My daughter thrived at Smart Start! It has the best mix of social-emotional nurturing and teaching…read moreto the level of bright young minds. On our first tour, I knew this was the right school for us. I had no idea how it would pay off until our daughter was accepted into the esteemed Kindergarten-8th grade Evergreen School. (There were only 3spots for girls and 100 applicants.) Smart Start prepared our daughter to "stand out" as a child that loves to learn, is inquisitive, empowered, and caring to other peers. The name Smart Start absolutely reflects what children experience at this fabulous school. As a parent, the pictures and updates throughout the day through a wonderful mobile app made leaving our child at the school so much more comfortable. It really was a bright spot seeing our child LOVE being at school throughout the day. The staff is so fabulous. Every day during pick-up they shared something special about our child. Exceptional communication. If they have a spot in the new location enroll or put your name on the waiting list immediately. After the first few months, we couldn't get any of our friends into Smart Start. Word of mouth spreads fast because it really is five stars.

This place deserve at least 10 stars. With two little children I have some experience with daycares…read moreand by far this is the best. I haven't met yet other so knowledgeable owner and director and this makes a big difference. Pros: 1. The lesson plan is great and full with activities that are actually executed. I guess when the owner has Masters in Education and makes the curriculum herself is much better than downloading a free plan from the internet and just hang it on the wall like many other places do. 2. Teachers are polite, willing to communicate with parents, supportive (regarding potty training for example), very knowledgeable about how to develop fine motor skills and how to organize the little bunch of toddlers so they can finish their activities and actually learn something. (Ok I believe I am not the only parent who can't make ONE toddler put his shoes on, what about something more complicated). My son's teacher call the kids of her class "friends". For me they are little screaming monsters but for her they are friends. Can't thing of better way to teach respectfulness. 3. They regularly bring some entertainment for the kids like clown, parrot lady, bouncy house etc. 4. The kids helped plant herbs and tomatos in the Spring and now they regularly bring organic tomatos home. Good way to teach about nature and about how the efforts pay back. 5. The prices are very reasonable. Cons: You probably won't find opening there. If there is an opening consider yourself very very lucky.

Amy and Megan are dedicated professionals in childhood development. They respect each child and…read morethey have a controlled learning environment and the skill set to assist each student in their developmental journey.

Our son was dropped from enrollment at Montessori Garden on the Monday before school was supposed…read moreto start, which has left us in a scramble to find childcare and a supportive learning environment. Amy and Meghan had the decency to inform us over the phone this morning that they felt unable to provide appropriate support for my son, who has epilepsy. They were unwilling to administer his emergency rescue medication (which is applied rectally), or call 911 as an alternative, in the unlikely event of an emergency-level seizure (which has never happened in his medical history, let alone since he started treatment). Furthermore, they expressed discomfort with the possibility of the other kids seeing a "scary looking seizure event", and said they weren't equipped to talk with the kids about that. We will send them a children's book to help them facilitate those conversations in the future. We offered to provide training, personal or professional, on how to respond to a seizure and administer rescue medication, but they told us that their decision is final and they're not interested. I suppose they did us a favor, because I'm happy to know that my kid wasn't safe in their care. For context, our parent-run co-op pre-school did the training in January, and we had a great school year. We left for schedule-related conflicts, but are likely to return to the co-op, where the parents have shown a willingness to provide essential care and have difficult conversations about health with 4 and 5 year olds. Further important context: While we discussed my son's medical condition in June in great detail, including how to administer rescue medications, we didn't send his care plan until last week. We had good reason: his condition started in December and was still evolving. His care plan is less intense now than it had been. When they got the official medical care plan, which is more technically written, Amy and Meghan were no longer willing to have him in the classroom. I wish we had sent our now-outdated care plan in June so that they could have rejected our application right away. We never wanted to stick them with a kid they couldn't care for. It's a shame because the curriculum looks so good! But actions speak louder than words, and this morning showed that Amy and Meghan aren't confident in their ability to have difficult conversations or respond to unlikely medical emergencies.

Our daughter, Aviana, joined Willow Tree in 2021, during COVID, as part of the first Tiger class…read morewhen she was three years old. After a wonderful nanny-share at home--where we could closely observe and control every aspect of her day--my wife and I were understandably nervous about transitioning her to preschool. We did extensive research and toured nearly ten preschools and daycares. Willow Tree immediately stood out. From the very beginning, it was clear that the director, Liu, and the entire staff were genuinely loving and attentive caregivers. From her first day, Aviana loved going to school. Her development accelerated noticeably--she made friends, gained confidence, and even happily ate the school-made lunches. We initially had questions about the Mandarin immersion program and whether it might delay Aviana's English development. Liu reassured us that the opposite would be true, explaining that children's brains at that age are "like sponges," capable of absorbing far more than we often realize. She was absolutely right. Aviana's English continued to flourish, and her Mandarin grew from zero to a working knowledge of the language--truly incredible. To sum it up: if we had to do it all over again, we would choose Willow Tree without hesitation. Two years later, we enrolled our younger daughter, Amelia, when she was just a year and a half old. She began in the Bunny class, moved on to Penguin, and is now in Tiger. She loves it. Her Mandarin is now as strong as her English, even though we speak only English at home. On more than one occasion, I've caught Amelia dreaming in Mandarin--a constant reminder of how much she has learned in such a short time. Willow Tree has provided an exceptional academic and developmental foundation for both of our girls, along with a truly welcoming and supportive community. As Amelia prepares to graduate, we know we'll remain connected through the friendships our daughters have built and the families we've come to know beyond the classroom. We couldn't be more grateful for Willow Tree.

Willow Tree preschool has been a great experience for our daughter. She joined the Penguin class…read morejust after she turned 2 years old and her Mandarin Chinese has blossomed from the exposure at the school. I'm so surprised how much Chinese she can understand and speak and she can even sing songs in Chinese. While I can speak Chinese, I usually forget to so it's great to know she's able to learn it at school. The teachers we've been exposed to at WT have all been warm and inviting. Our daughter doesn't warm easily and the transition was long and difficult but the teachers embraced her with love and care. I was a little skeptical at first to hear there were 20 kids, such a big class, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Because there are 20 kids, there are also 3-4 teachers. By having extra teachers, this helps when a kid or two are having a meltdown or just need a little extra love and attention. With some of the kids in the class being older and being able to better regulate and play with themselves, this left the extra teachers to help with the younger, new kids who needed extra help. We attended a different preschool briefly before WT where there were 7 kids and 1 teacher and that teacher seemed to just be in survival mode because they couldn't get to all the kids that needed attention or assistance. Whereas the WT teachers always seemed happy and had good energy. We also love Liu, the director. She cares deeply for the kids and brings amazing energy. It's always a joy to run into her and catch up. Your kids will be in good hands at WT!

Our daughter was in Pushpa's care for about a year and a half when she was 18 months to 3 years. If…read moreI had found her sooner, my daughter would have been there as an infant We only left to attend preschool. She thrived there and loved Pushpa so much. She just exudes warmness and is a natural with kids of all ages. Pushpa has an amazing routine for the kids and would often text photos of their adventures throughout the day. I highly recommend this daycare and would do it all over again if we had another.

We have LOVED Tender Care. After having our daughter in 2016 we were very nervous to drop her off…read morewhen I went back to work around 3 months after having her. We visited many places including the big ones like Bright Horizons, and when we walked into Tender Care, I knew it was the right place for us! With a tiny little baby I was more concerned about the "nurturing" and not the "learning" at that point (which is funny because my baby has learned SO much at Tender Care - in fact she's always doing things well ahead of her timeline). The husband and wife team was sweet and kind, patient with our baby, sent pictures throughout the day, called me to let me know she was doing well and napping at the right times, etc. everything i could have asked for. Now my 15 month old is a running, crazy, but fun little thing with LOTS of energy, and she just LOVES going to daycare. She squeals all the way up the driveway in delight and waves at her daycare teacher through the window every morning (sometimes cries when we have to leave!)! They have outside time each day, especially in the Summer, which I love, and their gate locks closed during the day to keep their house safe and secure. They are across the street from an elementary school and situated back off the street, so it is an ideal home daycare placement. It's a smaller daycare so she only takes about 3 or so kids at a time (based on ages) and only will have 1 infant that cannot walk at a time, to ensure she is able to provide the attention she needs to, with each child. She gives about a 2 week trial period in the beginning to be sure it's the right childcare placement for the child, which I appreciate because not all daycares will work for every baby. She is a former teacher and has over 20+ years of experience in the daycare setting, so she knows that sometimes daycare can be trial and error and it has to be right for everyone involved. (side note - one of the reasons i LOVED my visit there when we were getting more information is because she still has pictures of all of her kids from the past that ALL stayed until preschool unless they moved, AND she still gets Holiday cards of them, many being high school students now. :) I would recommend this daycare to anyone who wants a comfortable and loving place for their babies to grow, learn, and stay during the days! We have loved every second and are dreading the day we have to take our daughter out for preschool! We'll probably have to stop by often to say hi!

CDCC has been a key partner in our family for years. My oldest attended from 2015-2019 and my…read moreyoungest has been there now since 2019. We have been to two other daycares (which had infant rooms) and one other preschool, so we have some points of comparison. Things I really like: - management - Lois is on top of things and involved in childcare advocacy in the region. Through the pandemic, I felt confident that CDCC was managing things as well as possible. The staff was vaccinated quickly and the changes to policies (pickup/drop off, schedule, masks) all made sense. - atmosphere - the staff are consistent and friendly and my kids like them - food - it is cooked on site and pretty well balanced - playground - they go out twice a day to a nice private yard, right at the school - community - most people who attend live fairly close, which helps build community. There are some required volunteer hours, but they are not excessive. Sometimes I wish that there was more "formal enrichment" when I put on my "ambitious parent" hat, but really kids (or at least mine) are so happy with consistency, community and more play than formal learning. I think a lot of places are too academic, too early. Learning to share, do circle time, sit at a table for meals, switch activities according to a schedule etc. goes a long way towards school readiness. Music classes and swim lessons can be found elsewhere (though CDCC did them pre-pandemic and pre-renovation closure at Medgar Evers) and I'm okay with art projects that look like they were made by a toddler, rather than a pinterest pro.

Because of moves, we've had our children in 3 different child care centers, and CDCC was by FAR the…read morebest. I hesitate to even call it a child care center, because it really is so much more. Ms. Lois is the most genuine individual. She is friendly, welcoming, knows and remembers all the small details of our life, and truly cares about every child and family. We've experienced a lot of bureaucracy and felt like a dollar sign at other centers but not here. Lois bent over backwards to help us get care for a child who was temporarily staying with us when we were in a bind. The teachers all feel like family who love our kids like their own. They've been part of the neighborhood for decades, and it shows. I love that they provide home cooked meals, neighborhood walks, park and outdoor time, story time at Douglass Truth Library, swim lessons at Medgar Evers pool, and so much more. Our kids attended for 2 years before we moved, and it's still the part of Seattle I miss the most. Thank you CDCC for being such a valuable part of our children's lives!

This facility is filthy and often inadequate staffed. Echoing the same thoughts as you read below…read more Teachers play on phone, ignore basic requests and do not practice hand hygiene especially after diaper changes. Unable to follow basic instructions is concerning because how can you teach my child if you can't follow the rules yourself. My child has been sick almost constantly since enrolling and it's reached a point where this facility needs to be reported and closed down for a terminal cleaning and proper sanitation lessons. This corporation is money driven and in the twenty years has been poorly managed and went down hill. Don't waste your time and end up like us regretting the decision to give them benefit of the doubt. To the upper management you need to be a secret shopper and see how poor the director and teachers interact amongst one another. There is a handful of decent teachers but, in all it's TRASH. Highway robbery.

I can't say enough great things about Wallingford KinderCare! I love knowing that my child is in a…read moreloving and safe environment. The staff is incredibly kind, patient, and attentive, making every child feel valued and cared for. I love that Sabrina or Addie always welcomes me when I come in. My children also love this part of their days. They make them feel so special. My children have learned so much but have also built wonderful relationships with both teachers. The activities are engaging, educational, and fun every day, my little one comes home excited to share what they did! I also appreciate the open communication from the staff, who always keep me updated on my child's progress and daily experiences. If you're looking for a daycare that truly puts children first, fosters a nurturing atmosphere, and encourages learning through play, I highly recommend Wallingford. It is a home away from home for my children.

As first time parents, sending our 11M old to daycare was an emotional milestone. Our kiddo has…read morebeen there for nearly a year now, and it's one of the best parenting decisions we've ever made. Marianne and the Edugether team exude warmth and approach childcare with the perfect mix of humor, patience, and high expectations. We've received more valuable feedback from them in our parent/teacher conferences than any work performance evaluation :) and we know that our little one is learning to be more kind and independent because of Edugether's loving and intentional environment. It warms our heart to see him squeal with joy when he walks up to school, and he now recites his teachers names as he babbles before bed. We're currently expecting twins and are so excited to have them join the Edugether family.

I live right by cottage schools and Gatewood elementary. I take my kids to the playground often and…read moreget to watch how the cottage teachers interact with the students or shall I say a lack of interaction. Every time I'm there, the teachers are just huddled around talking to each other while the girls get into their caddy circles and exclude other kids. Then there's this one poor little boy who sits by himself staring at the ground all the while the teachers chat it up. If this was my child, I'd be heartbroken. This happens on the regular. We went inside to do a tour and all the students were rude to my daughter. Some of the "teachers" looked like they had zero education. Think about who guides your children. These are not the people you want. Then jve tried to call them. No one ever pics up the phone or it's disconnected. Then the person who emails is extremely short and rude. I'm guessing the reason they get kids to come is because it's tied into Gatewood. Unfortunately, Gatewood is the school my daughter will go to but with this level of education in the pre k program, I'm worried about the level of care my grade school child might not get.

My son has been attending Cottage since the summer before he started kindergarten at Gatewood…read more Laura and Amanda have been incredibly responsive, kind, and helpful when we enrolled, and then later re-enrolled after the early phase of the pandemic. My son absolutely loves all of the teachers and their programming. Any time I voice a concern (like my son being rough, other kids being rough), Laura and the staff have been clearly invested in ensuring that their curriculum addresses the areas (beyond just academics) that the kids need to grow and thrive in -- such as socialization, being respectful, listening to their friends, etc. I highly recommend this wonderful school!