The entrance definitely blends into the feel and look of being downtown. I ended up parking on the…read morestreet and paying the virtual meter because I wasn't sure if they had designated parking but I think there is a parking garage. The welcome desk staff were friendly and greeting people/members as they came in. There are brochures about various programs at the desk as well. I was here to get signed up for an Above & Beyond Cancer class and am really excited about the number of activities available.

The pool is super clean and nice! The locker rooms are small though. The staff are nice but it is a…read morelittle dirty in the gym!

When looking for a spot to bring your child for care, it can be kinda stressful! Both on the child…read moreand the parents! But I could not be happier with the decision to go to Apple Tree. Our son started here at 18 months! And we have been here for almost 3 months now. They told us that there would be a transition time for him and the parents and they were so right. But we found that they paid attention to the small stuff and saw he was connecting to a certain teacher and that has really helped feel more at home! I really love how they have a mobile app that gives the parents up dates through the day on what the kids are doing, eating, playing with, learning, and how nap times and diaper changes go! And they send you photos! That really helps the parents feel good about how these long days are going. The meals are varied and so are the snacks! They have both indoor and outdoor time and the school is very clean! The staff is very informative and friendly and I always feel great about dropping him off there! The parents get their own safety code for the door so they can drop by anytime they like! It might be a bit more expensive that other places, but you get what you pay for and I couldn't be happier with our decision. Our song even looks forward to giving the little Apple Tree Bear on the sign a High Five when dropping off or picking him up! Oh so fun! I feel he is developing skills here he would not get at home with busy parents working. And that feels good! The memories that will be made here!

This is such a wonderful school. My nephew attends and our entire family is so glad we found them…read more We have been really impressed with their online app so we can all keep up with his achievements. The teachers are also amazing. I can't recommend them enough!

If I could give this establishment 0 stars I would. I was walking in for a tour (unscheduled) the…read morefront door enters in to a small office that leads to another door in to the center. When I walked in all I heard was staff screaming at the children and the children were running wild around the building. I turned and walked out right away. Do not recommend!!

Horrible teacher in the 2 year old room I seen her telling at the kids more then once. They were in…read moresuch a rush all the time my kids diaper was always half on. They gave me the wrong coat 2x then asked if I was sure it was the wrong coat. Uuum it's my child. Yes I'm sure. Unprofessional. Unclean on the inside toys are dirty and they are not very understanding of different kids needs.

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. They exclude kids and claim to be trained on children…read morewithin the spectrum. I complete lie, they did not know how to handle outbursts (common with children on the spectrum and they treated my nephew terribly. I understand biting can happen but there were multiple bites within a week. It's obviou the children are left unattended. I have never seen him act out as he did while attending this terrible place.

My husband and I found Little Sprouts on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. They were…read moreselected after visiting several daycares in the area. We selected Little Sprouts after being impressed by their location, affordability, the Drake Head Start Program and Speech Therapy Program. My daughter was a little behind in her speech. So, we thought this school was prefect. Red signs started to present themselves when I was providing my daughters' immunization paperwork. I walked into the office and children's PHI was exposed for anyone to view. When it was bought to staff's attend, she immediately begins making excuses. "Oh, this is not my office". "I did not do that." I told her, she is a representation of her employer and she was in the office. Everyone that works there is a representative of Little Sprouts. Then, she started removing the papers from view. That concerned me. However, we moved forward and enrolled my child in the school. In September 2017, my daughter started Lil' Sprouts. The first day, she was hit in the nose by another child. That night, I notice my daughter's nose was dark red as if she was hit by something. This couldn't have been prevented. However, the matter in how I was inform could have been better. I was told the next day about the incident after addressing with the staff. I should have been told of the incident the day it happened and not the next day. The second incident happened a few months later. My child was bitten by another child. As you can imagine, this was horrifying for a parent. I never thought this would happen, especially with the amount of staff working. I did my researched went back to the daycare with questions. What are you going to do to prevent this from happening again? Has the other child's parent's been informed? The staff told me how they would prevent an incident from happening again. However, she didn't know who had bitten my child. Consequently, she did not know how to protect my child. No notes of the incident had been left to inform her of the previous day. Since, she was unaware of the incident, we didn't feel safe leaving our child with her. My husband and I waited for the manager to arrive. Once present, she started apologizing and saying they had made a mistake. It appears my daughter was put with a well-known bitter and the inevitable happen. As parents take home their kids, the group gets smaller and smaller, so they don't need as many staff members. As a result, my daughter was placed with the other child. Again, my husband and I forgiven but never forgotten. The last incident was the breaking point. I picked my daughter up on Thursday (February 18, 2018) and the staff was acting weird. The volume of the music was much too loud to hear anyone talking and the staff looked nervous. I notice my daughter's hair looked very neat because normally it's a mess. (She likes to play with her hair.) However, her curls can be deceiving. That night as I was brushing her hair, my heart stopped. Her hair has been cut!!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't fathom someone cutting a little girl's hair. The people that I had trusted my child with, had betrayed my trust and my daughter's. I stop brushing my daughter's hair and tried to shake off the stomach-turning feeling. I know in the morning, I would be able to confirm my fears when I get her ready for daycare. In the morning, I tried getting my daughter's curls into a ponytail as I had done that Monday. My fear has been confirmed, someone at Little Sprouts has cut my daughter's hair. I sat on the couch in a state of shock and disbelief. The very people we have entrusted to keep our daughter safe, had taken scissors to my daughter's head without parental consent. Again, my husband and I made a trip to Little Sprouts. Not to find out who did it but, WHY did they do it. Again, we talk to the same manager. When we told her what happen, she showed no emotion. As if, this had happened before. She told us that she could review the surveillance cameras and find out who did it. But I knew it would not bring solace to our concerns. The damage had been done. We stood waiting in the office for about 15 - 20mins, for the manager to complete her scan of the surveillance cameras. I wasn't shocked at all when she turned to us and said there was nothing on the cameras of my daughter getting her hair cut. I asked about then she went to Speech Therapy. She told me that Speech Therapy is done in the office and they don't have surveillance in the office. So my daughter was taken out of view of the surveillance cameras and returned hours later. I could only think that whomever cut my daughter's hair was smart enough to do it off camera. The manager told us that she would re-review the surveillance cameras again and call us if she finds anything. She never did!!

This place is amazing! The director is connected with her staff and is always very courteous and…read morerespectful. The teachers here are some of the best, and I can tell that they truly care about, not only my child, but all children in general. The atmosphere is very open and professional. I had one issue while my child attended, but the director took time from her day to talk with me about, and we were able to come to a resolution quickly. It is usually very difficult to get a spot in this center; most parents who are lucky enough to land a spot never leave.

From the owner: Our mission is to be a place where your child can learn and grow while safely exploring the joy of…read morebeing a child. We are the only 5-star QRS child care center in the Altoona area!

The rooms have way too many kids in them, they are constantly moving kids from room to room…read more Parents a lot of the times don't know which room their kids are in. I don't feel like the kids are getting the care that they need. I feel like they care more about money, than the kids.

I have had my boys in this amazing school for a little over a year and i couldnt express how much i…read morelove it. We had such a horrible experience at a previous preschool and coming to cadence was such a relief. I have seen sooooo much growth in my 4 and 1 year old. My oldest always talks about how much he has learned each day and how much he loves his preschool teachers. My youngest has started saying more vocabulary words and i couldnt believe how much this 1 year old has learned in vocabulary and his baby sign language that his teachers has taught him. I am beyond impressed with cadence and would 100% recommend to any family. They go above and beyond to create a fun, healthy, safe and learning environment for your kiddos.

I agree with Sam S. I have experienced this as well, and later found out that complaints had been…read morefiled against them with DHS. It is not an environment I want my child in all day. 8th Street childcare in Altoona is amazingly better. The difference is night and day. I would suggest 8th Street, but they are constantly full and for good reason! They came with high recommendations from DHS.

AKW is very clean, the staff is friendly to your face. I have learned over the several years my…read morechildren have attended AKW that even the adult women (director and assistant director) gossip and act like they are in high school. It is full of drama. Traci - director at AKW 2, tells stories of other parents and their behavior and how they treat their children. She is aggressive, defensive, vindictive and not someone I want to associate with. Unfortunately, there are not a great deal of options with the convenience factor so I was forced to deal with them for too long. My children were always cared for, it's too bad the staff acts in such a poor manner. It could be a wonderful place to attend.