All parents worry, they only seek the best for their little ones. My daughter and I toured a few…read morecenters together when she was roughly months old. I felt like Goldilocks, one was just too big, too full of kids and not enough oversite; one was too small, and The Children in the Shoe in Olney... Well that one was just right. Within mins. of starting our tour, my sweet little girl was fast asleep in her carrier. We had found her home away from home. She began in the infant room and has been happy transitioning through her development phases. Now my daughter is in the 3's classroom and I am just as happy with the Shoe as I was during our tour. The teachers have been amazing, transparent, and loving. They communicate, are informative and best of all responsive. The directors to everyone who attends the front desk, each and every one of them are welcoming every single day, how is that humanly possible?! When you step inside, it's a small community. It is very common to find parents, teachers, children, and staff greeting each other, and having short quick conversations. During one of the many conversations that I had with my daughters 2's teachers, they mentioned that her speech was delayed. I loved that the teacher shared her concern and didn't hold it for a more formal parent / teacher conference. Since then, the teachers and staff have been extremely accommodating in welcoming her speech therapist into the classroom on a regular basis. It is home away from home! My little one has had her fair share of bumps and bruises, I know that with every bump, scrape and bruise she gets, she receives twice as many hugs and cuddles. At the end of day, during pick up the teachers make it a point to actually see the parents, talk to the parents and work daily to create a positive connection with the patents. If they are willing to do that after a day of teaching and loving their students - they must be super heroes. I know after a long at work, all I want to do is go home and relax.

I can not speak highly enough about my experience at Children in the Shoe. It has been my…read morechildren's home away from home for the past 7 years (daughter went from 3 months until 5) (son 2 months to current at 2) . the care they receive there matches what I would provide at home. i went to visit a lot of centers because I thought no one would care for my children like I would. I wanted to be a stay at home mom. Until I met Stephanie! she put me at ease from the get go and out with with all of my nerves from day one and with each classroom change until my daughter graduated. She was even there for me when my mother passed away. the shoe is a family that i am happy to be a part of and I hope it continues for years to come. I have two very happy well adjusted kids and their daycare plays a roll in that. Each teacher seems happy to be there and really loves each child and you can see that just by walking around. I wouldn't want my kids anywhere else. We love the shoe!

We have sent both of our children here starting from 18 months until 5 years old. Our children love…read morethe teachers and staff, which makes us so happy with our choice for childcare. The teachers are great communicators; they call you with urgent issues during the day, give you brief updates at pickup and are always happy to answer questions. In addition, they have parent teacher conferences (for toddlers!) to keep us in the loop. If you ever get a chance to observe the classroom, it's amazing how one teacher that can control so many kids in silence with only sign language, even though they are all working independently. We highly Recommend JBS

If there is a zero star option, this is what this school deserves. No respect for the child or his…read moreparents, no engagement with the family about their child progress. I have not seen any educational or moral progress with my child. Teacher level of education and capability to teach is zero. One year of what they called education, my child still writes the Z inverted. The teacher did not have a capability to correct that!!!!!! I had been in international Montessori school when I was a child, the level of emotional and social support was beyond amazing, while julia brown has nothing to do with emotional and social support. I have no idea how Montessori allowed them to run under their name with such poor standards of education and engagement with the child, never mind the gloominess of this school, old furniture, no modern methods of learning, my child continuously expressed how unhappy he was there. Kids don't lie!!!!

The best way to describe CLC is magical! We toured ALL of the preschools in the Olney/Ashton area…read moreand when we walked into CLC we knew in about 2 seconds that this was the preschool for us. This is my daughter's second year at CLC and my son will join the hummingbirds class next year. The staff is the top of the top. Every single person who works there knows my child and greets her by name every day, even the teachers she has not yet had. All staff have taken a genuine interest in getting to know my daughter and our family. They are incredibly skilled in teaching young children to love school and learn to become the best little people they can be. The teachers make learning fun and engaging through music, art, and play. while infusing academics in the most creative of ways. The staff is committed to making sure that my child's needs are always met and the communication between teachers, the director, and the parents is impeccable (conferences, responsive emails and phone calls, newsletters, and school-wide emails when needed) . They are extremely flexible with our needs in terms of aftercare with drop-ins available when I need it. They make activities fun and exciting for the children, such as a Valentines concert, Halloween parades and field trips in the community. The classrooms are clean, bright, fun, and inviting. The other families that attend CLC are as warm and welcoming as the school itself, we have playdates with friends we have made at CLC frequently. My daughter is excited every single day to get up and go to see her teachers and friends at school (not one complaint about attending ever). To put it simply, I wish my babies could stay at CLC forever!!

This is a true pearl of a school. I did a lot of research before choosing it for my son, touring…read moremany of the nearby preschools (e.g., Norbeck Montessori, Chesterbrook Academy, Children in the Shoe), and while I liked certain aspects of those schools, I just LOVED this school from the moment I walked through the door. Lots of pros and just a few cons. Pros: Teachers: Are wonderful. Full of energy and enthusiasm. Many of the teachers have also been there for many years. Two of the teachers in particular, Mrs Zechar and Mrs Harper, who are in the room for the 3-years olds, have been teaching at the school for more than twenty years and their experience shows. They are extremely patient and good at dealing with any issue arising. Director: Is fantastic. Lots of positive interactions with parents and children alike. Classrooms: Really like their set-up. In contrast to most other preschools, they have separate classes for 2, 3 and 4 year olds (with 3 and 4 year olds merging for aftercare). Also in contrast to many other preschools, classroom sizes are small with a maximum of 15 kids per room with 2 teachers. Playground: Is good. It is fenced in and away from any large roads or neighbors. It is also relatively large, with different activity zones. Program: Very flexible. They offer 2, 3, or 5-day options and various part/ full time options. Price: OK. It is not cheap but - at least for the full-time program that my son is enrolled in - the price is comparable to, or even lower than, prices of most other schools in the area. Cons: Not many. The main one, at least for me, is that the school does not offer a 12-month schedule, which can be a problem for households with two working parents. On a final note, while the school is sharing grounds with a church, it is not actually affiliated with that church.

Finding the right childcare as a first time parent is a daunting task, but we couldn't have been…read morehappier at Little Owlets. So much that my child spent 4 great years at Owlets and we all cried a bit when we moved out of state and had to leave. I can't say enough about the warm, family-like environment. Teachers and classmates became a second family for my child, and families were really encouraged to get to know each other through events and gatherings. It felt like Owlets was a support system even outside of school hours. We loved the balance between structure and free play and really felt like Little Owlets prepared my daughter very well socially and knowledge-wise for kindergarten - the transition to elementary school was a breeze. My child LOVED the Montessori-inspired activity time and still talks about it. And there were so many creative and fun activities - cooking, yoga....We loved that outdoor time was emphasized in all but the worst weather and the kids got in quality outside play and exercise time. Oh, and the food was so good - I found myself envious of my child's lunches.

Where do I start? First of all, what I love about this…read morechildcare is the setting: it's on the main floor (not in the basement) with lots of windows and glass doors. That was the first thing on my list when I was searching for a childcare for my son. CHECK! I personally observed the providers and how they take care of my child and other children. Happy to put another CHECK right here! Aliya and Lola are very patient and nurturing. They have plenty of teaching materials and incorporate lessons into play every day. The 'Little Owlets" is my number one choice in the area! Oh, almost forgot - the food is all homemade and very delicious! I asked to try :)

My husband and I were in search of a new preschool for our four year old son when we came across…read moreLittle Einsteins Preschool and Daycare. From our first contact with the owner, Mrs. Shazia, we knew this was the preschool of choice for our family. Our son had been attending another preschool the prior year and while he enjoyed it, as did we, he would come home sick every other week. We could barely keep up with all the illness. With a new baby on the way, we could not take a chance with unnecessary sicknesses. We expressed our concerns and how important the sanitary conditions of the preschool was to us and the owner assured us her school was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each school day. Needless to say, our son has yet to catch anything and it is clear that Miss Shazia and her assistant take the kids health very seriously. Aside from this, her curriculum is top notch and my son has learned a great deal while attending. He comes home each day with schoolwork and crafts he has completed throughout the day. The activities Miss Shazia puts together for her class are fun and they inspire creativity. During each day, we get pictures and texts detailing how our son spent his day. It brings my husband and I such peace of mind having our son attend this preschool. Miss Shazia and her assistant are truly invested in the preschool and in the children that attend it. They care tremendously for each of the kids and the kids experiences while there. If you are seeking a warm and loving environment for your child, this is the place to be hands down!

I was very happy that my son attended Little Einstein's Daycare. Shazia cares very much for the…read morekids and is very responsive. There are many learning tools and fun activities that kids will enjoy. I am always thankful that my son got a chance to be a part of Little Einstein's!

I strongly urge any parent considering this daycare provider to read this review. As parents who…read morehave moved several times and had our children enrolled in various daycares and liked every single one, I strongly recommend against enrolling your children in little sproutlings, particularly during COVID. Pros: Teaches children independence Warm affect with children Cons: Provider travelled internationally to several locations in a two-week period without using COVID precautions, i.e. masks in large crowds indoors (a wedding) contracted COVID, shut down for a month and then tried to pass that costs onto the families. When we disagreed with provider's decision to pass those costs down to us by withholding our security deposit, provider retaliated and requested that our children be disenrolled in her care. Children paint and do creative activities but there is a lack of education as in prior daycares. Provider is unprofessional, unaccountable and often harsh in her communication. This was the feedback provided by at least one other parent reference but because we desperately needed care in the pandemic, we did not weigh this advice as heavily as we should have. Do not recommend.

I cannot speak highly enough of Little Sproutlings, and the negative review posted below couldn't…read morediffer more from our experience. Ayesha has cared for our daughter for the past year (since she was about 1.5 years old), and she has thrived in the activity-filled, structured yet warm environment. Ayesha clearly bonds with all the children in her care, understands their personalities and what makes them tick, and partners with parents to make sure that they thrive in her care. On the issue of compliance with COVID procedures/conduct throughout the pandemic: In my experience Ayesha has adhered strictly to all the required protocols (mask-wearing, temperature checks, keeping children home for any symptoms of illness, etc.). We have never been charged for unexpected closures of the daycare. Ayesha has always behaved responsibly, transparently and taken her role as caregiver to our daughter with the utmost seriousness, and we trust her implicitly. Little Sproutlings is clearly more than a business for her-it is her vocation. Any family seeking a loving, in-home daycare experience for their little one in the Olney area would be lucky to join Little Sproutlings!

When this place advertises a space that is not available, and then charges you a fee to wait 2…read moremonths for a refund, you need to call your bank to report fraud. Places like this will do whatever they can get away with if you let them -- they count on you thinking you have no rights and will not know to call your bank. You can also call your bank and contest the charge since it was not made in good faith.

This place is a freaking SCAM. Their website said it had 3 remaining slots for the final week of…read moresummer camp, so I enrolled my son and paid the service fee and full week's tuition. The next day I received a call saying he had no place in the camp and was being placed on the waitlist, but I would know soon whether there was an opening. No one called me for several weeks. The day before camp started, I called them again to ask if he had a space; he still did not, so I asked for a refund. More than another week went by and the full charge was still on my credit card. When I called them again, they said they would be issuing a refund via a mailed check and I could expect it to take another 4-6 weeks. They also slipped a third, additional charge as a "processing fee" onto my credit card. No one has given me a consistent answer or been upfront about why they promoted openings and allowed me to register for a camp that was full, or why they find it acceptable to hold my money for more than 2 months instead of reversing the credit card charge. Some loose research shows the parent company is based out of Hong Kong. Buyer beware on this school.