I am entirely confident that Callie's Childcare is one of the best around! Callie is always readily…read moreavailable, easy to talk with and makes me feel welcome. As a working professional, I need a reliable, loving, sensible provider that will ensure my daughter's safety and happiness. In Callie's Childcare, this is all in place. The positive emphasis on manners, health, and friendship is beautiful. She allows for free play time for children to discover how to play and provides structure and education. My daughter's social skills and her educational skills have blossomed while in Callie's care. She is learning manners, patience, and is helpful. At 16 months she knows how to clean up and how to put her items away. She is using art tools and enjoys songs and games. She eats a healthy, balanced diet and I love that Callie exposes her to a variety of healthy, home cooked foods. Callie also balances inside and outside play. I love that the children get fresh air and time outside to play and explore. Callie is very in tune with kids, enjoys her work and her genuine interest and enthusiasm shines through in a brilliant way. We see our daughter blossoming and thriving. She asks for "Miss Callie" and often starts her day giving her huge hugs. I know my daughter wants to be there and that she feels loved. That is so important. Callie has helped us learn routines and as a new mother she helps support my questions and concerns! My daughter comes home happy, confident and with her bright mind expanded a little more each day. As a parent I also appreciate Callie's thoughtful communication. We get a daily update on our daughter's day which includes meals, behavior, naps and activities. She shares photos and videos throughout the week which really lifts my heart up when I am away from my daughter. She is quick to communicate about monthly activities and schedules. She always responds thoughtfully to my questions and is flexible when my family is traveling or needs to make adjustments to our schedule. Without hesitation, I completely recommend Callie's Childcare. This is not just a safe place to entrust your child so you can work--it is way more than that! Callie's Childcare is positively impacting not just my daughter's life, but my life too.

Our son attended Casa de Corazon Kingfield on Nicollet for almost 1 year, starting in Infant A and…read moreending in Toddler B. I wanted so badly for Casa to work for us, unfortunately, we just never were able to make that happen. I know that this review is in stark contrast to every other review, but I'm hoping to give one perspective so that people can make a truly informed decision. The benefits are pretty clear: organic food, multicultural curriculum, Spanish language immersion, and for us, it was close to home. Here are the downsides and why we chose to move to a different childcare center: 1. The program is not only Spanish immersion for the children, but also the parents. The teachers speak little to no English which makes communicating about very basic things like how our child's day was, did he eat, how is she sleeping, etc. impossible. The directors do speak English, however, they are always running around highly stressed talking on walkie talkies and do not have time to communicate. I understood when we chose Casa that it would be Spanish immersion for our son, I didn't realize communication as a non-Spanish speaking parent would be so incredibly challenging. It's entirely possible that if we, as parents, spoke Spanish, we would have had a very different experience. 2. They take the maximum number of children to teacher ratio allowed by the state and always seem overworked and very stressed - especially the directors. Voicemails and emails went without response for days - sometimes not responded to at all until I emailed or called again. The app that they use to communicate to parents about their child throughout the day is perfunctory at best. While it gives a general overview of what the kids are doing, you will get no specific feedback on your individual child and any message you want to send to the teacher through the app goes without response. 3. The parking situation is a nuisance at best and incredibly dangerous at worst. There is only parking on Nicollet Ave with zero crosswalks to the school. Parents jaywalk, block traffic, and are ridiculously aggressive for parking spots. I was almost hit multiple times by other parents swerving into or cutting me off for parking spaces - imagine Hunger Games but with over caffeinated, under appreciated and sleep deprived caretakers to little Id driven beings - it's not pretty. 4. Lastly, the teachers are inconsistent. It's luck of the draw if you get a kind caring teacher. Our infant teachers were amazing but his morning toddler room teacher was a bit of nightmare - cold, defensive, never once said even an "hola" to me when I dropped off my son. Coincidentally, my son started screaming in the mornings on school days and would latch onto me when I brought him into his classroom shortly after he transitioned to this teacher's room. Thankfully, the other teachers later in the day seemed much more pleasant and caring. The point is, there's really no consistency in the quality of teacher you will get. They also transition in and out of classrooms frequently so the good news is that if you do not like the teacher, they will probably change. Take all of this for what it's worth. There are many reviews to the contrary, this is simply one perspective based on our experience. Hope it helps give a more 360 view of Casa.

We were very interested in considering this school for our infant son, however, they only offer…read moretours one day a week at 9:30 in the morning. When I wrote to inquire as to whether there is an option for an afternoon tour the Director responded and said "it would be unsustainable to meet every family's schedule." She acted like they were setting the bar in accommodation when all they do is offer one rigid tour time once a week on a specific day. There's very little about that, which is accommodating. The feel that was given off is you're a burden if you can't fit into their very narrow box. They gave off a bad vibe. There's too many other good places out there to settle for unaccommodating service. Plus it makes me nervous that they would apply the same style of inflexible thought, to the care of the children.

This is truly the best daycare and preschool I know. Before enrolling my child at Paidea, I toured…read moreand interviewed 17 daycares in the surrounding area. Paidea stood out immediately for so many reasons. The staff is loving, caring, and deeply hands-on with the children, creating an environment that feels warm, welcoming, and like a second home. The school is clean, safe, and stimulating, with thoughtful activities that keep children engaged, learning, and excited to come each day. The teachers are kind, supportive, and genuinely invested in every child's well-being. What makes Paidea especially special is that every staff member is involved--it feels like a true community that is nurturing, helpful, and fun, always going the extra mile to support not only the children, but the whole family. My child has truly thrived here, receiving educational, emotional, and social support, and I feel complete confidence knowing he is in the best hands. In addition, my older son attends the summer program and absolutely loves it. It offers the same strong sense of community while giving him the chance to learn so much and have a wonderful time. I wholeheartedly recommend Paidea to any family looking for a place where their children will be cared for, supported, and encouraged to flourish.

Best place ever for our child. She is loved, safe, and learning SO MUCH. Everyone here is so…read morewonderful and you can tell they LOVE THEIR JOBS! And love all the kids. We are so thankful to have found this place. Highly recommend checking them out!

My family loves Smart Start and we highly recommend them! Our two kids went there and loved the…read morestaff. They had a ton of great activities for the kids and my husband and I are really impressed with this place.

Our family has been impressed with the care and compassion exhibited by the leadership + staff at…read moreSmart Start. We love the routine, play, outdoor classroom and FUN our child has every day. We receive consistent and clear communication not only on the day to day activities for our child but also broader ongoings of the center which creates a sense of community.

We brought my son to this Daycare when he was 8 weeks old. A friend of mine had her son come here…read moreand so I figured, if they liked it we would. The staff seemed nice. Once we started it was okay. Then, I started seeing things and asking questions... Like one day I set some son down and gave him a toy from one of the closed bins, that has toys in it and there was vomit on it!!!! I was so disgusted! I found he was getting diaper rashes all the time. I asked one of the employees if they read to the kids, she said no. I was out!

From the owner: All children at Little Red Wagon will be provided with love and care from the staff. We design…read morespecific activities to promote intellectual, physical, social and emotional development of a child in a manner consistent with the child's cultural background. Our staff will help each child succeed in life with a positive attitude and the highest self-esteem possible. Each child will learn at age appropriate stages at their own pace. The children at Little Red Wagon are supervised at all times. We have a secured entrance to the center for the safety of the children. Parents are encouraged to call and/ or stop by during the day. We focus and take pride on building strong relationships with our families through face- to- face communication.