Three kids, three different preschools--including UW-Madison's Waisman Center's vaunted WECP--and…read morewhile each program has its strengths and weaknesses, in our humble opinion PSA takes the prize in the Madison area. From Director Penny, to the teachers in the various rooms, and the administrative staff, every single soul at PSA is a gem! Our son lives it, of course, and gets tremendous, thoughtful, experienced instruction in art, music, reading, math, and so on. So much so that we decided to keep him in the kindergarten program here, even though we could have saved some money by sending him to free public school. In short, I'd give PSA 10/10 stars, WECP 9/10, and another a much lower score. Worth every penny!

I've sent all three of my children to Preschool of the Arts, over the past decade, and my youngest…read moreis currently enrolled. PSA has been an absolutely wonderful experience for our family. The teachers are highly qualified, incredibly dedicated, and many of them have been with the school for years. That sense of stability and experience really shows in the way they care for and teach the children. Class sizes are small, which means each child gets a lot of individualized attention. The curriculum is creative, play-based, and truly lives up to the "arts" in the name -- my kids have thrived not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well. They come home excited to share what they've learned and created each day. What I appreciate most is the nurturing community the school fosters. Families, teachers, and staff all feel connected, and it's clear that children's growth and well-being are at the heart of everything they do. My oldest still connects with her preschool friends. If you are looking for a preschool where your child will be challenged, supported, and celebrated, I can't recommend PSA highly enough.

First, let me say we have a lot of experience with daycares, and I must admit that we are picky…read more So, it is saying a lot that we were blown away by this awesome school. My son has lots of energy, and other places have shown zero patience, but Mr. Mark and Miss Lauren were excellent with him from the beginning. Miss Lauren is now in the office with Miss Sheena, who is also awesome, but you could still be lucky enough to get Mr. Mark as your kid's teacher. I will detail below what we loved most about the school. 1. The curriculum was good, and my 4 year old son knows a ton of sight words. There is a detailed report that comes out every day about what the kids are learning, and they even started teaching them chess. I also love that there is structured learning without the classes being so ridged that a large portion of the kids can't sit through lessons. We've experienced places with no patience that have caused me to lose my patience based on the way my son has been treated. Not here.. great education while still understanding the needs of small children. They also have a large gym for the kids to blow off steam in bad weather. 2. The staff and owners go above and beyond to make this place special for kids, and make parents comfortable. My husband even observed one of the owners helping another parent change a flat tire. They had a Santa for the kids at Christmas, hosted Trunk or Treat for Halloween, and provided a free session with a nutritionist to help parents with picky eaters. Never have I felt so confident that we had partners in the process of raising up our son, and I have never known a daycare where I felt more confident that they actually cared about my child. 3. The children are happy. You can see it in all the pictures. You can see it in their attitudes. My son made good friends here, and still asks to see them. There is also a ton of parent involvement. We ended up moving for a job, and I actually cried over pulling my son from this school. When you've had bad experiences, you truly appreciate the really good ones. I am grateful for our time at Goddard Verona and would encourage any parents reading this review to enroll.

The Verona school has only been open 2-3 weeks at this point... However my 2 1/2 year old has never…read morebeen happier at a childcare facility than he is now. It's not a struggle to get him out the door and to school. He knows where he's going and looks forward to it. The teachers are great and the lesson plans are creative, educational and FUN. There's a great variety of things for the kids to do. The facility is brand new and with exceptional amenities and security. The Director and Owners are on-site and very involved. They've even got my son eating his vegetables (since snacks AND lunch are provided). Lots of pros. I have not encountered any cons yet. As of now, we could not be more satisfied with ALL the school has to offer!! I would refer, and have referred other parents to the school.

Both of my children are attending Hickory Hill Academy and I could not be more pleased with the…read moreexperience that we have had. The beautiful campus provides a a safe and engaging environment for learning where children receive personalized care in a small classroom setting with two teachers who are able to focus on individual needs. At Hickory Hill, my children are both thriving academically, and offered opportunities through the curriculum that have far exceeded my expectations. From being on a campus that allows them to learn and grow outdoors (there is an old bus in the wooded area their team and amazing science teacher retrofitted into a classroom) to learning Spanish & Mandarin in the program, to expanding their love of reading through the classroom focus. I particularly like the way that HHA works to get parents involved in the learning process. They have a weekly community circle meeting that parents are able to be apart of that highlights school events, allows children to participate and shares thoughtful and encouraging messages for the week. The school also does a great job creating fun events outside of school like a Pumpkin Run in the fall and Mitten Festival during the winter. In the case of the Mitten festival the children worked hard on creative art projects that were extremely fun, but also encouraged them to present why they created what they did to their class and families. We have seen our children's confidence rise significantly and are extremely happy that our children our attending and would recommend this school to others.

Our family has been part of Hickory Hill Academy (HHA) since its founding in 2020, and we've…read morewatched the school grow and evolve. Starting a new school during COVID was no small feat, and while there have been occasional missteps--what school doesn't have them?--HHA's commitment to improvement stands out. Challenges are met with reflection and growth, ensuring lasting progress. The administration, faculty, and staff are deeply dedicated to HHA's mission. This isn't just a school for academics; it's a place that fosters character and community. My kids love attending, and the sense of belonging is incredible. From hugs shared during Community Circle to my daughter having besties in every grade in the school, it's clear HHA is building a kind, inclusive community. If you're looking for a school where your child can thrive academically and personally, HHA is an amazing choice.

Big Apple has been a great daycare experience for our whole family. Their staff is dedicated to…read moremaking the children feel like daycare is a home away from home and with new weekly lessons and photo updates you know that your child is not only being taken care of, but also learning a lot too!

Meh. Rates are going up in January. I absolutely loved my child's first teacher at Big Apple but…read morethe new one isn't very friendly and is just not as great as the first experience here. There was a surprise 80.00 annual fee that I just found out about when it hit my bank account. Overall its been pretty good, but all of these recent changes have me wanting to look elsewhere.

Great teachers and wonderful leadership. My children have been very happy at The Caring Center.read more

The caring center is the only day care we've had our son in, and it's the only one we've needed. We…read morestarted there when he turned 2, and he is about to turn 8 and still attends after school programs. It is a Christian daycare but does not proselytize, it simply incorporates good values. It stays up to date with teaching styles, especially since it became one of several daycares in the area to partner with the school district in hosting 4k. One year, our son was having some struggles, and we looked around at alternatives but decided to instead switch him to the montessori program, which was perfect. That program is something special, run by the extremely patient and competent Ms. Erin, and it is even available with the 4k program. Every problem we've had had been taken seriously and handled delicately. I would recommend this to anyone.

We enrolled our 5 and 3 year old at Guidepost Montessori almost 2 years ago and have seen a huge…read moreimprovement in their confidence, independence and social skills. We were worried at first about how our children would fit in and if they would be behind as they did not start out in Montessori, but in a very short time, our 5 year old has learned to read, write and can count to 1,000 and our 3 year old has become more independent (cleaning around the house, getting dressed independently, etc.). We highly recommend Guidepost, it has been a great environment for our family.

I enrolled my son 7-8 months before they officially opened and at the time under the understanding…read morethat meals would be provided ie breakfast, lunch, snack. As it got closer to opening and doing tours the staff said they would not initially have the main meals but would hope to get them in the coming months after opening. When it was time to start, they shared that I had been told the wrong information and they plan to never have the main meals, parents have to pack and provide those meals and the school will provide only snacks. I was able to get my deposit back but lost the $200 registration fee. I can't recommend this school because they do not provide meals, which is important to me and my family. However, the curriculum and classrooms are top of the line. So it just depends on what you need from a school/daycare.

Beautiful school! Kids are so happy to go to school, they love learning. There is so much outside…read moretime, and they fit in Spanish and German from 1st grade on. The kids play music and sing all the time, they have huge smiles and seem so healthy. We love Waldorf.

As an active volunteer and parent at MWS, I was deeply invested in the school's success. However,…read moreafter witnessing faculty, staff, and board members dismiss and downplay credible concerns about child safety, ignore warnings from outside experts, and treat concerned families with open hostility, my partner and I felt compelled to disenroll our child for their safety. In our child's first year in MWS's mixed-aged kindergarten class, its pedagogy suited them well, and they thrived. We were deeply thankful for that experience. However with their second year came strict enforcement of a forced nap policy that caused noticeable emotional and behavioral struggles for them as well as multiple children who had outgrown naps. We eventually learned that this policy required all children to lie still and quiet in a dark room for up to 90 minutes a day, without alternatives for quiet play or reading in a lit space for those who could not sleep, while the teacher often left the room for the rest of the day. This had not been fully disclosed to parents previously. Seeking clarity, we consulted outside experts including a licensed child psychologist, who advised MWS that the enforced nap practice was developmentally inappropriate and potentially harmful, especially as most 5- and 6-year-olds will have outgrown naps by that age. We contacted other Waldorf schools which reacted with surprise and concern when told of MWS's nap policy. We also learned that, by contrast, WI state law requires licensed childcare centers (which MWS is not) to allow children who don't fall asleep within 30 minutes to move "off their sleeping surface and given a choice of activities in a reasonably lighted area". Despite bringing this information to the school in a good-faith and collaborative manner, our attempts to discuss this topic further were met with defensiveness and dismissal. Alarmed by the effects of subjecting children who have outgrown naps to this treatment, we voiced our worries to the school administrator and board. We were met with further dismissal and disparagement. After additional parents raised their own concerns, the board did eventually agree to an outside review -- but rejected calls to work with a licensed child psychologist in favor of hiring an "anthroposophical psychologist" instead. The school ultimately contracted a formal Waldorf teacher who lacked any training or licensure as a psychologist. During my meeting with this individual, whose role was to ostensibly serve as a neutral party and childhood development expert, they stated that while practitioners of "mainstream psychology" might be concerned with the appropriateness and safety of the current MWS naptime policy, Waldorf educators "know what's best" for their children, and that that should be sufficient to put any concerns to rest. Increasingly out-of-touch and aggressive communications from the school community followed. One individual, vying for the school's open admissions director role, urged the board and administration to expel us and another family for questioning the practices of a Waldorf teacher. Their memo also pressed for what was then an ongoing investigation into child safety concerns be quashed immediately. That individual was subsequently hired. My partner and I ultimately withdrew our child from MWS to ensure their safety and well-being, and in protest of how this and other issues across the school were handled. Subsequently connecting with other families who left MWS revealed a disturbing pattern of dismissal, denial, bullying and gaslighting -- including but not limited to concerns over naptime policy -- as well. I urge current and prospective families to be vigilant and to critically assess what type of environment they want for their child and family. Finally, it saddens me to anticipate that MWS might respond to this and other critical reviews with misinformation and personal disparagements. I encourage readers to weigh any such responses thoughtfully as they draw their own conclusions about which school is right for their family.

Review of Capitoland Children's Center/Christian School/Daycare (Westside Location)…read more My daughter experienced discrimination at this school. She has a medical condition, and didn't have a place to go for the 2025-2026 school year, so a colleague of mine suggested Capitoland, as her kids attend the after school program there. At first, the administrator, Amanda, was excited for us to give Capitoland a try. We explained everything, and also mentioned that she had a specialty doctors appointment coming up in December, so that we should be getting more answers at that time. She mentioned that they had a child a few years ago that they worked with who had the same medical condition as my daughter, and that it was awful that her previous school was "giving up" on her. When we met my daughter's kindergarten teacher, Miss Nancy, she also mentioned that her son suffered from the same medical condition as well! We felt extremely hopeful that she would be in good hands. Fast forward a few months, and things took a weird turn. Every morning for weeks, Miss Nancy would "grunt" at me when I said good morning to her. When I asked my daughter about it, she told me that the teacher was always in a bad mood and yelled at the class. I reached out to Amanda to ask if there was some sort of issue going on, and was met with "sometimes staff is just tired and it can come across differently than intended". Not long after I questioned that behavior, I received an email from Amanda stating that they wanted to sit down with us to discuss how best to help my daughter, and also go over her progress. We set up a meeting for the following week. The next day, I received a school-wide email regarding conferences to be scheduled 2 weeks out. I thought that was odd, as they wanted to meet with us the next week, and not during conferences. This raised a red flag, so I inquired as to why we weren't scheduling a meeting when everyone else was. I attempted to call the school, but no one picked up. Two days later, I received an email from Amanda stating that she would be available all day for a phone call, but I had an extremely busy day and was unable to call her. That day just so happened to be an early pick up for my daughter, as she had a doctors appointment related to her medical condition. I arrived at the school to pick her up, and ran into Amanda in the hallway. In the snottiest tone of voice I have ever heard anyone over the age of 5 use, she said "I told you to call me!" I explained that I had a very busy day, and she demanded that we step into her office, where she told me that they were "unable to help your child any further". I asked for an explanation as to why, and she refused to give me any. She told me my daughter could attend for 2 more weeks, but then we would be parting ways. Up until this point, my daughter had been making progress with her medical condition, and we were never given any indication that there was a problem. I have 2 other children as well, and they were utilizing the drop in days when their school was closed. I have since been told by Amanda that she will unenroll them all for drop in care, as "we don't do drop ins", a clear and bold-faced lie. I am completely shocked by the level of disrespect not only shown to my daughter, but also to my mom and mother-in-law, who frequently picked her up for appointments and raised their concerns with me about how Miss Nancy would be yelling at the children in the classroom when they would arrive. My mom and mother-in-law are incredible women with hearts of gold who don't dislike anyone, so the fact that they find her behavior concerning is a large red flag. I am aware that private schools can do what they want, I attended private school most of my life, so I'm no stranger to how it works. But if I can save even one child the heartache of the absolute dumpster fire that is Capitoland Christian School with this review, then I will have done my job as a parent. ***One thing I will say, is that Miss Dyvette is FABULOUS, and the only bright side of that place.

My son went here for about 15 months. Initially it started out fine. After several months and one…read moreday (when he was 7 months old) he didn't get fed all day because he "wouldn't hold his own bottle". I discussed with the director, Amanda, and since that day/time, I have been treated as less than from her. Her responses are short and callous. She treats certain families and staff in a cold, uncaring manner. Her behavior and attitude as a "director" is quite frankly, disgusting behavior. She is nice when she feels like it, and it is rare and with sarcasm at that. For a "Christian" church/daycare, values of Christianity are certainly not upheld: kindness, love respect - you can forget about all that here. There's days we walked in and can hear teachers yelling/scolding very young children, even babies, yelling "STOP" in their face when they are crying. Staffing ratios are often illegal. Paint is chipping on the walls. Blinds are broken in classrooms. Outlets not always covered. Air purifier by front entrance never plugged in. Food that is served is prepared with no gloves in the kitchen. What should be warm food is cold and the servings are ridiculously small portions. My baby always came home super hungry if I didn't bring more food in for him. Babies feet/shoes are black at the end of the day due to dirty carpets. Updates re: your child are minimal unless you ask. But if ask too many questions, you will be treated poorly from Amanda. She even calls staff "staff members" instead of their names and talks down to them in the hallways. No wonder staff turnover is so high. There's way better daycares in this area. This daycare provides the bare minimum for children. There are some teachers that went above and beyond (Iyanna, Christal, to name a couple). We are so incredibly happy to be moved on to a different daycare where we get daily updates/pics/loving staff and administration. I did attempt to switch daycares after Amanda started treating me poorly however waitlists were too long and we had a planned move date. She will also charge you what she feels like depending if she likes you or not (when we were on good terms and my son missed several days, we were charged at a prorated rate. At the end, his last week was 3 days, we were charged the full amount of "part time care" even though he had been enrolled at the full time rate the entire time). Overall, this daycare is so TOXIC and negative. For the well-being of your child, please send them elsewhere. I also never got my $10 refund from turning in my key card as stated on their handbook.

This is a beautiful childcare facility and preschool that has open gym on the weekends. In my…read moreopinion, this is the best indoor activity for toddlers and young children in the Madison area. This facility is beautifully designed. They have a large open room with a beautiful indoor playground perfect for toddlers. There are several other play areas within this large open space including an art table, puzzle area, mega blocks/duplo areas, a little grocery stand with play food and play kitchen, etc. There is a big sandbox for kids to play in. There are also lots of riding toys. There is another room with tons of toys. Another large room has fake grass and tons of fun active toys like tunnels, balance stones, balls, hula hoops, a giant size ConnectFour game, etc. The staff was diligently cleaning up as kids made messes and keeping toys organized. Highly recommend their open gym for parents of toddlers.

Regardless of whether you chose The Well for child care or not, it's a fantastic location for play…read moreon the weekends during open gym (8am-3pm). My daughter loves it there so much that I decided to book her 2 y/o Birthday party there.

My son just started out here. He's adjusted great to the place. We were worried as he was in a…read morehome-based program for a year (Careplus Fitchburg, great place too, but the hours didn't work for our schedules) and thought that he might not like the change. However in less than a week he went from apprehensive about the new place, to loving to go to school in the morning. If you ask him if he had fun at school today he'll answer something like "yes..... read books, danced, played in sandbox!!' (which is a pretty articulate response for a 22 month old). The staff is attentive/fun/well qualified and the facility is amazing (huge sandbox, lots of playgrounds, a track for wheeled vehicles, nature trails, gardens, a rubberized indoor play area for rainy days etc). They also feed the kids good healthy meals (my 22 month old ate a ton of asparagus, one of his favorite foods, the other day). I should also point out that they are a NAEYC and Youngstar 5 star facility, so no worries there.

From the owner: We provide full day, 5 days/week child care for infants through 4K. We also have an after school…read moreprogram for those in 5K through 3rd grade. Open 7:00am - 6:00pm Year Round