We've had a wonderful experience with Cradlerock Children's Center (CCC)! Both of my children have attended CCC, and our youngest is currently enrolled. From the start, it has been clear that this is a special place where children are nurtured, supported, and encouraged to thrive. This center is non-profit (the only non-profit early childcare center in the county), so you know that they are not just after your money, they really care about your children and their education. Tuition increases, when they happen have been extremely low. I was on the waitlist for almost 2 years (due to extremely low family turnover) for one of my children which speaks to the fact that they are offering a unique, well sought after program. One of my favorite things about CCC is the delicious and nutritious meals that are served every day and included in the price of tuition. And the best part is that its FARM to Table. No other preschool is offering that in the area. My kids are extremely picky eaters, but they eat all of the food served and this has helped me expand their palette and incorporate more nutritious meals at home. As a busy mom, having these meals takes one more thing off my plate for the week. The staff at Cradlerock is great and the center has really low turnover. There are teachers that have been there over 10+ years. My children have loved their teachers, and the staff consistency has made a huge difference in their comfort and development. The teachers are warm, welcoming, and really care about each child's growth academically, socially and emotionally. Ms. Amanda, the center's director does a fantastic job of balancing cost and budget but making sure there is delivery on effective high value programming and events. The admin and staff do a great job with communicating with brightwheel messages and newsletters to keep parents informed. She has also been leading the expansion efforts of Cradlerock Children's center's move to a new building which will happen in Summer of 2026 and CCC will be able to spread their goodness to even more families as they will be able to accommodate more families in a larger facility! The emphasis on social-emotional learning is one of the things I appreciate most. My kids learned how to manage emotions, interact kindly with peers, and problem-solve in real situations. Because of this thoughtful approach, both of my boys have made great friends and looked forward to school every single day. Another huge advantage for working parents is that Cradlerock is open on most calendar days, unlike many other schools that follow school system calendars, or have an insane amount of days off, the calendar at CCC is really great for working parents that need to go into the office everyday. Most importantly, the tuition cost is lower than many comparable programs, yet the quality of care, education, and overall experience is outstanding. We've always felt like we're getting great value for a top-tier early childhood program. I can't recommend Cradlerock Children's Center enough. If you are thinking of coming here, do it! It will be the best decision you've ever made! read more

Cradlerock has been an amazing experience for my children. We are going on our 3rd year and second child and my only regret is I didn't discover them sooner. My oldest thrived in both academics and social emotional learning. The teachers and administrators are incredibly knowledgeable and approach early learning in exciting ways! Don't get me started on the food and enrichment! The quality of the meals is unparalleled and my son loved growing food in their garden that he would then eat for lunch or breakfast. They have powerful enrichment classes such as STEAM and Fitness unlike anything I have ever seen in a preschool. Cradlerock Children's Center exceeds every expectations I have for preschool education (and I have very high ones ). read more

My son has been attending this place since for 5 months now. I like the daily student report that includes the activities for the day, photos and sometimes videos. The teachers are professionals and caring, which becomes evident just from talking to them for a few minutes. You can read their bios on the daycare's website. I had a special request that my son not sleep at the day care center and the teachers made special effort to keep my son awake. I am grateful for this help. Also, the variety of activities the children did was varied like the colors of rainbow- yoga, Spanish, outdoor activities, etc. read more

Excellent childcare in the Owen Brown village of Columbia; the staff are highly skilled and trained, many of them possessing at least a Bachelor's degree, and the environment is exactly where you feel safe and secure leaving your children for care. The facility is newly renovated, each classroom large enough for its pupils, the upstairs portion is also used for activities like yoga and exercise (they really do bring in local instructors to teach the kids) and indoor recess when outdoors is not ideal. The staff takes their classrooms for walks throughout the trails in the area; even the babies are taken out for nature walks to get fresh air. CCC uses TadPoles, an app to keep up w your child's day - offers photos of the kids in action, and a full report of what your child had for breakfast and lunch *(yes, healthy meals and snacks are provided!), and even how behavior was that day. There are events like Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Dinner, Grandparents Day, and field trips that allow for families to interact and really become a community. I really do love it here and will be sad when it's time to move on to Kindergarten later this year. read more

We have had both daughters enrolled at different times at CCC and both experiences have been above and beyond great. CCC has provided great pre-k education and care. They take time to cover the basics (intro to reading/writing/math) while providing a lot of enrichment activities from cooking to science and outdoors in a very clean well maintained kid friendly facility. They also provide events for parents and our kids have never complained about the included food! During the start of covid the teachers also quickly jumped into online sessions providing dance parties and reading while facilities were closed. As they reopened, we have always felt our kids are safe given the cleaning and precautions they take. read more

Cradlerock Children's Center - Ten Frames in PreK! - Preschools Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The lesson plans are developmentally appropriate and teach a wide variety of topics and skills. My son is taught with a loving firmness and is being coached to excel in school and in life. His teacher helps him name, manage, and ultimately own his feelings. My son is respected and taught to respect others. read more

My son was here for 2 years(2016-2018) and we will have stayed longer but we moved from the area. I have been unable to find a facility with matching standards. Communication with management and teachers is superb. The care provided to the kids is exceptional. They recognize that every child is different in skill and talent and encourage individuality. read more

Both my daughters have moved up from newborn through pre-k at Cradlerock. I wouldn't go anywhere else. The teachers are caring and very well qualified. Everyone at the center knows each child individually and caters their lesson plans to the children specifically. Cradlerock offers all the standard curriculum plus Spanish, yoga, special outings to the library, pumpkin patch, etc.... Yes, it's one of the more expensive daycares. But it's worth it. And in my opinion better than others in its class. I highly recommend new parents check it out. read more

This daycare seemed to be going through too many changes. My son was there for 6 months and in that time approximately 7 teachers and a director left the organization. I heard from teachers that the administration did not treat their staff well and that was the reason for such high turnover. The one saving grace was my son's teacher who seemed very involved and communicative -unfortunately she resigned along with about 4 other teachers around the time we withdrew our son. This could be a good place but has some way to go before it is. read more

Cradlerock Children's Center is much more than a daycare or preschool; it is a wonderful, diverse and inclusive community. The Center Director and her team go out of their way to welcome children and their families and foster a supportive and nurturing environment. From a fun back-to-school block party to a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration, the school offers parents and families plenty of opportunities to get involved. Communication between teachers and parents is great. Every day parents get photos and a summary of the class activities. Teachers are very proactive and will contact parents if anything needs immediate attention. In addition, teachers and directors are available to listen and address any concerns that may arise. Lesson plans are carefully developed and age-appropriate and the teachers are excellent at what they do, providing the students with the skills (social, emotional and academic) they need to enter kindergarten. Overall, an extremely positive experience. We will miss the amazing CCC community! read more

At the Cradlerock Children's Center, my two children were nurtured, loved, and encouraged to soar! They are now thriving in their elementary schools. I especially valued the professional, skillful care of the classroom teachers. read more

Cradlerock Children's Center is a wonderful daycare and preschool. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that supports the local community. It offers financial scholarships and has a family-friendly atmosphere. I really love the size of this daycare - it is not too big, so you really have a chance to meet all the staff, and always see a familiar face. I also love that breakfast, lunch and snack are provided. My kids have learned so much from attending here, though a play-based curriculum. read more