition.

We love Little Sunshine's! All of the teachers are so welcoming, but we especially love our sons…read moreteachers (shout-out Ms. Cass and Ms. Asia!) They are very good at keeping our son active and engaged. We love seeing all the pictures and getting thorough communication about what goes on each and everyday. The Leadership team here is very helpful and caring as well. Ms. Amber especially was a huge reason we chose this daycare. You can tell she really cares about each and every kid and the learning environments they are placed in. 10/10 recommend!

We have enjoyed our experience at LSP. We appreciate the smaller size of the school. Every teacher…read moreknows our child's name. I trust the leadership and know that they have my child's best interest in mind. I would recommend Little Sunshines Playhouse​

I can't say enough good things about the staff, owners, and facility at Charley's Angels. My…read moredaughter attended for a little over a year until we moved out of the city when she turned 2. The hardest part about moving away from St. Louis for me was not leaving behind some of our friends, our charming little South City house, the great restaurants and fun things to do...it was leaving my daughter's school! We built relationships with everyone here, and my daughter loved it so much it was usually hard to get her to leave in the afternoon! It really is the staff here that is so amazing. There is no doubt in my mind that they genuinely care for each and every child here. Speaking of staff, turnover was pretty low. From the very beginning, my kiddo fit right in and adapted easily to her new school. She's a pretty smart kid, and we have always worked on the usual toddler stuff like letters and colors at home, but it never ceased to amaze me the things she picked up on at school. There is plenty of time for play here, but there is also a strong emphasis on structured learning, music, movement, and art. Like I said, I can't say enough positive things about this facility, but I will also add that everything was always clean (without smelling overwhelmingly of bleach), and no matter what time of day we were there dropping off or picking up it NEVER felt chaotic. Our family will truly miss everyone at Charley's Angels, and I recommend to anyone looking for a full-time day care facility in the South City area to call Charlene and become part of the family.

Little Sunshine Playhouse-University City provides a warm, engaging, and well-run environment for…read morechildren. The staff is welcoming, diverse, professional, and genuinely nurturing. The school balances structure with fun, offering creative themes and activities that keep children excited to learn. From the beginning, the environment has felt intentional, secure, and thoughtfully designed for kids. Our family enrolled our daughter in August 2025. Before that, she stayed home full-time until age two and was very much a "stage 5 Velcro baby." The transition was emotional at first, especially at drop-off, but the growth we've seen since then has been incredibly encouraging. She now confidently gives hugs goodbye, happily says "bye-bye," and walks into her classroom with ease. She genuinely enjoys school and is happy during pick-up, which gives us peace of mind. There have been a few instances where we needed to remind staff to clean our child's face, hands, or nose after meals or messy play, as well as change her into clean clothes when needed. Parents are asked to provide at least two sets of weather-appropriate spare clothes for this purpose, and on occasion, changes were not made as promptly as we would have preferred. There have also been times when personal items were misplaced. That said, staff consistently communicated with us, made genuine efforts to locate items, and worked to improve. We understand that managing multiple toddlers and their belongings is a common challenge in any preschool setting. What matters to us is that concerns are taken seriously and addressed, which has been our overall experience here. Leadership has been a major strength. Ms. Katelyn, the Director, played a large role in our decision to choose LSP. As parents who were understandably nervous, she spent significant time with us before enrollment, both on the phone and in person, explaining the school's philosophy, operations, safety measures, and procedures. She remains approachable, responsive, and consistently kind. Ms. Lucy, the Assistant Director, is equally welcoming, knowledgeable, and easy to communicate with. Staff shout-outs: Ms. Amanda, a head teacher, is exceptionally friendly, caring, and highly creative. Her warmth and creativity are evident throughout the school. Mr. Daniel is upbeat, professional, and consistently friendly during evening pick-ups. Ms. Alina, another head teacher, is more reserved and has a straightforward, businesslike communication style. Her creativity is visible in school projects and displays. Ms. Niya, our child's current lead teacher, met with us prior to enrollment, gave us a full tour of the school and playground, and offered reassurance during the transition. She is warm, attentive, and a strong educator. Ms. Victoria, Ms. Sabrina, Ms. Jaela, Ms. Wafae, Ms. Nabila, and Ms. Cassie have all been kind, professional, and attentive in their roles. Communication is excellent. Phones are always answered, and messages through the app are returned promptly, usually within the hour. When concerns are raised, leadership responds quickly and respectfully. The school is clean, beautifully decorated, and secure. Drop-off and pick-up are smooth, classroom ratios are followed, and security measures (controlled entry, cameras, and app communication) are strong. Meals and snacks are included, hours are 6:30 AM-6 PM, and nap time is well-structured and age-appropriate. One important note for families is cost. It's expensive. Little Sunshine Playhouse is on the higher end and is priced as a premium program. Overall, our family is very happy with Little Sunshine Playhouse-University City and would confidently recommend it to families seeking a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for their child.

I would not recommend this school/daycare…read more The amount of turnover is ridiculous. You never know who will be watching your child from day to day. Leadership will move your children around to accommodate state requirements for staffing, so children are moved up before they are ready so new students can be added to the program. Your child is not a child, they are a dollar sign.

I'd strongly advise on using a nannying agency such as Olive U Nanny. The agency is ran by owner,…read moreLaura David. There are no second or third hands involved. Laura personally goes out to each family to see what they're specifically looking for as far as the needs, qualifications, and the wants of the family. Following that, she interviews highly experienced nanny applicants to fill the position. Basically she is the middle woman between the family and the nannies. The nannies must have an extensive resume for child care plus a background/criminal record check to make sure the nannies are legit. The family has no obiligation to keeping the nanny that is placed with them if the family does not feel the nanny fits the criteria of what they're looking for. Until placement has been made, and everyone on both sides are happy (both family and nanny), the family does not have to pay a placement fee. It's a lot cheaper than TLC as well. TLC has several hands in the game, and honestly I find it that if you have too many people involved, it loses its personal touch. I highly recommend checking out Olive U Nanny if you're serious about finding a nanny.

I Would highly recommend this place. In business for over 35 years, from Caring Staff professional…read moremanagement!

Unhealthy Work Environment Rooted in Toxic Leadership My…read moreexperience at this company as an employee was defined by toxic leadership and a deeply dysfunctional culture. The director consistently made decisions based on personal convenience rather than what was best for staff or the children. There was a strong desire for control, yet staff were reprimanded for not being "independent" enough--creating a no-win situation. Constructive suggestions, creativity, or simply knowing more about a subject than the director were often met with criticism or hostility. The director's moods dictated the tone of the workplace, and if she was having a bad day, everyone felt it. In some cases, personal items were thrown at staff, and interactions could be emotionally damaging. I routinely witnessed the director comment about individual appearances and make professional decisions based on such. Employees are routinely expected to handle personal tasks for the director and owners, including managing their packages, running errands, and printing personal photos--often after hours. If a package is lost or an item is incorrect, staff are blamed and interrogated. There was little regard for work-life balance. The director frequently arrived late or left early for personal reasons, yet staff were not extended the same flexibility. Even in cases of illness, employees were pressured to come in, with little empathy or support. You are required to speak to the director personally when calling off work so that she can question and pressure you to come into work. Resources were limited, with classroom supplies locked away due to misplaced accusations of theft. Staff often had to purchase their own materials. Long-standing broken items were blamed on staff, regardless of logic or context. Perhaps most concerning was the expectation that staff attend charity events and contribute financially, even when it wasn't feasible. There was a clear pattern of manipulation and quid-pro-quo dynamics. Overall, this was a psychologically unhealthy environment that prioritized the needs and egos of management over the well-being of employees. I would not recommend working here unless there is a change of owner.

My children have been attending Lakeside for a little over a year and I can't say enough great…read morethings about the care they receive there. We had actually been searching for a house in the area and I was looking at day cares to get on lists right away - I loved the facility, teachers, and several other accommodations on our tour that we actually ended up reducing our house search to a smaller area specifically because Lakeside offers transportation to and from a few local elementary schools (they're fantastic schools that we were already considering in addition to another district). That was a big win for me. I also love that they provide us with extra time saving amenities - meals and washing nap linens. While smaller scale things, it's just nice not to have to pack healthy lunches for my little ones every day, or realize at 9pm on Sunday that I forgot to wash nap sheets. I was nervous to uproot my children from a school/day care that we already loved, but thankfully the transition was relatively seamless, and I've been very happy with their care and education.