SWPCC is a wonderful context for preschoolers and their families. The coop format builds a…read morewonderful community surrounding children with many trusted adults. In the young toddler room (age 1-2) we love the 3 days/week schedule plus the ability to buy or trade days in a flexible manner as necessary!

Today was our first day at a new school. I took a long sigh of relief, I had not realized was…read morebadly over due. We left Southwest Parent-Child Collective this last year. Our feelings, mixed at best. We had many hopes and a great introduction to the school via visits both at the school with fellow parent's, and with our child's teacher. We were excited about the coop's nurturing environment, and cohesive community. While we believe our child's teacher was everything we could hope for and more, the parent environment was not okay. Not at all. In the coop, everyone has a role/job. I was nervous but excited about my role within the school it's community. The job, and the school ended up being a place, where I did not feel comfortable. The key role authority the "Co-Chair" never liked my ideas. The energy i put into ideas, and planning, was shot down, by this woman in charge. She seemed to go out of her way to be "helpful" in doing this. We had signed up for a "coop". Instead we got one person making rules, with no regard for others. The new $5 a minute punitive late fee - BAD news, but the way in which this "Co-Chair" put down another admirable member, behind her back to me, that was it. We were sad to leave the good of the school behind. The environment had become for us, the opposite of what was pitched to us. It seemed one bad apple, but then no one, including the other board members or teachers did anything to change the situation. Maybe we had the wrong idea of the school. I would not recommend Southwest Parent-Child Collective.

OCP is an incredibly warm and welcoming learning environment. Everything Erin and Diane do--whether…read moreit's the daily journal log or baking a snack or gently teaching my son how to write his name--is done with so much thought and care. My son is both able to access curriculum at his own pace and prompted with a safe and appropriate level of challenge, the perfect balance for him to learn and grow safely.

We have nothing but wonderful things to say about Overlook Collaborative. Our 5 and 3 year olds…read moreattend and look forward to their days. The communication from Erin, Diane, and Darin is transparent, consistent, and clear. We receive daily newsletters with pictures from the day, the kids love reading them with us and sharing about their day. I so appreciate their empathy, patience, and creativity.

I wouldn't say we are picky parents, but the saying "third time's a charm" fits for us. After…read moretrying two other childcare options, we found Childroots and we couldn't be happier. Their philosophy of child led learning and socializing is a perfect fit for our child. The director and teachers are always available and are in regular communications with us about how we can best help our kid overcome problems, enhance his learning, and work through some of this big childhood emotions. We know our kid is growing fast, and when we can't be there, we are so glad that Childroots can be. They are not only helping our now 5 year old build skills for life, they are helping us be better parents.

We adore Child Roots! Our oldest son attended from age three until he went to kindergarten and now…read moreour youngest son is there. The teachers are caring, creative and kind. We were skeptical about the cuisine as we didn't think our boys would like it, but they have become adventurous eaters because fo the wide variety to foods offered. We're so happy to be a Child Roots family.

Our family cannot in good conscience recommend this school to anyone, regardless of how nice the…read morehome setting or education methods might be. Your kids would be fine here. But for the cost, there are much better options in Portland! We had a terrible experience with this preschool. This business is run by someone who lacks professional ethics to an extreme we've never before encountered. Long story short, Angela Molloy Murphy has no problem using a contract to screw a family out of thousands of dollars, and will refuse to even discuss the possibility of working out a mutually agreeable solution to a problem. If you do decide to go with this school--be warned. Please do not pre-pay any amount more than necessary, and do not trust Angela Molloy Murphy to follow basic codes of decency or fairness in any business interaction! Protect yourself.

Rowanberry School, and Angela Malloy Murphy, were one of the best aspects of my daughters'…read morechildhoods. I should say "are" because we are still close with Angela, her family, and the other families who attended the school. My oldest daughter was welcomed into the school at age 3 and she spent the next three years growing, exploring, challenging and thriving. My second daughter was a part of the community from the day she was born and while she's a very different child from her sister she found the same nurturing educational environment. One of the things I most admire about Angela is her ongoing enthusiasm of early childhood education and the fact that she is always evolving her school based on new information and what are the needs of the children in the classroom at that moment. I went from a somewhat nervous new preschool mom, asking a million questions all the time, to knowing that whatever was going on in Angela's classroom was fun, exciting, and appropriate for the kids. I see that Cedar L, below, questions Angela's ethics; I find this laughable. Angela is one of the most generous, honest and straightforward people I know. In the course of our nine-year relationship I think we've had to have a few conversations where something had to be worked out, as is to be expected when you're doing business with someone, and that's what a preschool is--a business, after all. I don't even remember exactly what those things were due to Angela's they lovely way working through small conflicts and preserving great relationships.

Stumptown Kids is more than just a pre-school. Jenn and her staff go out of their way to create a…read morewelcoming and nurturing environment that keeps kids engaged, models kindness and self-reliance, and welcomes parents to be part of their child's "school life". Every day that I went there, it was a place of peace and kindness where kids are encouraged to grow in their own ways. The instructors were always responsive to questions and after-hours emails and stayed engaged with where our son was in his development. Since the class size is kept small, all of the kids know each other and their parents mostly know each other, leading to a real "family" atmosphere in the school. In addition, I was really pleased by the way they took any special needs in stride. My son with hearing loss (wore hearing aids) went here for two years. Jenn and her crew made sure that his needs were being met every day and never once made him (or us) feel like the "odd-man-out". They even changed the main room of the preschool to make it more sound-absorbing, so our son wouldn't be so overwhelmed with noise. When we needed to schedule speech therapists to come to the school for him it was never an issue. I would highly recommend Stumptown Kids to anyone considering sending their child there. It's run by real people who genuinely care about your kids and want to see them succeed. I was really sad to have to move on from here when it was time.

With both my daughters attending Stumptown Kids Preschool it has been our family's home away from…read morehome and I couldn't imagine my children spending their days anywhere else. Stumptown Kids is a play-based and child-centered preschool, which means the school values child development and listens to the what the individual children are communicating. My children have been able to explore and learn about the world around them in a safe and loving environment. I appreciate how the staff teaches the children how to take care of themselves both emotionally and physically. My second grader still eats her protein first from her school lunch, which is just one example of how she learned to take care of her body. What I have cherished the most is the sense of community that Stumptown Kids have instilled in my children. The school does this on a personal level by providing the tools for the children to support each other; and on the local level the school does this by taking neighborhood walks and regular visits to a nearby senior living community. The school itself is a beautiful space. Jennifer Loring, the owner, has taken great care to design a school that feels both welcoming and fun.

I contacted Happy Hollow Children's Center by phone, email, and contact form asking for more…read moreinformation about their program and to schedule a tour (virtual or F2F) over the course of a month with time between each of my touch points. The last attempt was when I sent an email to Jessica and Tara, the co-owners and directors, but have yet to be contacted. The school program and philosophy seem to be well thought out and very engaging, but I hate to imagine my child attending a program where it was impossible to reach the director, owner, or anyone on site.

Happy Hollow is great. We're are endlessly grateful to have our son in the program. He is starting…read morehis second year soon. The teachers have been wonderful! Proud to be part of the Happy Hollow community.

child care the way it should be done. Each child is treated with respect. teachers are valued, and…read moretreated great. would recommend this program to families and for teachers as a great place to work/ have your child cared for.

Sweet Day School has been everything I wanted and needed in childcare. My son has been at the SE…read morelocation five days a week for over two years, and I have nothing but love and gratitude for this sweet little school, the knowledgeable teachers, and the friends we've made. I have experience with other quality Portland childcare centers and with nannies, but Sweet Day School has been the best. My son loves imagination yoga, and always wants to stay a little longer when I arrive to pick him up. I have complete trust in the teachers to care for him, let's be honest, even better than I probably would. The school's and teachers' obvious respect for children and commitment to the environment and community is evident in everything they do. This is a terrific gem of a school!

A wonderful, small, play-based preschool. Our four-year-old son has attended for over a year, and…read morethis was his first experience of childcare after two years of at-home pandemic life. Nadine was very understanding and communicative during the first weeks as our kiddo adjusted to being away from home for the first time, and now he loves going and playing with his friends. I love that the philosophy is play-based rather than overly structured at this young age, and yet our kid still comes home with lots to share about what he learned from songs and activities, including surprising us with counting in French. So many fun craft projects come home with him, and the teachers add new toys based on the kids' interests. They encourage kindness and cooperation in play, which is evident when my kid has a playdate and I hardly have to intervene, because he and his friends already know how to get along beautifully. All good things to say!

We are so grateful to have found Nadine, and Green Tulip Preschool. Her philosophy is in line with…read moreour family's, which was extremely important for me when looking for a school. I have my MEd and have taught preschool, so I am really picky! I also love that she uses all organic food. She is so knowledgeable, kind, and so energetic with the kids. My daughter loves her, and the space!