I joined the waitlist for Northeast Montessori while I was three months pregnant, and when my baby…read morewas one month old, I was offered an infant spot for January. I immediately paid the required deposit on August 18. After submitting payment, I received no confirmation or acknowledgment -- not even an automated receipt -- which was concerning given that the payment form collected card details directly. From August 18 to November 1, I reached out multiple times seeking updates. I called the school twice and was advised both times to follow up by email. I sent three separate emails during that period and received no response. In those messages, I asked for confirmation of my deposit, a tour of the facility (as I had not yet seen the space), and an invoice for my records. The invoice was particularly important because I work in research and needed proper documentation to submit for my employer's childcare credit reimbursement. When I initially asked about scheduling a tour, I was told the floors were being waxed and that someone would follow up once tours resumed. However, no one ever reached back out. By November 1 -- just a month before returning to work -- and still with no communication, I sent a polite but direct email asking about the status of my child's enrollment and inquiring about the refund policy, since the contract stated deposits were nonrefundable. The reply I finally received was short and stated that the refund would be processed, citing personal circumstances as the reason for the lack of communication. While I empathize with anyone facing family health challenges, it's concerning that there appeared to be no administrative backup or system in place to maintain communication with parents -- particularly when planning infant care around a return-to-work schedule. As a solo parent who paid a significant deposit in good faith, this experience left me disappointed. Reliability, clear communication, and professionalism are essential when it comes to infant care, especially for working parents. I'm sharing this so future parents can use their time wisely and avoid being put in a position of having to scramble to find childcare just weeks before returning to work -- especially when you've done your part by being proactive and organized in securing a spot for your child.

my son went to the Northeastern Montessori school in revere MA for 3 years and I couldnt have been…read morehappier. i had initially taken him to another very known private school in the area and he cried every single day. we changed him to NEM and he stopped crying within 4 days. classes are small and the teachers are seasoned/experienced educators. there was not a day i felt uncomfortable leaving my little one there. my son loved all his teachers, specially Ms Kathy and Ms Totto. he walked in there every day like he owned the place. He would come home talking about things like Martin Luther King, Animals, continents, celebrations around the world etc, when he was in preschool which i thought it was awesome because you could tell they were not only playing but also learning. this is not something they do in all preschools As some of them just limit the children to playing. my son stills talks about going back. i was able to bond with other moms that I still see once in a while for birthdays and we all miss the school and the teachers. Another positive Is that they take very seriously keeping the students and teacher healthy. The school owner does not play around when it comes to mitigating any virus outbreaks. she is very strict with this policy which I liked. My only complain is the admin part of the school. I dont think they have a person dedicated to it 100% of the time so its a little bit of a challenge When you need something. you just have to insist and it will get done but you have to be on top of it. if you are considering this school, def give them a chance. its a small school that takes pride on caring and educating children, which at the end of the day its what matters.

Both of my children went through the Goddard School from their infant and toddler years right…read morethrough Pre-K. We were with them through first steps, first solids, first words, navigating a pandemic, potty training, having a sibling, losing teeth, learning to ride a bike and write their name, making friends and becoming self-assured and self-sufficient 5 year olds that were ready to make a seamless transition to Kindergarten. Not only is the facility and outdoor play spaces beautiful, but the school follows a curriculum that is shared each week and brings in outside companies, librarians and more to do specialized activities onsite as well. From bike days to pizza/pj fundraisers, apple pie making for Thanksgiving, to art shows, there was always something to look forward to. When we looked at many daycares when my first child was born, this school stood out leaps and bounds above the rest for having an educational plan in place, not just child care. I can't thank the Goddard School enough for the role they have played in such formative years for my children. The teachers care about the kids like family.

We have had our two sons Alex and Maxi at The Goddard School over the past 5 years. It is now time…read morefor us to move on so i just wanted to take some time to thank The Goddard School and share my experience. The school has been a dream. My children have made great friends and many memories. The faculty is kind honest and helpful. Their development has exceeded my expectations and has them fully ready to succeed in elementary school. It is great to see my children have the confidence in themselves because of all they learned educationally and socially. We could not speak more Highly of this establishment and are so happy we made the choice to do our early education with them.

My daughter has been goin to Little Star for a year now. This is one of the best daycares she has…read morebeen to. They have a great schedule for the children and do not shuffle them around into every classroom like I've seen other centers do. Pre-Pandemic, my daughter would get dropped off at 7am, always the first child there. I would see and smell how clean it was. I even smelled bleach so that informed me that my child was in a safe and clean place. It is now 6 months Into the pandemic and she just is just now returning to school. I feel comfortable because I KNOW what kind of setting I'm sending my child so I have no worries. The director is great and patient and has taught me a lot. I'm a first time mom so I get nervous(it's normal to have these feelings) but I feel very reassuring about this daycare.

I love this school for my little one! It feels like an extension of our home instead of feeling…read morelike I was sending her to elementary school early.

Two of our kids have moved through Rockland Montessori Academy for preschool and had excellent…read moreexperiences. The teachers are amazing and so dedicated. The curriculum is fantastic- our kids learned so much! They also get outside everyday and do awesome crafts. The school offers many special classes (our kids' favorite was cooking class, from a real chef!) They really create a community for the families, and have many special traditions and events throughout the year. They also offer a great summer camp program that is very well run and convenient. The leadership team is excellent to work with and they run a tight ship. I wish we could stay there forever! But they have given our kids an excellent social and academic foundation for their elementary years.

In early 2013, I was looking for child care services for my soon-to-be-born infant starting in…read moreNovember 2013. I visited several child care centers and settled on Magical Beginnings in Wakefield because they were very close to home, well-accredited, and reasonably priced. I was told that I should reserve my spot quickly before they fill up, so I sent in my deposit + application fee of $750 in late May. The deposit is non-refundable, which I figured wasn't a problem because we had every intention of using this child care center, and I figured even if something happened, they'd probably be reasonable and refund it if they were able to fill my spot (and if they weren't able to fill the spot, obviously they should keep the money). Unfortunately, something happened, and I had to relocate out of state for work and therefore couldn't use this daycare center. That's where I had a disappointing experience with Magical Beginnings. As soon as I found out in mid June, I notified Magical Beginnings that I wouldn't be able to send my daughter there. I wanted to give them as much notice as possible so they could fill the spot with a paying customer. I had only sent in my deposit a month earlier, and was giving them over 4 months notice, so I was hoping they'd do the reasonable thing and refund my deposit. In fact, when I spoke to them on the phone, they said they had a waiting list, so clearly they'd have no trouble filling the spot. I had to ask if they'd refund my deposit. I had hoped they'd just offer without me asking, since $750 is a significant amount of money to hold from me if they didn't have a logical reason to keep it. But they didn't. And after I asked (very politely), they simply said the deposit is non-refundable. I then explained why I had hoped they'd refund the deposit (again, politely), but I was just told that it's non-refundable and that they could have the director call me. Unfortunately, I never got a call, so instead I wrote an email to the director (again, very polite) with logical reasoning as to why it would be nice if they refunded the deposit. All I got was a response that they'd refund $50 with no reasonable explanation why they'd keep $700 of my money other than "it's non-refundable." They're within their rights to keep the money, since the paperwork I signed said it was non-refundable. And if I had canceled at the last minute or they were unable to fill my slot, of course it would make total sense for them to keep the money. But I gave them lots of notice. And they have plenty of time to fill the slot (and appear to have done so). And if it's worth anything, it's not like I canceled for no reason... the job relocation was sudden and unexpected. I can't speak to how well this child care center runs on a day to day basis, but I get a really bad feeling from anyone who would keep $700 of my money without a good reason. Just really disappointed in how they conducted themselves. That's a lot of money.

My daughter (now 13 months old) has been attending Magical Beginnings since she was 4 months old…read more Originally we planned to use an in-home daycare but we got a weird vibe during our test week and had to scramble to find a new place. We lucked out as MB was just opening a new infant room in Wakefield and had space. We were a little nervous as we picked MB based on our tour and interview with the director; we didn't get to meet her teachers as they hadn't even been hired yet. It was a gamble that paid off. We love Miss Katy and Miss Sue, but more importantly, so does our daughter. Even during her phases of separation anxiety, she is always calm and happy at drop-off and pickup and has big smiles for her teachers and classmates. The communication from the staff is excellent and they are very flexible. Our daughter is a very easy baby in many ways, but she likes to skip naps and got distracted during bottle feeding, but Katy and Sue have worked hard with us on those issues. They also do lots of fun activities and crafts and we have been saving her day logs and "artwork" in her baby book. Soon, our girl will transition to the toddler room; I'm impressed with the communication and planning around this step so far, but I don't know who will be more sad about my girl leaving the infant classroom: her or me and my husband.

We absolutely love the Children's Workshop. Our kids adore their teachers and classmates and truly…read moresee it as a second family. The teachers are kind, thoughtful, and incredibly attentive, and they do a wonderful job nurturing each child's individual personality and interests, something that means everything when you have multiples. Communication is excellent, and we're always grateful for the small, meaningful observations they share about our children's growth. Our kids attend both the morning program and after-school enrichment and are thriving. We wouldn't consider sending them anywhere else and plan to stay all three years.

Our son is going to public kindergarten in the fall, we were are so sad he's leaving after a…read moreWONDERFUL year at Children's Workshop! The creativity, appropriate (and fun!) activities, outdoor play, focus on kindness- with the approach this Montessori takes, my son has grown leaps and bounds. He is learning about his emotions, how to express them appropriately, how to handle conflict, and we are all so proud of his emotional development. He's writing, reading books well above his grade level, and I've come home to him explaining some math trick I've totally forgotten! They are also learning so much art and music. The kid isn't even 6 yet. Sounds like a brag, but EVERYONE in his class is doing awesome at those things too. The kids are loved by the teachers and I've never, ever witnessed such a good environment for pre-K in all my years of my kids being in any various daycares/Pre-K (4 others). Ask any Marblehead Mom or Dad (or Grammy!) who has a child at Children's Workshop and she/he will likely tell you the same. Kate Birtwell has been running the center for many years. She's more responsive and organized than 95% of any early childcare workers I've ever dealt with. All the teachers are just fantastic! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

My family has been with this center for a few months and let me just say, it is clear the Director…read moreand management team does not care about your kids or the employees. It seems as though everyday, the team is just trying to "make it through the day". Every morning at drop-off, the toddler and infant classrooms are clearly over ratio and chaotic. There are constant teacher callouts. My daughter's teacher is out numerous times a week for one reason or another. This forces my child to be placed in a different room, proving that there is no consistency. The teachers that do show up everyday, are CLEARLY burnt out. I feel bad for them. Additionally, a majority of the staff lack any educational expertise and seem to view this job as glorified babysitting. Management seems to hire anyone who walks through the door just so they can enroll more families and make more money. This puts a heavy burden on the good staff. No quality curriculum is taking place. My kids never come home with any artwork or projects. The kids are just not learning anything. The center is filthy. I don't think anyone knows how to sweep or mop. I have had to step through my child's classroom to get their backpack and I am disgusted with the state of the classrooms. I truly believe the teachers are so burnt out, they are just too tired to clean. And it shows. There are a handful of wonderful teachers who seem to care about the kids; but unfortunately, that is way overshadowed by the negative vibes in this place. There is a child in my son's preschool classroom (Kairo is the child's name) that has extremely aggressive and violent behavior. My child fears going to class because of him. I have spoken with the Director Heather numerous times about this and it seems nothing is being done and my concerns are being pushed aside. This child needs special help that he cannot get in a large group setting. I know multiple parents have the same concerns about this child. I am in search of another daycare and soon as I get a spot, I will be dis-enrolling immediately.

My family has been with the Kindercare company for a few years. Both my son and daughter attend the…read moreMelrose center. Good experience!

We could not be happier with the experience of our two girls at this daycare. The owner is…read moreincredibly kind, professional, and responsible. It is clear how deeply she cares for our girls and is willing to work with early intervention staff to make the transition to preschool smoothly. The home environment is perfect for our girls aged 2 to 3 years old. Our girls have grown a lot socially and emotionally since starting there.

Taissir creates a nurturing, safe, and welcoming environment for every child. You can truly see how…read moremuch she cares for each one as if they were her own. Her space is clean, organized, and full of engaging activities that support learning and development. Every day, our child comes home happy, well-fed, and full of stories. It gives us so much peace of mind knowing they're in such loving hands while we're at work. Taissir is also great at communicating -- she keeps parents updated on daily routines, milestones, and any concerns, which we really appreciate. It's clear she puts a lot of thought and love into what she does. Highly recommend her daycare to any parent looking for a home away from home for their little one!