I have NEVER been more appalled at a child care facility! My 4+ month old grandbaby has been going there for a couple months only 2 times a week and EVERY time she gets picked up she has a rash on her cheeks. They don't follow my kids instructions for laying her down on her blanket usually its the afternoon shift from what they see on the cameras. But last Friday my son picked her up and she had bruises on her forehead and a bruised lip. They had nothing written on her sheet as to what happened at all and when questioned no explanation either except she scratched her lip, CLEARLY this is not the case. The director did follow up with a phone call apologizing but still nothing to report as to what happened, when questioned on camera the response was that they were live streaming so no way to go back and look. She will not be going back. read more

What started out as a warm family atmosphere, soon turned into anything but that. We started at SEL in April of 2020. Since then, no exaggeration, they went through 4 directors, & probably 12 different teachers. I think we can all agree the most important things kids need is consistency & structure, & this school is the FARTHEST thing from that. They have no structure, half the time the kids are running around playing, & the turn over is so crazy no wonder they can't keep control over the kids. If your child has ANY type of behavioral concerns, learning concerns, or is difficult at times (aren't they all?) RUN FROM THIS SCHOOL. THEY ARE NOT THEIR TO HELP, they do not care to make things better, they send kids home & kick them out. Their previous director quit effective immediately because she couldn't take it anymore, & said it herself "They are probably one of the most unorganized unloving companies I've worked for" Their teachers are unqualified, and straight up unhappy. They don't even require previous childhood education experience, look it up on indeed yourself. I cannot stress this enough, unless you have the easiest kid, don't waste your time or money. This place is straight up damaging to children's self confidence, self esteem, & overall emotional growth. read more

Scottsdale Early Learning Center - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I have two kids that go here one is in infants and the teachers there are amazing! And love the baby's so much. They make sure the baby's are happy and well cared for. I also have my daughter who comes for after school care with other school agers. And she loves coming her. All the teachers here are amazing and are working hard to teach these kids and have fun all at the same time. read more

Our Kids love the changes and interaction. I really appreciate the new center director. I can tell she really cares and has made so many improvements. Definitely more welcoming and family feel. read more

I am in DISBELIEF and am shaking and crying as I write this review. My newborn has been coming here for just under 2 months and it has been nothing but terrible! The first issue was her cheeks being extremely irritated and red when picking her up. Me and my husband didn't understand it as it ONLY happened when she went there. We made multiple requests for the staff to use a silky soft swaddle blanket we brought whenever she is doing tummy time. In the beginning only one teacher was using it. I'd look at the cameras and second shift didn't bother. I come to pick her up one day and ask why her cheeks are so red. The teachers response was it's from her sleeping. I said she doesn't get that from sleeping. And it only happens here. She pretty much brushed me off. I left super infuriated. I started making notes on an index card to tape to her daily log paper so all shifts could see it and abide by what we are paying our hard earned money on. I watch the cameras another time and see my child sleeping on her stomach in the crib. I immediately call the daycare concerned and the lady said she would adjust her. When I pick her up the teacher says she rolls on her stomach a lot. Okay and?! Roll her back on to her back! Have you not heard of SIDS?! It's like I was made to feel like I was over reacting. This is my first newborn child! Obey my requests and make me feel like my concerns are validated! Now, the last thing to happen, my husband picked her up just this past Friday, didn't initially notice anything on Harper. He did see another child and went so far as to ask what happened to his face because he had really red rash-like bumps everywhere. We live right down the street. When he arrived home, his mother noticed something immediately asking what's wrong with her face? He sets her down on her changing table and pure horror sets in! She has a goose egg on her head along with a scuff and bruising and her lip is purple and bruised! He sent me videos and I am already on the way home, having no idea what I was about to come home to. I walk in to her room and see her face and immediately panic asking what the heck happened?! I am hysterically crying when I dial the daycare and demand to know what happened to my child! She put me on hold and said the teacher forgot to write it on the paper, but she scratched herself with her nail. I said no she didn't! This is not from a nail scratch! Her lip is BRUISED! I want to speak to someone higher up whoever is your boss. I had the regional call me less than 20 minutes later asking what happened. I sent her pictures and am waiting for answers and accountability! This is completely unacceptable, negligent, unprofessional, and everything else! I will NEVER bring my child through those doors ever again! And I would strongly recommend, if you are reading this now and considering bringing your child to this terrible place, please reconsider! I would never wish this treatment and what we have endured on anybody, especially a family/mother who needs proper care for their child/children. I am disgusted and in shock that something like this could actually happen. These photos are of my baby and the last 2 are from a previous time when she was picked up with severely irritated cheeks. Their carpet needs to be replaced. It is absolutely disgusting and infested with germs and bugs! read more

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*As a disclaimer I did not send my child to this daycare, however I did go on a tour of the facility* I have never been more inclined to write a review of an establishment. I came in to this center for a tour of the infant room. I was greeted by very friendly staff, slightly unprofessional as I saw all of them eating in the front entrance room but, understandable. I entered the infant room and was viewing the middle of nap time. I saw at least 15-20 cribs lining the walls with babies and kids inside of them. Some standing up in the cribs etc. One of them playing on the floor. All pretty standard. The facility seemed extremely dirty. So I wasn't expecting anything too great by this point in the tour. The smell of the room was horrendous and so warm and muggy. It seemed that a door or window hasn't been opened in months. I had terribly low expectations at this point and was trying to see the bright side of things. However I was absolutely SHOCKED to see a childcare provider in the middle of the room in a rocking chair patting a baby's back WAY too hard.... Like, you could call it smacking or hitting at this point. It was the first thing I saw, heard, and literally was taken back by it. I was on a tour with the director and the childcare provider did not stop at all. She was attempting to soothe the child I GUESS. But if anyone ever touched my baby like that I would have them arrested. I stared at the scene in shock. But the director just kept going about the "tour" and telling me about the schedules etc. I wasn't listening to anything he was saying as I was just terrified for the kids in the room. I am aware they have cameras in the rooms, and the parents can check in only a couple times a day. you couldn't pay me to send my baby here. read more

If you're having trouble potty training, send your little ones here! Jasmine is AMAZING and needs to write a book! She's attentive, gives very detailed info about my child's day and is very nurturing. Also, their directors are pretty amazing, too! read more

We enrolled our daughter in the infant room from 9 months to 15 months From June 2022 to Dec 2022. Although the initial period was tough on her, she was able to adapt and made significant progress. At the start she wasn't able to sit up properly unsupported, but she started doing that in the first week of being there. Good teachers and overall was a good experience for us as a family. read more

Stay away from this daycare if possible. My son never came home with an art project the 6 months not never came home with a daily sheet he was there, he always cried when I left him. I had no choice at the point because it was the only thing affordable but I'm glad I got him out. One of the blonde hair teachers (never got her name because she never even told me) is never happy. It was typical she didn't greet me or the children. One morning or probably most the mornings she had her back turned to the children just doing paperwork. Made my son wait 8 min before serving him breakfast with a frown. On her face. They also have no sort of playground for the little children. It's run down and should be closed down at this point. Spencer is the only good one there and he deserves te one star I am giving. read more

Worst experience ever!! My son was bit so many times and every single time "no one saw" anything or the teacher was not in the room!! And I wasn't even told about one of the times he was bit I found it on his tummy when I got home and changed him. All I was told was make a complain to corporate. DO NOT recommend. read more

Morgan & her staff are beyond amazing. I always know my babies are in great care while I'm working. The meals/snacks are top quality, the staff is like family, & the facility is always clean and well taken care of. I couldn't have found a more perfect place for my babies. I am so happy I found Scottsdale Early Learning Center. Everyone here has made the transition of starting daycare for my children so easy. Morgan is amazing, friendly & so professional. read more

There's too much constant turn over at this school. The old director was very friendly and always greeted rhe families- this new one is always in the office - if she is even there - doesn't look up to acknowledge anyone. They don't care if u have an issue - they are money hungry. Teachers leave with directors and then come back its too hard on kids. My child is never in the appropriate class accordingly to age - always getting tossed around in to a younger class. They don't give out access to cameras- that were down for months. Some of the teachers are very negligent- not paying attention or caring what happens in the class - unexplained brushes and scratches. Theres too much change in teachers- kids need consistency and u don't get that here read more

We are so thankful to the teachers of SELC (Ms. Cheyanne, Ms. Brenna, Ms. Paloma and others who give my son care and love). My son is 2 years old. SELC is his first kindergarten. It was so hard for him to get used to or feel comfortable in a new place. From the first day when he came to SELC, all the loving people here had helped my kid to build connections with teachers and kids. The most amazing thing to me is that, my son can quickly fall in sleep at noon napping time with the teacher's tender patting. In fact, even at home, it's not easy for us to have him sleep at noon time. Now, just in 3 weeks, my son has learned a lot, and enjoy staying in SELC. Another plus, the director Ms. Bailey and her assistant Jill are always nice and helpful, keep us knowing the progress my son made, give advice to help my kid, help us whenever we call them. Thank you! read more

Not the place to go if you want your preschooler to be fluent in Mandarin before entering Kindergarten, but they'll keep your child safe and happy with a proper dose of socialization and just enough instruction. We've been taking two children in two age groups to Scottsdale Early Learning Center for over a year. Like most preschools, your experience is only going to be as good as your teachers. Fortunately, SELC has some really nice teachers. The management? Seems fine, but the turnover issues mentioned in other reviews do seem to be ongoing. Clearly this is not a good thing, as any business benefits from continuity, but having motivated teachers like SELC is more important in any case. They provided some awesome school photographs, the best I've ever seen. They took individual shots, but also provided great photos of our kids posing together. We had no choice but to buy the entire packet. Actually, the grandparents had no choice but to buy the entire packet. Not a trendy school. Rather traditional. Basic. Could use a little facelift. But with some rather nice folks working there. read more

Not happy with the changes since the director Kim "left" and new management swooped in. They let go of the most amazing teacher and now it's a revolving door of teachers I've never seen before. No one can answer a single question about my child's day because it's literally a different teacher hour to hour. Cameras prove this! read more

I love this school! My daughter is 3.5 years old and we've been in Arizona since January 2012. We've tried about 5 daycare/preschools in all of this time and this is the best one. We've left and come back twice now. The reason we left was because we moved to Tempe and the drive from our house is 30 minutes one way. But after trying other places, nothing compares and we are willing to make the drive just for the peace of mind of knowing that our daughter is being cared for and learning and having fun too. Won't leave again until she's too old for it. BTW, they did have a management change, I don't know why, but it hasn't affected the classroom too much. We love all of the teachers, so we don't mind minor adjustments. p.s. we even tried the fancy daycare on ASU Tempe campus, more expensive, special accrediation - NOT WORTH THE MONEY, and not nearly as good as SLC! read more

I can admit that I am a very overprotective mother and it is hard for me to be comfortable leaving my children anywhere. I am completely comfortable in leaving my kids in the care of the teachers and staff at SELC; they care for my children as if they were their own and my children love all of their teachers. They know how my kids behave, their habits and even their tantrums. They always communicate with me and keep me up to date on my children's progress; another plus is the live stream cameras where I can randomly drop in and see how they are doing. They make me feel comfortable to come and speak with them about anything and everything that involve the care for my children and I never feel like I am being a bother or nuisance to anyone. They care and it shows. read more

This is the best School EVER. My Son has been coming here since he was 6 weeks old. The director, Kim has been so great to us and has been a pleasure to see and work with everyday. My Son listens to her more than me most days and she's always willing to go there extra mile and talk me thru those hard Mommy days. They have a curriculum they follow everyday so the kids actually learn things and retain the information. There is art all over the walls from the kids and it always smells SO good in there! You'd never believe there were 30 kids in the back. There is also a code you have to enter to open the door. That extra security is always nice to see. I'm so happy to have found this day care. Its a hidden Gem here in Scottsdale and you'd be crazy to go anywhere else. read more

The programs and staff at S.E.E.K are the best thing that has happened to my family. The yearly Camp run-a-muck is a great time to meet other families, attend activities with the kids, and just unplug and enjoy the fresh air. read more

Extremely pleased with the managers Morgan and Jill. They both are extremely attentive and serious about the well being of the kids here. They both are understanding and easy to talk to. Nothing is perfect but I'm extremely confident with my daughter being there with them two around. They both work extremely hard to keep this place is great condition and most importantly, safe. read more

If I could rate this school on two different sections I would. Teachers 3 stars Management minus10 - Horrible I have NEVER in my life ever been at a preschool where they change Directors every three months. My children were there for about two years. In that two years this school kept children in the classrooms that would cuss, punch, hit, hurt other children and do other discusting things. All from ONE child! The only reason he wasnt removed fromt he school was becuase his mother was friends with the director at the time. We removed our children the first chance we could because of this child as well as my childs arm was dislocated and her clothes came home with paint, holes, and filled with dirt all over her face. It was horrible. The two year old teacher is amazing! thats what got us in the school. Other then that this school is a horrible place for your children and I would highly recommend finding another location or place for your children. They advertise that they have school activities. they considered a class of three olds doing a puzzle three times over and over again as apart of their learning. They never do what they say they are doing and they clearly dont have the management under control. this school is falling apart fast and stay AWAY if you care for your children!!!!!!!! read more

I still take my child here. We love the teachers. The main teacher in the under 1 year old room is amazing. She came highly recommended and we felt very comfortable leaving our 3 month old with her. Now our child is in the 1 year old room, and we really like this teacher as well. The structure in the classroom and what she is able to teach these babies what to do is beyond what I expected. Our only drawback to the place is the turnover in management. Its a little aggravating having to deal with new directors every few months, but since this doesn't directly affect our child we have not considered moving them to another facility. Huge plus is they have internet cameras (on a secured website of course) to check in on your kid, and the place is pretty affordable. Also our kid is there part-time and for the most part SELC is very accommodating with our busy schedules and last minute changes to the plan. read more

My son attended SELC for almost a year. And all I can say is that the quality of care is not what it should be. I had to constantly fight with administration to get my son moved to the proper classroom. They are constantly short staffed. They kept my son in the infant room until 14 mo, even though I was assured he would be moved once walking. He started walking at 10 mo. It wasn't until prep time for state examinations that he was moved. Additionally, my son came home with a burn on his ear (looked like a curling iron burn) and no one could offer me an explanation as to what happened. I get that kids are kids and accidents happen, but I expect details as to why. The teachers are nice and have good intentions, but they can only do so much as they are limited by the admin. At one point, one of the teachers caught hand foot and mouth and was forced to work exposing several children. On occasion, The daycare would send my son home for no reason at all, claiming he had a fever. We would pick him up and voila, he was just fine. SELC is ok, but these are your children. They deserve better than ok. read more

Our family has been attending SELC for the past nearly three years. As parents, we highly value the need to be heard, have effective communication, and trust the providers who are with our children each day. Each time an issue or question about our children's care has arisen, we have felt SELC leadership and staff have responded with a collaborative, child centered approach and the commitment to ensuring we are comfortable. The center has done quite a bit of redecorating and is welcoming to our children each day. The director knows each family and is always ready to support any questions or concerns. We appreciate the diversity of the families who attend and the way the programs embrace all types of families. Our children are currently enrolled in the threes program and the older infant room, and we cannot say enough good things about their teachers. Each day, our three year old is encouraged to be curious, social and caring. His teacher demonstrates excellent classroom management and truly makes each child feel valued and engaged. Our infant receives personalized care and feeding, enrichment activities (hello adorable baby art!) and plenty of social engagement from his caregivers. Our children have bonded well with their respective teachers and caregivers, and look forward to their time with them. We pick our children up clean, with all of their belongings, and receive relevant updates on their daily activities. As a parent, we feel like the staff truly cares about our children and our family and make every effort to make the time we have to spend away from them as working parents a bit more bearable. read more

Like any first time parent we were apprehensive about leaving our 6-week old with a random daycare. We went and toured just about every daycare in a 20-mile radius. Some were friendly but didn't look well funded, some looked and smelled like hospitals and others were so focused on accreditation that they forgot they are a daycare and not an Ivy League school. In my mind a daycare is a place where my child needs to feel comfortable and loved so that she can learn and grow. When we came across the Scottsdale ELC I had lost all hope and was investigating a full-time nanny. When we walked in we met with Hanadi in the infant room and instantly fell in love with her. Her type A fastidious personality was the first thing we noticed and exactly what babies need including schedules to the minute and lots of attention. Within the first week we knew Hanadi has so much motherly love that she does this out of pure passion for childhood development. On the totem pole it went Mommy, Hanadi, Daddy. When your child starts to walk they start transitioning into the next room, a couple hours a day so it's not stressful for the child. The next room is Lama who our child now calls Mama. Lama teaches all sorts of things like sitting in chairs, eating with utensils and all the stuff toddlers should know. When we get there in the morning and she spots Lama she full out sprints to her (laughing), climbs into her arms and gives her the biggest hug and kiss. That right there should tell you everything you need to know about this daycare. My child is happy, safe and getting love every hour of the day and I can't ask for anything more. They also have cameras in every room that you can view online any time of the day to check in. I agree with some of the other reviews, some of the previous directors weren't the best, but the current director and assistant director are doing a great job and even though we moved pretty far away, we still make the drive there everyday because we love it that much. If you need a reference just go there at 7am in the morning and watch all the smiling kids run in happily to their teachers for a day filled with learning new things. read more

Our kid loves to go to Early Learning Center and we love the place as well. The best part is the cameras in every room (and outside play area), so we can check in during the day to see what they are doing at the moment. Another cool thing they do is teacher-parent conferences for the little kids to get the child's strengths and things to work on at home more (usually this is only for the school age kids, but it is really helpful for the little ones as well). read more

I would have to agree with this review. My child was there for a little over 6 months, in which there were 3 directors. This raised red flags for me but I really liked the infant room teacher so we stayed. One of the reasons I left is that in an average day, my child would encounter 4-6 different caregivers. Although, all of the ones I met were nice enough, I don't think that this fosters stability for the children plus my child was in a stranger danger phase & was very tearful daily due to this. However, there are some great and tenured teachers which I've heard alot of them have left due to the new management. I realize they are trying to get their act together but I wish it wasn't at the expense of the parents and children read more

Our daughter went here for over a year. Our experience was a good one. We LOVE the two year old teach, Ms. Amira. Our daughter adored her and from the first day she was in the class, it seemed like she was learning new things everyday. All meals were included which made dinner time so much better in our family, when we got home, she was already fed and we could worry about other things. The only negative is that the afternoon help doesn't seem to be consistent. Every few weeks, it seemed like there was a new afternoon teacher in the class. When we would get to know the afternoon teacher and feel comfortable, she would move to a new room or leave the center. I would give it five stars if not for that. read more

My Daughter enjoying going here after school and all the staff is very professional and nice. She gets her homework done and reads to the younger kids. read more

This is the first time I have ever written a review. I deemed it necessary because I don't want a parent/child to go through what we went through. I spent several days researching daycares in the area to put my 1 year old child in. Previously he had been with a nanny that he loved, so I knew it would be somewhat of a transition for him. I chose SELC because1) I liked the director upon meeting her and she said that 2) their philosophy to be nurture first, educate second, 3) they had cameras, 4) the room was clean and had a lot of area for the kids to explore. I work from home and have dual monitors- so I had the second monitor set to watch my child throughout the day. While watching the video, I observed that my child spent most of his time in isolation. There was no curriculum or engagement and my child was spending 2 hours + on the playground standing there crying or in a swing while the teachers stood in a corner and talked to each other. At home, my child became very needy and clinging- not wanting to leave my side. This was very different than my independent explorer that wouldn't sit still before he started daycare. After picking my child up early because he was left in a swing for an hour (to which he fell asleep in with no one pushing him)- I asked for a curriculum. It took me 3 days to receive it. I took it home to review it- and the toddler curriculum was written on a 6th grade level. His vocabulary words were words like "biodegradable" and "compost". Very upset and after many tears shed watching my child isolated, I went in to speak with the director. She was very kind, she explained that the curriculum wasn't followed because it was out of scope (and the teachers didn't have time to make up another curriculum), that my child was standoffish but she would talk with the teachers about engaging him more. She also offered to be more flexible with the schedule- so I decided to switch him to 1/2 days while he was transitioning. For 2 days things seemed to improve and then things went back to the way they were where my child spent the majority of the day standing or sitting alone. I witnessed one day my child went up to a teacher and reached out his arms- she didn't even bother to look down at him so he sat in front of her for 15 minutes and cried.. she eventually just walked away, never acknowledging him. The next day I took him in at 10am for a 1/2 day. The first hour he stood alone on the playground. Then he ate for 15 minutes- after that he was put on his cot where he remained from 11:15am-315pm! 4 Hours! He slept for 1 and 1/2 hours and sat there by himself the rest of the time. I called other daycares that day- asking if this was "normal", the other daycares (that didn't have room for my child) told me absolutely not and to take him out immediately. I went up to the school LIVID and talked with the director. She basically told me that it was my child and that he would have this problem anywhere. I was willing to take my chances. I am writing this a week after we pulled him and put him in another daycare in the area. It is the same price but a WORLD of difference. My child is engaged, participating in learning activities throughout the day, and has already become comfortable with his teachers/other kids in school. He is happier and back to his exploring/fun/active nature. I shed many tears and got very little work done the weeks that my child was at SELC. Although the staff was always friendly to me- me and my child's experience there was absolutely awful. read more

This place used to be great when Jen ran the school. Since then the care has slipped noticeably. After three years we have decided to leave due to the lack of care; it appears the entire afternoons are the kids just sitting in front of a TV.. read more

I do agree with these parents and some of their issuses with this center. However, Melanie is the newest Director to this center and she is amazing. I can see and feel a difference in this center. Its about time they found a Director who REALLY cares about the school, children, parents, and staff.This school has about 5 staff members who have been there for years. Things can change and I believe SELC is going in the right direction FINALLY!!!!!!! read more

Like a previous post says, they switch management waaaay too often. I noticed a huge decline in quality of care and consistency of teachers as soon as my fave director left. The new director is a snobby you-know-what. She has never once introduced herself to me and the assistant director has become her little pet having the same cruddy attitude. Most of my fave teachers left. That's when problems started. Suddenly my 1 yr old was coming home with bruises what lasted for 6 days and no one had any clue as to what happened! Really? Who's watching my kid then? Why is she coming home on separate occasions with scratches and bruises and no incident reports? Also, if I'm paying you to watch my kid, you need to quit standing out there on the playground while they cry, get up off your fat butt, and go engage with the kids! Hate your job? ; Then don't work with kids. None of my children will be returning to this school. I Would never recommend this school. The other low raking reports are not wrong either. I have noticed their concerns as well. read more

Unsafe-ANYONE can take your child home!! I took my 7 month old here for three days. Prior to him starting, the office was very disorganized (should have ran at this first sign!!) The director and her assistant never asked me much information but I did fill out a registration package (which I'm not even sure they read!!) They never showed us any protocol for dropping our son off or picking him up, such as signing him in or out. Our son went into a different room in the afternoons, after his normal teacher left, with teachers that we did not know or meet so they definitely did not know us and they never verified that we were the correct people picking our son up!! Well our fear came true when I got stuck at work his third day at the day care and I had my mother pick him up. A cleaning woman (or possibly cook) let my mother in the main door, no one was in the office at the time. My mom then walked down the hallway looking in the classroom windows just looking for my son; no one around to tell her where he was. She tapped on the glass when she saw a child with his back towards her screaming his head off and asked if that was my son. The teachers said yes so she just went in a grabbed him. NO ONE ASKED WHO SHE WAS! NO ONE VERIFIED SHE WAS ALLOWED TO PICK HIM UP!! Thank goodness it was my mother and not someone else who could have just as easily grabbed my child!!! Another note...On our son's second day attending my husband called to check on him and the director casually said "Oh, he is doing great! He is playing and having fun and just ate a full meal." When we picked my son up that afternoon (his normal teacher still there) his teacher told us he had a very rough day. He cried the whole day and barely ate anything. The director lied to us! One last thing that didn't sit well with us. We saw the director in the hall (she did not realize we were there) and she was tapping on the window of one of the rooms (not my son's room) telling the teacher to grab a child who was screaming his head off and almost falling out of a bouncer seat because his parents were watching on the web cam! We felt like that the only reason she was telling the teacher to care for the child is because the parents are watching and not because a child should be treated better!! Over all, in my son's short three days there, I was very dissapointed. How unsafe and scary that ANYONE could go take my or anyone else's child!! read more