I have returned to working for ChildRoots for the last two years. Since my return, I have had a…read morewonderful experience. I started back again as a Teacher then moved into the role of Specialist. Management has the best interests of the teachers in mind and strives to improve working experience daily. The main reason I have decided to work with ChildRoots is a) the management and b) the philosophy. I truly believe that children learn best through hands-on experience and exploration of their own interests. Many of the staff are some of the best people I have ever worked with (shout out to the amazing, dedicated team). I will shortly be leaving to continue my education, but I would stay if I could continue working with these amazing teachers and admin. As they say, "You don't quit a place. You quit your boss," and that's why I have returned and have dedicated myself to continue working with ChildRoots until I return to school.

Admin tell you to text them when you need help and then you do and you get in trouble. They play…read morefavorites with teachers, they never give you support no matter how much you ask. When you do ask for support they make you feel like you're in the wrong. Admin has gone through so many changes and the actual owner/boss isn't even there ever. She "works from home" but does absolutely nothing and has no interaction with employees whatsoeve. they don't even have a reliable hr person. The HR person isn't on site and when you text or email them it takes days for them to answer and then when you fill out your ins information with your address they mess it up and put the centers address as your home address and you cant fix it without having them completely redo the application. The Hr Person is basically non existent in the company. They used to have Greta benefits but have recently started taking them away so workers had to form a union but since no bargaining session has happened yet they are still treating employees very badly.

From the moment we walked in here, we've had an amazing experience. The teachers are kind,…read moreorganized, warm, knowledgeable, skilled. They know how to encourage and how to support and how to motivate. The kids all enjoy each other's company, work out their problems on their own, know how and when to be polite. All the adults are creative, warm, nurturing. My kiddo is not yet six, is reading short sentences, asking for extra math for fun, and is a motivated, happy problem solver. We came here after a disastrous first year at a nearby Montessori chain (that has since closed), so the difference is especially visible to us. At the place we left, they had all the Montessori trinkets, but a revolving door of staff, most of whom were clearly not trained in the method or the materials. She did not learn much that year -- but has grown by leaps and bounds here. And the parental community is an awesome bonus, as well.

Without a doubt, this was the best decision for our daughter. We are so fortunate to have been…read moreassigned guides Lydia and Lindsey. They are truly a dream (come true) team and my daughter adores them. She comes home and shows off all the new skills she's learning. She is asking "who, what, where, when, and why" questions during our reading time. It's exactly what we wanted for her - a positive learning experience with two incredible instructors. Bonus: we adore the parents and other kids in her class. We are our own little community.

Madeline runs such an amazing program and we are so blessed to have her teaching our son. We…read morestarted at Wildflower in April after having a truly awful experience at another preschool where I felt like my kid was not loved or treated with respect and compassion. Madeline is such an amazing teacher and I can't imagine anyone better suited to teaching this age group than her. She's the epitome of a fun, calm, silly, and compassionate teacher who loves the kids in her care fiercely and helps them explore and blossom in her care. My son has his confidence back and actually wants to go to school every day. At our prior school he complained about going every day and came home so defeated. He is truly thriving with Madeline and her program and we feel so lucky to be here. Aside from how amazing Madeline is as a teacher, the outdoor area is amazing, the inside is cozy, and the program is a perfect balance of structure and individual play. My son comes home singing new songs and talking about fun games they played every day. And the sense of community is so amazing and something I didn't know I was missing. I can't recommend Madeline enough!

Our son has been attending Wildflower Outdoor Learning Center for the past 7 months, and the…read moretransformation we've seen in him has been wonderful. His social and physical skills have really blossomed. This school is truly a hidden gem--a nurturing, inspiring environment where children are encouraged to grow, explore, and to be themselves. From day one, we were welcomed into the Wildflower community with warmth and open arms. The entire philosophy of the school, rooted in nature-based learning aligned with what we were looking for. It's been amazing to watch our son thrive in an environment where curiosity is celebrated, and the outdoors is the main classroom. We cannot say enough wonderful things about Teacher Madeline, Teacher Meg and Teacher Raina. Madeline is a remarkable educator--kind, patient, and deeply passionate about what she does. Her ability to connect with each child and support them on their individual journey is a gift. Our son absolutely adores all the teachers, and we can see the confidence, independence, and joy in learning that they have helped foster in him. We feel so grateful to have found this incredible space for our son to learn and grow!

My son has been sending this school for about a month and it has been a very positive experience…read moreoverall. The staff is absolutely wonderful and the school itself is clean and well organized. Communication is beyond excellent! I feel very informed as a parent, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved if you feel compelled. I've never felt pressured in any way. Huge shout out to Joelle and Camille, who are amazing and patient teachers! I am beyond grateful for all of the care and time they give to the kids I'm still waiting to determine the efficacy of the French immersion aspect of the education so I'll post more of an update later. Otherwise, the pedagogy for a preschooler seems more than adequate.

In general we were happy at L'Etoile, but we had very different experiences with each child. These…read moreexperiences were influenced by of course their unique dispositions, the different families in their classes, their teachers, and notably the school being sold to a private equity group (Spring Education). Being owned by a for-profit private equity group shifted some aspects of the school, some for the better, but other aspects declined. Things that felt reasonable before, such as after-care costs, sky-rocketed in price. A primary concern of ours after learning the school was sold to a private equity group (Primavera Capital Group Owns Spring Education) was the protection of our data and what data specifically the non-US based Primavera Group had access to which was not specifically disclosed to parents. We wished we had been given more notice regarding the sale - we had already signed up for the next school year and paid non-refundable deposits. In our experience, neurotypical children thrive at L'Etoile. Our friends with neurodivergent children had many difficulties and the school really struggled to adequately respond. As always, it greatly depends on the specific needs of the child. Children in both Kindergarten and 1st grade were sent to 'the principal's office' as a regular course of action when reoccurring issues arose. We didn't love being part of a community where this was the common response for 5 and 6 year olds. The school did bring in an outside expert and this outside expert helped train new incoming teachers on effective discipline and also worked with parents as needed. Another area that was of concern for us is that the school uses interns in each class from France, ages 19 to 23 for supplemental staffing. In the 2024/2025 school year, two of the classes had assistant teachers that were brought over as interns completing their Master's programs, one in the TPS class and one in the MS class. This should have been disclosed to parents in advance when signing up for the new year, but it was not. There were many playground issues which parents frequently brought up to administration and we felt strongly that the cultural differences/expectations and the intern's general lack of experience with behavior issues at this stage of life did not serve as a help in resolving playground dynamics which frequently involved unkind behavior between children and physical boundary issues from some of the children (hitting, shoving, hair pulling, etc). The interns also serve as the primary staff for the after-care program. Many of the teachers at L'Etoile are outstanding and truly have a love for teaching and working with children. The upper school uses the French curriculum which is fine, but has drawbacks for children ahead or behind. One of our children ahead in math was left bored/unchallenged. Parents at the school whose children are behind in reading often hire private tutors as the school's reading specialists can't help with issues of dyslexia or reading delays in English. The school has a strong parent community and as I said before, neurotypical children without academic challenges thrive here. Amazing field trips, teachers that care, a beautiful setting, and an environment where children between grades have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other. As with all schools there are both positives and negatives. Overall, we would choose L'Etoile again.

I love this preschool! My son just finished going here and he loved it. It was a really good…read morelearning experience for us as a family. The teacher is wonderful. It's in a historic house in the middle of old Battle Ground which really lends itself to play based learning. The kids don't seem like they are in a classroom setting. They do learn standard preschool academics here but the focus is on social and emotional growth and support and play based learning. My husband and I took turns going to the parent classes lead by the preschool teacher and I truly don't think any one thing has helped our family out more. We are better parents for it. As a co-op you learn and work alongside other families so you can really find a wonderful community here. I really can't recommend this school enough!

My Son has learned so much going through this program. The cooperative model of education has also…read morebrought me into a wonderful community of caring parents

My son has been under the care of Lisa for a year now and it is amazing to see how much he has…read moregrown emotionally, creatively and verbally in that time! He absolutely loves going to school and always talks about Teacher Lisa at home. Her energy, patience and love for the children seems limitless and her ideas for learning through play are amazing. They are always working on a fun art project or science experiment. He especially loved watching caterpillars as the grew into butterflies! She is focused on each child and helping to bring out their best self. I am so happy we found a place that my son truly thrives and loves. Their website is under construction but you can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rootstobloompreschool/

My daughter has been attending Roots to Bloom since shortly after her second birthday. In that time…read moreshe has blossomed from a timid kiddo who hated to be away from us into a confident, secure 4 year old who is always excited when she knows it's a school day. The teachers are wonderfully caring and supportive and I know my child's social, emotional, and educational learning is being shaped with love. The school has a community of kids and families that are just incredible. Roots to Bloom feels like home to our daughter and like family to all of us.

Amazing preschool with teachers that truly care. What really set them apart for me was the fact…read morethat they serve organic food, and they voluntarily have a very balanced child-to-teacher ratio (I believe 4:1). At the other schools I toured, they were 10:1. My son has grown in many ways since joining Little Explorer in 2024. Not to mention, the preschool class is extremely ethnically diverse.

Fantastic childcare! My son has had a wonderful experience here and they have amazing teachers! We…read moreadore miss Lily. The food is organic and high quality. Parent communication is clear. We'd totally recommend Little Explorers to any parents who is looking for a reliable and loving preschool for their child.

Wildflowers was an incredible foundation for my son, and such a lovely community for him and our…read morewhole family. Communication with teachers was excellent, and I know they truly loved my child. My son is now in kindergarten and we still get together with the amazing friends he made there. He misses his teachers and still talks about them. It was a hard place to leave and I cannot recommend it enough.

Wildflowers was my dream preschool. Heidi and Holly loved and knew my son so well; they helped him…read moreat each stage of his development. Because of them he was totally ready for kindergarten. Wildflowers is a magical place, and the village I needed--can't recommend highly enough!