We switched our 1.5 year old here from a different daycare that we were at for a year. After a…read morelittle over a month at dogwood, I'm impressed! They exceeded all expectations, and I am realizing what childcare SHOULD be like compared to the old daycare. Dogwood excels in the following areas that I find important: Communication: The staff is prompt to communicate on all platforms, through the app, email, and phone. Food: they send out the weekly meal plan, and it's always healthy and nutritious food that my son loves. He's a 99th percentile guy, and so he eats a lot and is never hungry when I pick him up (unlike our old daycare). He probably eats better than me most days here! Staff: I can't say enough great things about the management and teachers here. From the moment we walk in, there's a smiling face at the front desk available to help with anything we need. The teachers clearly love what they do, my son loves them so much. After a year of challenging drop off and pickups with tears at the old place, it's refreshing that there hasn't been a bad handoff since the 2nd week. He even tried to go back in after picking him up he likes it so much. Facility: it's a beautiful facility and CLEAN!! Ample parking, and well thought out. Photos: I have received photos every day, to me this is important as the old daycare I was lucky to get 1 photo a month. They even put little text with it sometimes. This makes going to work and leaving my son at school a lot easier. To summarize this very long review, Dogwood is excellent and my only regret is not coming here sooner. We do drive 10 minutes further because we feel the level of care our son receives is worth it.

Our son absolutely loves Dogwood! And so do we!!!…read more Our son has been at dogwood since he was an infant. As he has progressed through the different age groups, each and every class room has been wonderful. Teachers are always willing to communicate, we have transparency into his daily activities, we get multiple photos daily of his activities, and he is learning so much. The food they serve is healthy and my son loves it. He gets breakfast and lunch each day. All home made right at the school. Their education programming is thoughtful and fun, with themed ideas each week/month that are great. They value sensory learning at a young age and keep children engaged as they get older with one on one learning each day. They also have as few plastic toys as possible, focusing on natural materials. Overall we feel like my son is in great hands each day!!!

BEWARE Parents If…read moreyou're looking for a warm, loving, and professional childcare environment--this is not the place. My daughter attended this daycare, and the experience was deeply disappointing and concerning. The staff is not only unprofessional but also lacks the basic warmth and compassion that every child deserves. Ms. Sonya, the assistant director, is especially rude, mean-spirited, and disrespectful to both children and parents. I once overheard her speaking to a crying infant at the end of the day saying, "I don't care if you're crying, ya mama is late, so I don't know what to tell ya." No attempt to comfort the baby--just coldness. That level of indifference toward a child is unacceptable. Ms. Lisa, the director, is no better. She is rarely around and completely disengaged from the day-to-day. When she is present, her professionalism is seriously lacking. There is no leadership, no accountability, and no positive tone set for the staff. Many of the caregivers appear lazy and inattentive, clearly counting on the fact that most parents aren't actively watching the cameras. It's telling that so many children walk in crying--and continue to cry even after weeks or months of attendance. This is not a safe or nurturing place for any child. Please do your research and read all reviews carefully before enrolling your child. I truly regret trusting them with mine. Courtney the owner of this business is a fraud and does not care about families and children well being! It's just a money maker for them! All they do is reply to comments - and notice it's a generic comment for everyone. They're too cheap to actually hire qualified staff!

I am the parent of one of those kids in the video. I would not recommend sending your children…read morehere. It is incredibly unsafe. They lied to me about my daughters involvement and her safety.

I'm so sad to write this review, but feel like with all the waitlists for daycares in this area…read moreit's important to share. We moved from NY last year and had LOVED our TLE in Yorktown. It was a no brained then to transition our two boys to the Tega Cay location. We were disappointed from day one. The infant room was good for the most part, attentive with food, breast milk, and diaper changes. Once in the Toddler A classroom they taught good nap habits and for the most part were great with my youngest. There were several teacher changes so after a while we received no updates from them, and saw our son no longer progressing with his speech. For our oldest, we told them he was just turning 4, but they put him in a room with 2-3 year olds. There was an immediate teacher change and the kids stopped doing any workbooks or had any control in the room. I complained and then suddenly he was moved to a room with kids advancing to Kindergarten for the following year. This was night and day and he flourished. Unfortunately the head teacher retired and they merged two classrooms into one. Almost 30 4-5 year olds with only two teachers. Again we saw these teachers overwhelmed and our oldest seemed to no longer be progressing. It boils down to poor administration. These was very poor communication from the Director who took a long time to respond to parent inquiries or emails. Teachers often complained to us about lack of support from the Director, hence the turn over. We ultimately moved our boys in less than a year to another local school and are very happy there.

This place is a mess! - teachers are inexperienced and the…read moreplace is understaffed. One teacher had the longest nails I had ever seen and the school had no policy around it! How can they handle infants? I found my kid sleeping on the dirty carpet many times. They also show iPad during diaper changes etc. - front desk is a shit show... they are always all over the place. They upload pictures once a week because of some weird photo approval policy. No other daycares I know do this. - they say that they have video and you can watch in the office but it's a sham. The video is rotating between rooms and it barely stays in your child's room for a few seconds. We pulled out our kid very fast after seeing how terribly this place was run.

Everyone has been amazing in helping our girls learn and grow. The teachers have provided…read moreindividualized plans when needed, as I'm realizing teaching isn't always a one size fits all approach. Our girls enjoy the activities there and look forward to sharing time with their peers and staff. I believe the programs are truly valuable and will prepare your child(ren) for the world ahead.

We had a wonderful experience with this after-school daycare program. The staff has always been…read morecaring, attentive, and supportive of my son. highly recommended

My experience at the Goddard School of Waxhaw has been a positive experience. I feel the teachers…read moretruly provide a loving, safe, and fun environment for their students. The Goddard School of Waxhaw undoubtedly makes their best effort to care for all children by providing them with everything they could need while in the schools care. The staff adapts to the children's individual personalities and needs daily in all classrooms. The classrooms have a curriculum style that encourages students to learn and have fun while doing so!

If I could give Zero stars, I'd happily do it, but let me delve deeper into the infuriating ordeal…read moremy grandson endured at Goddard School in Waxhaw--it was nothing short of a living nightmare. Picture this: my innocent three-year-old acting out in class for weeks on end. And what insightful solution does the school offer? Suppression clothes and a suggestion for a professional evaluation. Fair enough, we were contemplating those options. But then, out of the blue, they drop the bombshell--kicking him out on a Friday evening, no less, at the ungodly hour of 6 PM! Can you even fathom the recklessness of such a decision? It left us in an absolute frenzy, scrambling to find last-minute childcare while also threatening the stability of a newly acquired job. When I chose to confront them about their callousness and request a copy of my grandson's file, what did I get? Disrespected and dismissed, with Sherrie having the gall to slam the phone down on me! Let me make it abundantly clear: my grandson has been a part of the Goddard family since he was barely old enough to walk. And yet, after just a solitary month of behavioral struggles, they cast him aside like he means nothing! The audacity of their actions is beyond belief! I'll be honest, as the only African-American male in his class, when I suggested the importance of building his confidence and strengths to prevent him from feeling isolated, I was unfairly labeled as a racist. Despite our request for him to be moved to a more challenging environment being denied, we persisted, determined not to see him left behind. Initially, we thought the Goddard program, being a 5-star school, would be an excellent fit. But in Waxhaw, it's clear it's not suitable for everyone. The resistance we faced in advocating for our child's needs highlighted a troubling lack of inclusivity and understanding. I would not recommend this school at all it you don't want to play the popularity game and buy into these dynamics in order for you child to have equal access to opportunities for advancement DO NOT ENROLL YOUR CHILD at this school.

Thank you to Fort Mill Cooperative Preschool and all of the staff for inviting us to the zoo field…read moretrip! It was such a special first experience for my little one. The trip itself was quite a distance, which made it even more meaningful that everything was so well organized and thoughtfully planned. It was a wonderful way to connect with the staff and some of the families. One of the most meaningful parts of the experience was seeing the parent involvement in action. While it was the parents leading and supporting the group, Ms. Skyler's natural connection with the children, her energy, and her presence stood out. It was truly special to witness the level of trust and bond between the staff, and children. There is even a mini farm and a few gardens at the school. What makes Fort Mill Cooperative Preschool unique is how they encourage and create space for that involvement. Through field trips, events, and holiday celebrations, they build a strong, connected environment for both children and families. We especially love Ms. Emmy and Ms. Skyler. The owner, director and the Fort Mill Co-op family-staff have truly changed school for my son. A huge thank you to Ms. Szilvia Fillmore, the on-site Clinical Art Counselor, who is also affiliated with Thrive Family Services. Through her support and collaboration with the staff, my son has grown in his ability to identify and communicate his needs and emotions. This was very valuable! The tools and materials she brings into the classroom were something we didn't even realize we were missing at previous schools. This is truly an incredible school, with strong values and a genuine commitment to each child's growth and development. We are so grateful for your thoughtful and engaging approach to learning.

**Note my issues didn't start right away. They asked for these Yelp reviews in place of money for…read moresupplies. My issues were my last few months** As I look back and question my choices to leave my kids here makes me sad. I loved a select few teachers, my girls were lucky to have them. If they had any other teachers I would have pulled them out way before I did. This is not a place that I would tell another parent to bring their kids. My daughter was picked on and picked on by one child in particular. I complained, nothing. I complained, they moved classes. That day my daughter told me he was still picking on her, they were allowed to play on the playground together? C'mon, really? I would think of another child is hitting and spitting on my daughter they would take it more seriously. I questioned them about this boy, the response was his mom was going through a hard time and she wasnt surprised he was being bad. She tried to justify it to my face. Don't get me wrong, I get hard times. The fact that the people i paid way too much money too didn't care, pisses me off. I spent way too much money here for less then mediocre child care.

Lindsey gave a phenomenal tour! It's clear she genuinely cares about each and every child at the…read moredaycare. She took her time answering all of my questions thoroughly and made me feel confident and comfortable throughout the visit.

Absolutely love this place the employees are always friendly and loving towards my son. They've…read morebeen reliable even through the pandemic. They have an education plan to prep them for school. So your child will go into school ahead.

Disregard all the reviews that are complaining at the director, she's not working with this academy…read moreanymore. The management that currently is here is wonderful. My daughter is been attending this school for the last half of the year and we are extremely happy. This place hire real teachers, licensed, that have proper education and experience. The teacher that we have is extremely talented and devoted, we love her. She constantly brings new lessons, shares her curriculum and plans. My daughter has eczema and dietary restrictions so I bring my own food. My daughter had never been exposed to anything else they watch it closely and very carefully. The school is clean, fresh and modern, uses secure video cameras so you can always see what's going on with your kid. Kids go outside twice a day and spend a lot of time on the playground. Playground is really nice too, not just to show but a real playground where kids really have what to do. Couldn't be happier!

TLDR: Do NOT send your child here, especially if they have allergies! Many awful teachers,…read morecomplacent and rude administration. Our experience at Kiddie Academy has been nothing short of a nightmare. My son has allergies, which was not any trouble to manage at our prior facility and is not any issue at his current facility. KA gave him foods he was allergic to on multiple occasions. On at least two of these occasions, Trisha (accurately portrayed in a few of these other negative reviews) tried to mom-shame me for how I handled the incidents instead of focusing on how egregiously they messed up. After the 4th allergen exposure (that I know of, it was confirmed he regularly was given a salad dressing that contained an allergen though), I reported them to the state. They were supposed to come up with a better communication plan from the kitchen to the teachers about what my child couldn't eat. A few weeks later I found out from my son's new teacher that she had "no idea" what he is allergic to, and that the way she finds out he can't have something is from his prior room's teacher yelling across the hall "don't give that to him!" when the kitchen brings something he's not allowed to have. Absolutely terrifying. You might ask why I didn't just send his food myself. Two of his exposures were when I sent his food! I watched his teachers withhold his food, giving him about 5 minutes to eat at the end of lunch, and blatantly ignore his stealing food off the other babies' plates (he was about a year old for this). At one point they gave him a special treat that was brought in by another kid without clearing it with me first. When I raised concerns about their behavior, he came home the next day with feces encrusted on his tiny little rear-end. Not even a dirty diaper, they just intentionally did not wipe him well and left it. On that note, he came home another time with feces up his back and through his onesie, no explanation given. I hope none of his classmates got pink eye from that one. The teachers in his first room were constantly on their phones, never engaging with the babies. I never saw so much as a book being read to them; they were left on their own to play with no interaction from a caring adult. My baby had very dry skin/eczema and I'd sent in lotion to be used when needed. His teacher quite happily told me that they never put it on him unless I specifically call to ask. It's almost like she was overjoyed at her own stupidity. This is a child who's face was often bleeding it was so in need of lotion, but I guess you can't see that when you're on your phone all day. Overall the administration wants to keep parents out of the building as much as possible. They continue cov1d-era policies where you must drop off and pick up at the front entrance unless you have a reason to go back and talk to your child's teacher. As a result, there is absolutely no sense of community (also they briefly lost a child from this policy, as noted in the state incident reports, yet they continue to cling to their process). I've talked to many other parents that don't even know all of their younger child's teachers' names and wouldn't be able to recognize them on the street. Many teachers are blatantly rude and disrespectful to parents when you do talk to them, and the administration's response is "they're a little gruff". What's tolerated is encouraged - if you cared about the interaction between parents and teachers you wouldn't allow your teachers to act like that. It's unfortunate that the majority of the younger rooms are such an abomination because there are some teachers that are GEMS in the older classes. We had a great experience with my oldest son, who was only there a year before entering kindergarten. However it was so strongly outweighed by the horrors of my baby's experience that I could never recommend this place, not even to my worst enemy.