Compass is the kind of preschool I wish I could have attended as a child. I love all the natural…read morelight and bright colors. The space is clean and inviting. The staff is kind and upbeat--their well-designed facility and program make teaching easier! I think it's so cool how kids get to rotate through different rooms and stations throughout the day. What a great way to engage kids and make the day go by with ease! My children couldn't wait to test out the toys and activities on our tour. Compass Child Care is an asset to the community and to parents. Thank you, Compass!

We love Compass! Staff are amazing and truly care about our kiddos! We love the Bright Wheel app,…read morewhere we can communicate with staff, receive daily updates, photos, and videos to see our kids having fun! Definitely nice to have a conversation starter when they get home. They also schedule activities outside of day care, like renting out the theater at East Bethel for Frozen II or inviting us to the local pumpkin patch. They also had a nice Christmas program where the kids could get their picture taken with Santa! We love Compass!

Where do I even start? Finding care for your baby especially your first can be nerve-racking, but…read moremy husband and I have always felt welcomed, comfortable, and confident here. Over time, we've build a wonderful connection with the staff and truly trust that they care deeply for our child. As we prepared to welcome another baby in 2025, we're thrilled that they are also able to attend this center. It feels great knowing our family care and support will continue With the same amazing team. We highly recommend this center! The staff consistently go above and beyond in communication, care, and safety. As first time parents and now experienced (2nd child) we couldn't ask for a Better environment For our little ones. If your currently searching for a place that will love and care for you child as much as you do, this is it.

My first born and second born have now been in the infant room at CKA. I feel comfortable leaving…read moremy babies in their care everyday and as a working mom, it's a comfort to know they're being cared for and loved. Plus, I get to check up on how their day is within the app as the teachers do a great job of updating. With my second it has been a bit of a challenge to navigate independent sleep and bottle feeding; the staff in the infant room have been great in easing the transition and putting me at ease. I'm so thankful for the staff here!

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.

Check the MN Dept of Human Services website childcare licensing: dhs.state.mn.us/licensing. This…read morefacility has multiple, repeated state licensing violations. I have repeatedly tried to get any and all records of my child from the director and she has refused and been difficult at every single turn. Even with a court subpoena, she charged me big bucks to get records on my own child, and the records she produced were very minimal. Also, she will not disclose the names of the workers that directly cared for my child. Director of this facility is uncaring and outright rude, and after learning of the recent (4/5/2018) investigation report and correction order from DHS, I now see that proper records are not even kept on the children, and there are many very concerning violations of the state rules. My child no longer attends this facility, and anyone considering, please do your research! There are some very nice workers there, but they have their hands tied by the unorganized and haphazard way that the director runs this place. I do not recommend for anyone's child.

I've worked in daycare and saying 1 star is giving too much credit. I know quite a few unhappy…read morefamilies that have enrolled within the last year. This was really the only place in Elk River that was available. It NEVER fails I always see staff texting, or messing around on their phones, and they don't even put it away. Maybe 1 out of 4 times I get a "Hi" when I walk in, and it's not even busy in the room or loud. Staff is always huddled on the side chit chatting. They don't even feel the need to come over and give feedback, or make a comment about a child's day. It honestly feels like they don't care and it's very unwelcoming, and unprofessional. You think you would at least put on a good face when parents or someone is picking a child up. I've picked up someones child who had a black eye. I thought it was old cause no one said anything and there was no accident report. They are terrible when it comes to calling parents when more of a serious accident happens as well, multiple times, at least give parents a heads up call. I've also seen some kids have to share cubby buckets in multiple rooms. It's hard when someone else is picking up and they don't know who has what. The place has a smell too, like old Pepsi, and you can smell it on yourself an hour after you leave. The place seems old and could use a some updating of everything. There is never really any art work or fun stuff sent home. All of the kids always have dirty faces and runny noses in all of the rooms, and they only care to keep the kids clean when they are being picked up, and that's even sometimes! For example, I've walked into the toddler room and staff are just sitting around, no "Hi", no smile, not even one word is said to me, then all of a sudden the staff get up and start wiping one nose after the other, and all of the kids have boogers down to their mouths and beyond. Not a place I would want my kids to go.

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!