We are so happy and thrilled with the CDC! Since I work from home, it wasn't really necessary to send our kids to a preschool. After a friend told me all about the CDC, I had to check it out. AND I LOVE IT! I truly only have positive things to say. The teachers genuinely care and love our daughter. They meticulously record and photograph throughout the day to show us how she interacted with other children and the activities in which she participated. It is so well rounded, with music classes, chapel, art classes, and amazing outdoor (& indoor) play facilities. We originally enrolled our daughter in the morning program (to not have to change our three year old's nap time), and decided the bilingual program would be worth the skipping of nap time. I'm so glad we made that decision. The bilingual program is so amazing, not forceful at all, but rather very fluid. Since language skills are developed during childhood, I'm so grateful that our daughter was exposed to Spanish. I rarely ever saw children crying or upset. That is probably the best testament to how much all of the children actually enjoy being at their preschool. The teachers are also very positive. I've literally never experienced anything negative. Neither did I ever witnessed it for others. The best comment I can make, however, is how loving the teachers are, evident in every single drop off and pick up. As a parent, you couldn't ask for more than that the people investing in your child's life, genuinely care for them. This is very true of Ms. Lady, Ms. Sadith and Ms. Andrea. The fact that the CDC is an extension of a Christian church makes it all the better. They are accountable to God and really run the program with a beautiful respect for the children and families. My only regret is that we are moving from Virginia. Finding another school for our daughters with this level of competency and compassion will prove to be difficult. read more

We are a military family and moving is nothing new to us. However, moving to the Northern Virginia area provided to be a new challenge. My husband and I now had 3 school aged children and were facing the overwhelming decisions of where to live, what we could afford and the community we were joining. We were made aware of Columbia's CDC through my husband's college roommate, who had sent all 4 of his children through the program. I had already been in contact with many different preschool children's programs in the area, but none of them had felt quite right for our family. Upon looking into the Columbia CDC further, we were fortunate enough to find spaces for both of our 4- year-olds, and were placed on the waiting list for our 2-year-old. Having to pay for 3 children in school so I could return to work, in addition to the high cost of living in this area in general, was of huge concern for us. Columbia's program offered our girls an education that focused on the teacher / parent partnership, at an affordable price, in an area that has insufficient childcare options for working parents. Now that my girls have all moved on to elementary school, I am so thankful for the community and ministry that Columbia offered my family. It began as a place to send my girls for preschool and evolved into a place where our whole family went to worship and find community. The natural partnership between the CDC and the church was such an enhancement to our family life. Our girl's teachers were available during the school day as well as showed up to support and make us feel welcomed at church events. In turn, the church pastors and directors were always present and creating fun and exciting programing for our children during school hours. As our girls aged out of the preschool program, they were able to attend summer camp at Columbia every summer and was something they looked forward to every year. read more

Both of my children have attended the 1/2 day morning programs for the past three years and I have nothing but good things to say about the program. My daughter who is very shy has been loved and nurtured by her teachers for the past 3 years. All of her teachers have had very different personalities and teaching styles, but each took the time to learn about my daughter and how to connect with her to help in her development and confidence. My son who is not nearly as shy has also had a wonderful experience at Columbia Baptist Church Child Development Center. They have a unique philosophy that I am thrilled to be a part of as a parent of two small children who are eager to learn and absorb the world around them. They focus many of the activites on what the children are interested in each week and I've seen such excitement from both of my children about the activities they are working on and topics they are learning about (from learning about apples by baking apple pies to space by visiting the Air and Space Museum). They both come home each day very excited about what they did that day, proud of the creations they made and contributed to in class, and the friends they played with. The teachers have wonderful hearts for the children they teach and genuinely love the children which is evident in their interactions and care for them. My daughter will be graduating from the CDC this year and going into Kindergarten and I am definitely sad she is unable to stay another year in a place that is full of love, smiles, creativity, passion for developing all of the children at the CDC, and love for Jesus. read more

It's been over 2 years since this little school was reviewed and I had to write an update review about this amazing pre-school. CCDC is a quintessential old-time natural play based pre-school (and child care). You won't find slick, shiny high tech learning tools here. Instead, you will find children playing in a natural playground with stone caves and canoes, children's artwork on the walls, teachers that know their names of every kid in the school, and a school handbook that tells you to send your kids dressed to play! Make no mistake though, there is a lot of learning and development taking place every single day. It is a Baptist preschool, with a simple grace before lunch and Bible stories told weekly, but the focus is really on the broader goodness and kindness values with cross all religions and secular traditions. In addition there is a wonderful extracurricular option available including music and art for additional fees if you want to provide an additional activity for your child. Clearly I could go on about all the things we love about the school. My two boys thrived here and were totally prepared for Kindergarten. CCDC laid down the foundation for my children to have a love for learning and exploring new things. read more

I really can't say enough good things about CDC's afternoon bilingual program. We stumbled upon this program when looking for an afternoon program for my 4-year old daughter after the Falls Church Community Center cancelled their afternoon program last minute due to low enrollment. I now feel so lucky. The bilingual teachers are such a gem. I truly believe Ms. Erika is an angel from heaven with her limitless love and attention of so many little people, and Ms. Jo is incredible at working with the kids and giving them the confidence to start speaking Spanish (rather than just understanding it, but responding in English). It is also incredible the amount my daughter is learning in addition to Spanish. For example, just last week, she came home excitedly telling me about key scientific theories of the cause of dinosaurs' extinction and examples of fossils that allow us to now trace dinosaurs' historical range. Her art work has also flourished under this program. I am also a firm supporter of the Reggio program and their commitment to outdoor time is unparalleled and critical for children at this age. We love the program so much, we have decided to move my son this fall to CDC from Easter Seals. read more

I've had two boys go through Columbia Baptist Child Development Center. The level of trust I have in the staff is very high, they consistently perform with great professionalism, well above expectations. They foster great relationships with the parents, adopting a supportive and never judgmental approach. Their academic philosophy is practical and firmly based around proven early-childhood research. They have a great sense of love and care towards every child, providing many opportunities for creativity and fun, either individually or as a group. My older child who graduated from the school urged us to sign him up for the whole summer, going back to Columbia for the camp program. He also benefited enormously from the additional Spanish program, which was one the most memorable and gratifying experiences of his life. The program gave him additional self-confidence, language skills and enhanced team-working skills. We have recently moved away from the Falls Church area, but my wife and I have chosen to keep our younger child at the school, despite a much longer commute time. I very rarely write reviews to yelp, but I do recommend Columbia Baptist to you. read more

We are not religious people, but chose this day care because it was close to our house, and the price was right. We had no idea how lucky we were about to get. For the two years we've been apart of the CDC, we have had nothing but the highest admiration and thanks for the teachers and directors. Both of our children have now attended Columbia Baptist, and we wish that our eldest could have continued her kindergarten year here as well. The teachers love their students. You see it in their actions every day, from the way they greet them each morning, to the activities the kids bring home at the end. Everyone is just so amazing, kind and generous. The staff are constantly and consistently showing our kids, as well as my wife and me on most days, how to be good people. What a special place. Thank you for everything, Columbia Baptist. I always thought that only religious people identified with a church, but we feel so close to you and the community you provide. read more

My 2 boys have been attending the CDC for the last 3 years. They started out in the half day morning program and are now full time. I can't say enough about the staff and teaching philosophies. They are a play-based school and our boys have learned so much through play. I'm always amazed at their creativity and ability to invent. For the last year, my oldest son was in the Bi-lingual Spanish Program in the afternoons. What a blessing this has been for him. He's learned so much this past year (and he didn't even know he was learning Spanish because it's all done through immersion and play!). He starts Kindergarten this year - he is really going to miss his favorite teachers and friends. We have enrolled our youngest in the Spanish program as well. He is so excited and so are we! I highly recommend this program! read more

This is a very special place for children and their families. The teachers are passionate about loving, teaching and caring for children well. Both of my children started at Columbia when they were 2 and every teacher they had became family to them and to us. The Reggio inspired curriculum is powerful and I can see how the materials my children engaged in and the thoughtful problem solving and question asking and creating their teachers encouraged them to pursue have afforded them life long inquiry skills. This way of caring and teaching has encouraged my children's natural joy in discovering what is and what might be possible. I feel so fortunate that our family is a part of this compassionate, loving, creative and joyful community. read more

Columbia Baptist Child Development Center is a full service preschool with Full Day, 1/2 Day Morning, and 1/2 Day Afternoon (Bilingual Spanish-English) classes. Our children range in age from 18months to 5years of age. We are conveniently located in the city of Falls Church - a five minute walk from the East Falls Church Metro. "As a parent I cannot say enough good things about Columbia Baptist Preschool. My children LOVE coming to school, and I know it is because my children know that their teachers love them. Columbia Baptist provides a warm, kind, and gentle environment for children to learn and grow. I could not be happier!" ~Afternoon Bilingual Parent read more

Just wanted to give a shot out to the staff at Columbia CDC for keeping safety the #1 priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. The teachers went over and beyond during the shutdown and maneuvered quickly to continue educating the children. My son enjoyed the virtual story time and I enjoyed the weekly craft bags that the teachers put together for each family to pick up and work on at home. Bravo for the dedication the Columbia CDC teachers and admin team showed to the children and families during these trying times. I'm thrilled our children are back at the center and my son had never been happier to see his friends and get to play on the new playground! read more

Both of my children currently attend Columbia Baptist Child Development Center with the full day program. My older (Jr. K) child also attends the afternoon dual-language program each day. Both programs are amazing! My son is very engaged by the dual language. He is learning so much Spanish and he's only 5! The teachers and staff guide the children in being creative and solving problems, while still helping them learn routines and positive social skills. I work full-time each day with the assurance that my kids are loved and being well-taken care of. read more

The teachers are so caring, and the school is clean, safe, well run. We did the bilingual afternoon program for our two year old, and he has absolutely blossomed. They helped him (and me) through the early separation anxiety worries. The best part is that the kids play outside a lot and learn about the world through their play and questions. I would recommend the program to anyone! We signed him up for another year and look forward to seeing how much growth and love he will experience. read more

My child attended the afternoon bi-lingual program last year. It was our first experience at Columbia Baptist and it was fantastic. The teachers are very loving, cheerful and kind. They always greeted my child with a smile and helped her learn as much Spanish as possible - we are not a bi-lingual home. They always did amazing crafts (open ended, child-driven), learned about interesting topics, and had plenty of outdoor play. Overall it was a great preschool! read more

Both of our kids attended the CDC at Columbia Baptist Church and had wonderful experiences. They truly loved going to school each day and were very happy each day at evening pickup. There is nothing more gratifying and heart-warming as a parent than to know your kids are being loved and nurtured and to see it in their faces. The CDC is a wonderful program with an excellent director team and fantastic teachers. read more

I love Columbia Baptist. Throughout the past 5 years, my kids have attended their part-time program, full-day program and bilingual programs. All were awesome and I had no complaints. I cannot express how much the school has taught and offered my kids. Their instructors are top notch. I love their play-based curriculum and the admin staff. read more

My son LOVED his Spanish at Columbia Baptist. He now has affection for anything related to the Spanish language. And it's more than that -- this class creates a true community (fostered by the caring teachers.) Your child would be fortunate to feel this genuine love and individual attention. read more

We've had a terrific experience this year with our son in the afternoon bilingual program and older son in the full-day preK. Both are thriving. The caregivers are wonderful and the front staff/administration have been really helpful in our move to the area and transition to the school. read more

My son and daughter both attended the Child Development Center and they LOVED it! We loved that they had loving, knowledgable adults that took the time to really get to know them, cared deeply for them, and partnered with us during that phase of their lives. read more