I am combining my review so review/updates are all in one post. -10/19/2021: Today was my 2 year old daughter's 1st day at Dee's. I transparently informed Dee(the owner) about my daughter's developmental and verbal delays (she is Autistic). Dee assured me she had worked with children with delays in the past. At home we'd been working with an SLP & OT, who thought my daughter would benefit from exposure to her peers, as she hadn't been around other kids due to COVID. -When I dropped her off she was so happy! Dee wasn't there, her husband was. What he relayed about what I said/did or didn't say/do is beyond my control. I did remove my daughter from the 18 in tall table she hopped on. Less than 3 hours later, Dee text me asking if there was another way to communicate that climbing on the table was not okay. I called our occupational therapist we've been working with to see if she had suggestions. While on the phone, Dee text again telling me my daughter was no longer welcome at her facility because she crawled out of the pack and play provided for children still in cribs. I believe Ike cribs would be more suitable/safer for a childcare facility w/ 12 kids under 4 and a staff of 3-4. When I told our OT about the text I received, she remarked, 'A childcare professional should know it takes more than 3 hours for a child to adapt to new routines & expectations. It takes about 2 weeks! You need to get her out of that place!'" -Climbing is a superpower for development! It's a critical activity as climbing helps in developing gross motor skills, coordination, and balance. For toddlers, activities like climbing small structures or soft play areas are ideal. -I picked her up three hours after I had dropped her off. My daughter's shoes were on the doormat, and her bag was at the door. Dee said, "She is so busy, woof." I said nothing and gathered my daughter and her stuff. Dee said, "she just climbed right out of that playpen." I left without a word, irate that a "professional" was shaming my toddler for....being a toddler. -Later in a text, Dee explained that she did not have enough staff (her two daughters and her husband) for "one child could never be looked away from..." THREE HOURS. Dee has ZERO formal early childhood education, which might help her understand that a 2-year-old who has never been in a social situation/daycare because of a pandemic is unlikely to adapt to new social norms/rules immediately. Had she given my daughter a few days, she would have been able to follow the routine and expectations. -Dee Hubert kicked my autistic 2 year old out of her facility for doing activities that are normal and healthy for a 2 year old. I do NOT recommend this facility. I thought the hefty price tag (which is more than a private daycare in DuPont) was worth it because of the smaller size and play-based structure. My daughter doesn't bite, pinch, hit, kick or push and was likely busy because she was excited about all of the new stimuli. -Ms. Hubert had to post her response to my review of her business twice because her first response used my 2-year-old's full name, which is against the law. As a state-licensed child care facility owner, Ms. Hubert knows what COPPA laws are. She blatantly broke child internet safety laws. I asked Ms. Hubert via voicemail and text to take my minor child's name off the Internet. She ignored me, so I reported it to Yelp, who removed her response immediately. ****The most heartbreaking part of all of this is that in retaliation to my 1-star review, Ms. Hubert reported me to Child Protection Services (CPS) for abuse and neglect. She only reported me, not my husband, which indicates that Ms. Hubert reported me not out of legitimate concern but with lies that I could prove were untrue and would have won a lawsuit for Defamation. I was able to provide CPS with all correspondence between Ms. Hubert and myself, which proved that Ms. Hubert filed a deceitful, malicious, fraudulent report. This made me so angry because I had poured all my mental, emotional, and physical energy into my daughter and her delays. I was livid that Dee intentionally tied up CPS's time from children who legitimately needed their help. Dee knew what she was doing, and what we would have to go through. My oldest daughter sobbed begging me not to let them take her away from them. Dee knew that I would stay in the CPS system for 6 years. 12/4/21: Our caseworker called and told me that they had found no evidence of abuse or neglect. She said that her and her supervisor knew it was a fraudulent report the moment they received it, but by law they had to do an investigation. Then she asked me to be a Court Appointed Child Advocate. She had seen my integrity and selflessness and said they needed people like me. read more

We had such a great 6 months at Dee's Busy Bees! Dee, Haley, and her team are warm, caring, and made our daughter feel so safe and happy every day. The activities were fun and helped her grow, and she was honestly sad to move on. We only switched because we found a preschool closer to home in University Place, otherwise we would've stayed longer. Highly recommend! read more

You will not find a more magical and special daycare. I've been taking my children there for over a year. As soon as I walked in, I knew they really care about their kids. Every holiday (not just Christmas), they pull out all the stops to decorate their yard with lights and inflatable characters. The first time I saw it, I was moved to tears that they would make such an effort for our kids. My son has learned so many good habits like being kind to others, putting away his toys, washing his hands. He's 2 and he's more organized than me! He even sings a little clean up song. We really think of the staff as family. My son and daughter feel safe there. They go outside everyday in weather appropriate play clothes provided by the daycare and come home smelling clean with little art projects in hand. I interviewed a lot of daycares before finding this one. This place is so special. read more

Dee's Busy Bee's - Some of the art projects made at Dee's Busy Bees - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

My wife and I, like many parents, are extremely cautious to all the social influences we want around our girls, and it is comforting to know at Dee's, wild children will be kindly turned away to preserve the safety and solace of others enrolled! We know our two girls (1 yr and 3 yrs old) are safe and in good hands. Dee's home is always warm, clean, and peaceful. My wife and I are blessed and thankful to be a part of what Dee has created in her home. In three years, we have never seen Dee, or her staff overwhelmed, always professional. As an early learning educator, myself, I am experienced to how some parents permit their children to be uncivilized, they will drop them off at daycare or school expecting teachers and care providers to tame, teach and cope with them. Those are the parents Dee does not maintain, and I thank her profoundly for that! We are comforted to know that our girls are being reframed from being subjected to negative behaviors, and I am grateful to have a daycare that stand by their credentials and maintains their standards. read more

I can not say enough about Dee's Busy Bee. This is an amazing child care . They not only provide loving care for children they also keep them engaged in activities read more

Dee runs an outstanding care center! Our son was here for three years, and he loved it. An intimate, large, engaging at home setting. Great providers. Highly recommend. **I wanted to take a moment to update my review**. I saw a very unprofessional review posted below, which is a clear defamation of character of Ms. Deanna's wonderful personality and daycare. My experience over many years was that Ms. D cares so deeply for her children. I stand behind my words. I would recommend to all be wary of someone who only had a short experience and talks so badly about Ms. D without telling the whole story. Ms. D - you're awesome! read more

Miss Dee is absolutely wonderful. We switched our daughter from her first daycare to Miss Dee's once a spot became available off of the waitlist in 2020. I knew it was the right decision when comparing photos of our daughter from her first daycare (where she looked like a deer in headlights), to photos of our daughter Miss Dee would send to us (always smiling and happy). Our daughter always looked forward going to Miss Dee's house, always came home with fun crafts and lots of positive things to say about the day. I loved how much time they would spend outside playing or doing fun things like gardening. Miss Dee's space feels very magical. There are a ton of toys and activities for the kids and I also liked how small it was. It wasn't chaotic or overstimulating like so many other facilities I toured. Our daughter also learned so many manners and loved being able to "help" take care of some of the younger kids. I know they keep the place clean, too, because our daughter hardly got sick. She attended Miss Dee's for over a year and is now home with me while I'm on maternity leave. If I end up returning to work, we'll send our second child to Miss Dee's house as well. read more

Dee's Busy Bee's - Our daughter playing outside - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Amazing!! That is the word to describe Dee's Busy Bees! We took a tour in November of 2020 and being a new mom I wanted cameras to see what was going on and as much as that place felt like home I went against my gut and enrolled her somewhere else. Unfortunately the other place was horrible and such a bad environment for my almost 2 year old. She cried daily and rufsed to go inside without kicking and screaming. I messaged Dee after about a month of this and she said she had a spot opening up for our daughter. We jumped on it right away. The second day my daughter didn't cry going to school.. she was so excited and absolutely enjoyed being there. She came home with crafts that they did and it made this momma very very happy. Dee's changed my daughter for the better. Her mind was being used and she had so many friends she loved. Dee always communicated with any changes or issues that were happening. Those were mainly my daughter having a blowout or something. Her home felt like family not a daycare center. We miss it there daily and would of kept my daughter in there until she was of school age if we didn't move to the East side of the mountains. My 2 year old still talks about her friends she had there. Thank you for being an amazing place for my daughter !!!! read more

Taking our first baby to daycare during the middle of a pandemic was very stressful idea, but this place quickly made us feel like we made the best decision possible. It feels just like home for us and our daughter. It's clean, organized, safe, fun, and we love knowing she is in such good hands. read more

My daughter was in her care for few months.They are the most wonderful family I have ever met. My daughter loved going there . Unfortunately we had to leave because my daughter have some speech delay but if it wasn't because of that she would have still be a part of this great family. I do recommend Dee's Busy Bee's to anyone. Overall it is a great facility to put your kids in. read more

Dees busy bees was a blessing when we were searching for infant care. They are professional, kind, caring, communicate well, have a very clean and well-run environment. The other children always seemed so happy when I dropped my son off. I would definitely recommend them. read more

This is the daycare I wish I had found when my son was born. We went through two centers before we found Dee's Busy Bee's. My son went here from age 2 to 5. Their home daycare is welcoming, clean, organized, comfortable, structured, and oh so cute! Their recent remodel showcases how much heart these wonderful people put into the children they care for in their home. I would wholeheartedly recommend this daycare to all of my friends and family. If we are someday blessed with another baby I will immediately giving Dee a call to be put on her waitlist. read more

This daycare is great! Dee runs the daycare in her own home along with her husband Steve (I think that's his name.) There is a separate part of her house where it is meant for just the kids. My son had ZERO social skills & was very difficult to talk to when he first started attending this daycare, but Dee & her husband worked hard with him & I have seen a great improvement with my son. I cannot express how much this daycare really is worth the money. She can work with your schedule & your needs. Dee & Steve are GREAT child care providers. They love what they do & have the best patience. read more

I can not say enough good things about Ms Dees and her family. They are amazing! I was so scared to put my son in another daycare after many bad experiences but I was so glad I found her. She showed him so much love and so did her family. My son would come home everyday talking about how much fun he had. We were super sad when he sstarted school last year and we had to leave. But we still go by just to visit. They feel like family now! If we ever decide we need a night away she will always be our 1st choice to care of our kids. If you want a place where your child will be loved and treated like their own then this is the place. If she has an opening jump on it. You won't find a better place then Dees Busy Bees! read more

Dee's Busy Bees child care and day care is amazing. They were very helpful and I am thankful to have met them. Dee is very organized she will take great care of your child. read more