Director with the acent not very nice lady . I pulled my daughter out because she called her a…read morespecial circumstances baby when my daughter had a seizure all it was do to a fever but the way she spoke and said it was so mean and hurtful

I love Great Beginning - they have very much vested in every aspect of making sure a child feels…read moreloved, learns a great deal, and is heathy and happy. Every caregiver from the director to every teacher makes a great effort to love and care for the children. May Both Kids had the best time, developed incredibly, and made some deep friendships.

I enrolled my daughter at this location with high expectations for a safe, nurturing, attentive,…read moreand structured learning environment. Unfortunately, my experience over time raised several concerns that ultimately led to me seeing the truth about this location. One of my primary concerns was basic hygiene and attentiveness. On multiple occasions, I picked my daughter up with visible food residue still on her face. I also observed dried nasal discharge on her face and even on the back of her hand, as if she had attempted to clean herself. I began noticing similar issues with other children as well, including children walking around with excessively runny noses for extended periods without staff intervention. I'm sure this is why the kids are always sick. In addition, there appeared to be a lack of situational awareness when it came to children's comfort and supervision. There were times where clothing did not seem appropriate for the weather, which further reflected a lack of attentiveness to individual needs. They would take the children outside without coats while it's cold. More concerning were multiple safety incidents involving my daughter that were handled in an extremely dismissive manner. One incident I personally witnessed on camera involved another child pushing my daughter three times back-to-back until she fell to the ground, while a teacher stood directly beside them without intervening. Later that same day, I noticed a bruise on my daughter's leg. When I reported this to the director, Erin, I was told the video showed my daughter "falling into the teacher's lap," which did not align with what I personally observed on camera. I was also informed that no incident report would be completed because the injury was not from the neck up. Another incident involved my daughter being struck in the head with a toy by another child, leaving her with a swollen bruise and lump that was black, blue, and purple. At pickup, staff appeared very nonchalant about the situation, simply stating that they "put ice on it" and that these things were "normal." While discussing this incident with staff, another child nearby was actively biting another child while staff stood around without immediately intervening. When I pointed this out, the response I received was dismissive instead of reassuring. I also observed what appeared to be inconsistent treatment and favoritism within the center. When I inquired about my daughter transitioning to the next classroom as she approached the appropriate age, I was told it would not be possible because of lack of space and something regarding the way they pick who goes to the next class. However, I personally observed the director's granddaughter transition out of the same classroom within approximately 2-3 weeks. She doesn't talk, isn't potty trained and is only two months older than my daughter. Her mom confirmed these things to me personally. This raised concerns for me regarding whether policies and opportunities were being applied equally to all families. In addition to these concerns, I often was dismissed when attempting to advocate for my child. Erin's communication style frequently came across as condescending, defensive, racist and lacking empathy whenever concerns were raised. Rather than feeling supported as a parent, I often left interactions feeling unheard and uncomfortable. I also recorded my second raised concern that I had with Erin. So if anyone wants proof on the way she handles things, I will send you the video! There were also instances where staff appeared more focused on phones and side conversations than actively engaging with the children. The environment is more like passive babysitting than a structured educational setting focused on child development and attentive care. My daughter went from talking and being expressive to crying and whining all the time. When I asked to speak to the owner Erin continuously lied and made excuses. For $525 per week (approximately $2,100 per month), parents should be able to expect attentive supervision, professionalism, cleanliness, accountability, and equitable treatment. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. Also the front desk worker Suzie as well is extremely disrespectful. I just left the school so upset that this is the way they handle people who pay their hard earned money. Erin is a liar as well. She claimed I was rude and used profanity when my child was hit on by another child. Which is a lie! Watch the cameras for one full day while your child is there and I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT WANT YOUR CHILD ATTENDING THIS EXPENSIVE BABY SITTER! UPDATE: Notice every response is signed "Karim B. (Owner) mine is "Center Administration and Compliance Team". Erin is in fact a big part of the problem. Parents can draw their own conclusions regarding how concerns are handled when serious safety and supervision issues are raised.

Leaving Kiddie Academy of Alexandria is so bittersweet for our family. Both of our children have…read morebeen here since they were just 12 weeks old, and watching them grow up in such a loving environment has been a beautiful experience. It's the kind of place where everyone knows your kids, greets them with a smile, and treats them like family. We are so sad to say goodbye. The wonderful teachers will always have a special place in my heart, and I cannot recommend this daycare enough to any parent looking for a safe, loving place for their little ones. They really are the best.

We love Bright Minds Preschool. Our daughter likes all her teachers. They're very patient and…read morereceptive. We enjoy the field trips and family events they host throughout the year.

We love Bright Minds Preschool! Our 3 year old daughter started attending in July this year and…read morewe've been so impressed by how much she's already learned in just a few months. The teachers made sure it was a welcoming environment where she was able to make new friends quickly. There are art projects and activities every day in addition to open playtime. In the summer there were pool sessions and in the fall they often visit local parks and libraries! There's also an app that keeps every parent up to date on daily routines with photos and descriptions of what the kids had for lunch! It's my new favorite app! Truly a perfect environment for toddlers and we could not be happier we chose this school. Thank you BMPS team!

We love American Day School! Our daughter has thrived in the infants classroom. She gets so excited…read morewhen she sees her teachers and classmates at drop off and she's always in a great mood when we pick her up. Her teachers are incredibly caring and loving and have helped our daughter grow into a happy toddler. She's learned so much at ADS and as parents, we feel so confident in the school and the community. Highly recommend!

When looking for childcare, times can get a bit stressful. As a family, we wanted to have our kids…read morein a comfortable environment where they would feel safe and taken care of. I am a military veteran and we were looking for childcare under the 'Childcare Aware' program. Within this program, we were blocked into looking at certain childcare centers and what we discovered is that is not necessarily a model built to take care of each family as an individual. As we know, there is no cookie cutter fit for each child into a particular center. Knowing this, we decided to seek childcare outside of the 'Childcare Aware' program and to go with one that fit our family.....our child. I can tell you American Day School (ADS), under the leadership of Ms. Pilar Mackay, Ms. Nicole and the rest of the educators, exceeded our expectations. Every morning while dropping off our daughter she was greeted (as well as us) as if she was the most important person around. They do this with each and every kid. We know the love and safety is a focus there because every time our daughter would see a friend of hers outside of school they would always run to each other and give the best hugs. They were always soooo excited to see one another. At ADS their goal is to provide a positive environment where the children develop a sense of community, are confident, and have fun learning. Having our daughter experience ADS set her up for success when she reached Kindergarten. During her time at ADS she developed her counting well beyond 100, was completing math equations, knew all of her letters (capital and lower case), and was writing her name. Kindergarten has been a breeze for her. She's been very confident and a leader in her class and the teachers have continued to work with her on her math equations once they noticed she was already performing well enough at them. There is no doubt from us that our daughter could her gone to first grade after her Pre-K year with ADS. Our daughter spent a total of two years with ADS (Preschool 2 and Pre-K). If you are looking for a great head start for you kid(s), I think you owe it to yourselves and your little one(s) to give ADS a look.

I have had the worst experiences when it comes to childcare in the DMV. When I first applied to…read moreCelebree, I could not believe how open, transparent, and informed they were. There was a little bit of a waiting period because the school wasn't open just yet. But during that wait period, my son and I still had a chance to interact with both the teachers and the parents. Every question I had was answered with meaningful intention. They truly and honestly made it feel like a second home for my toddler. The time and attention given to each parent, child, and staff member shows how much effort is put into upholding the Celebree Values. * Communication: 10/10 They use the "HiMama" app where everything from the fire drills to the daily report is consistently uploaded daily. Recently my toddler was sick and had to stay home for a week. If I didn't reach out to the team someone from the team would reach out to check on him. * Culture: 10/10 They focus a lot on the kids and parents comfortability. If my son isn't feeling well or is just having a bad day they go above and beyond to understand what's going rather than just brush it off as an off day. They have parent events to have the parents connect with not only the teachers but other parents as well. * Curriculum: 10/10 I love the structure the curriculum because it's geared more towards comprehension and not solely memorization. For example: He knows how to count to 20 but does he know what the quantity actually looks like. * Procedures and Policies: 10/10 Safety is a number one priority for me so I spent a lot of time interviewing them about the safety procedures and policies. They have a policy in place for every and any issue you could possible think of. They have an open door policy and I can't count the amount of time I have dropped in to say hi or ask questions. * Facility: 10/10 I love that everything is always clean and childproof. The playground is on top of the roof which I know sounds like the most dangerous thing but the security around the playground is very reassuring. The structure of the multiple fences does not allow any devastating accidents. They do not leave the building outside of fire drills. The toys and books are up-to-date and well kept. Everything is very aesthetically pleasing. * Staff: 10/10 Each and every teacher has been amazing! My son is extremely excited each day to go to school so that he can see his teachers and friends. Life happens and sometimes teachers have to rotate out but the quality of care does not change. The staff makes sure know each student whether they are in their class or not. The Admin team really is the DREAM TEAM! The work like a well oiled machine the way the support each other, the staff, the kids, and the parents. * Ms. Shawn has to be one of the best support manager. She takes her time to connect with every student and parent. When I have a problem she has already began working on the solution! One moment she will bring doing Admin duties and the next she is in the classes teaching the kids. She does a lot of work to make sure the needs of everyone in the Celebree Family is met. * Ms. Jana is AH-MAY-ZING! She is the conductor of this train. Although she has worked in childcare for many years she is not jaded and somehow is able to give each child and parent consistent love and care. She brought us in and made sure we felt like family. She has even improved my parenting with all types of advice, tips, and tricks. * Mr. Mohammad and Mrs. Ayesha have been welcoming and open from the very beginning. I was hesitant because you never really get to form a bond with the owners of a daycare but they make sure to not just "show face" but actively be inside of the classrooms assisting the teachers with anything they need. I really wanted to make sure that this team of amazing people received their praises! I really appreciate each and every person that is apart of the Celebree Family.

My experience at Celebree My first few months were great…read morewhile Mohammed was the owner . He was involved and made sure his staff were ok , even brought lunch when we had some rough days . Joshua was great as well. He was involved and helped in the classroom so we could be in compliance and in ratio. Maylen was a great director she actually has teacher experience so she understood our concerns, needs and wants . Unfortunately things took a turn and not in a positive direction. Teachers were quitting and people were unhappy . I started in the twos class then worked with threes . I was in 3a working by myself with a select few scholars who really needed an aide . One on one. I asked for proper help but Ms.Teresa (CEO) said I' didn't . Mind you there were classrooms who had two teachers who didn't need it as much as i did . I had students who still needed to be changed on changing tables . I took that i did my job and my scholars were always safe and learning . They closed 3a to make a play room. I was forced to work in 3b due to two teachers Just walking out on their kids . I worked hard in 3b due, changed the class around i was the only teacher who really was willing to work in there . Going forward with new director (Ana ) and assistant director Tatiana My experience with these two First i would Say you wouldn't know if Ana was there or not because she is always in the office . She don't check on her staff as she should .when she leaves she don't say goodbye . She had an I'm just here collecting my check vibe. I was really looking forward to the changes she was going to make but nothing really happened . Every summer activity it was someone she knew or family and honestly the basketball he didn't really show the kids anything . I understand though keep it in the family . She never held the floaters accountable for their lack of help . They basically can do whatever they want because they know Ana. Clock in and sit doing nothing. Or they would come into 3b and not want to be there and become another body leaving me doing everything . Things become over whelming. I even pulled owner to the side asking for real assistance with classroom . Maybe a month later they let me go saying classroom management. Mind you almost every parent in 3b told me how much of a good job i was Doing . How i always Had the classroom well managed ! I feel Like i was Let go due to personal reasons ! I would Have respected you alls decision if i never came asking for help and if you all actually pulled me to office to talk about whatever the issue was . Tatiana simply doesn't know how to talk to anyone with respect . If parents have questions her response is let me talk to the director . She never knows anything . Seems a bit off at times . She created a summer lesson plan and didn't make sure staff had the materials until two weeks later and would get upset if things weren't executed due to lack of materials. The same should be expected of admin like it for teachers if we make a lesson plan we are responsible to make sure we have what we need , she should have done so as well the first day ! Tatiana can't take constructive criticism well she takes it as you are trying to challenge her when all you are trying to do is show her a better way . Let's be real more than half of the teachers there have more experience than her . I say all this to say Celebree lost a good teacher and probably will lose more if they continue to keep moving in that direction . If a teacher ask for help and is coming to leadership showing you they care and you all just basically ignored my needs. 3b was the dump room meaning they were putting kids that were not ready in that classroom . 18 kids on roaster only ONE TEACHER, ME!!!! Very unfortunate On a positive side MS.KEMBA !!!! First of if it wasn't for her we wouldn't even have the supplies we had !!! She looks out for her staff . She helps in classroom . She comes up with so much creative things to do in the school that is one thing I'm going to miss is her and of course my babies ! She goes above and beyond . There were times when Kemba was by herself and when i tell You it ran better than it did when all admin is there believe me !! She is welcoming she speaks to all . She should become director . She's never going to tell you idk she's going to figure everything out. Call her super woman !!

This review is based off the staff member Valentina. I started here and on my first day this woman…read morewas so rude to me and quite frankly if shes like this to staff, she doesnt need to be around children. The owner says "that's just who she is." That is no excuse for someone to be such a horrible and hateful person. I was told she ran out the girl who I replaced! She is a nasty person.

I am taking time to write this review and share our journey. With our dd (dearest daughter) we…read morestarted off with a nanny for about 9 months. The experience was not favorable and we concluded that it was just not a good fit for our family. Plus at 9 months, we felt it very important to get her around other children and have more engaged time during the day. Enter the search for childcare in the Washington, DC Metro area!!! eeeeek! I researched, interviewed, and toured over 15(+) schools in DC, MD and VA. We ended up on the waitlist at 4 schools... Flagstone, Madison, ADS and BH Carlyle. Within a month our dd started at Flagstone in the infant room and after the experience with our nanny, needless to say, I was petrified to leave my child with anyone... BUT Miss Keisha, Miss Suriya, Miss I and Miss Dawn were amazing in the infant room! Not only were they kind and gentle with our daughter, but you can tell there was a genuine LOVE for her and all the babies in their care. Over a short period, we really felt apart of the Flagstone family and watched as our daughter flourished into an independent, loving and outgoing little lady. Needless to say, there is not a perfect childcare facility. The place is a bit older and does not have all the bells and whistles of some of the newer day schools in the area. With that said, Flagstone has the BEST outdoor space in Old Town and children go out twice a day. That is super important to our family. Also, most of the staff has been at the school for over 10 years, which is huge in an industry with high turnover. The biggest plus for us is the staff. The teachers and administrators have a genuine LOVE for each and every child, whether they are in their classrooms or not. It truly is a family environment and that is what we want and need in a day school. Since our daughter started at Flagstone, we have received offers from the other 3 schools and politely declined. We LOVE Flagstone and our Flagstone Family!

This is a small, woman-owned business that I am happy to support. My house was undergoing some work…read morethat required me to be out of the home during the day, and since I work from home, it was challenging. I found Cowo and Crèche, and I am very glad I did! Clean, quiet location, very friendly staff, tons of space to work. I am very comfortable there. I have gone a few times now and will be back. This location would also be great for events. It's a place I will keep in mind for future events, as they have a great space. Highly recommended.

Great location for co-working and for hosting group events! Really enjoyed the time I got to spend…read morecollaborating during the group event I attended, and really grateful to meet the owners! Look forward to going again soon!

Tiny Tots is a wonderful day care center. My son has been attending "school" here for six months…read more It is clean, safe and the teachers are awesome! They are so loving and caring. My son smiles every time I drop him off. The price is very reasonable, especially because Tiny Tots provides diapers. Woo hoo...one less thing to worry about. I love that they have multiple locations but all the kids at this school are under three. The location of the school is convenient. I can't say enough great things about this place.

Our daughter is enrolled in Tiny Tot's since July and she is really happy to go there every…read moremorning. Nannies are fantastic with children, you can easily see how they love children. I strongly recommend this daycare.

After 2 years at the school and 2 children enrolled, we ultimately withdrew both of our children…read morebecause we no longer felt confident in the school management's ability to provide a safe, stable, and well-managed environment. The root cause of nearly every concern we experienced was the same: poor leadership and management by the owners. During our time at the school, we experienced: * Every single teacher except one since the school started 2 years ago has left. * ~6 new lead teachers across our two children's classrooms since October 2025 alone. Not counting all the one offs they brought in and out that lasted only days / weeks. * 3 principals in two years, with the school still lacking permanent leadership. * Frequent classroom shuffling for students and teachers, and staffing changes to maintain ratios to the point where our kids would sometimes have lunch in one room, sleep in another. * Repeated injuries and biting incidents in understaffed classrooms. After one incident involving our child, we were told that "at least it didn't break the skin." * Multiple illness outbreaks, reports that classrooms went without soap for an extended period, prolonged HVAC issues, and rodent activity. * A consistent lack of transparency. Parents often learned about significant issues only after repeated questioning, conversations with teachers, violations posted to the DSS website, and after problems had already escalated. * A recurring disconnect between what teachers reported and what management communicated. Teachers frequently shared concerns about staffing and classroom support, while management often claimed they were unaware of the same issues. Consistently the management blamed teachers, and refused to take accountability. * Repeated billing discrepancies and incorrectly charged fees that required us to carefully review statements and request corrections. The school's licensing reports ultimately confirmed many of the concerns parents had been raising. Recent inspections cite repeat violations and systemic deficiencies involving background checks, staff qualifications, CPR requirements, classroom supervision, medication administration, and safety procedures. Particularly alarming was a finding that an employee had worked at the school for 19 months without a completed criminal background check, along with findings that staff lacking required documentation were sometimes working alone with children. Most of the teachers genuinely cared about the children and worked hard under difficult circumstances. Our concerns are not with them. Often the lack of management support drove them to leave. Our concerns are with the owners. These are not first-time childcare operators. They know what stable staffing, strong compliance, transparent communication, and adequate classroom support should look like. Yet many of the same concerns persisted despite repeated feedback from families and staff. What was most frustrating was not that problems existed, but that meaningful action often seemed to occur only after repeated parent complaints or licensing involvement. It felt like business and operational considerations were being prioritized over investing in the staffing, support, communication, and resources necessary to provide the quality of care families were paying for. We ultimately felt safer keeping our children at home than leaving them at a school we were paying thousands of dollars each month to trust. We gave it enough time, but felt there wasn't a real path to improvement, with more problems cropping before prior ones were resolved. In good faith, we cannot recommend this location. Parents should review the Virginia DSS reports, ask detailed questions about staff retention and leadership turnover, and speak directly with current teachers, not just management. Virginia DSS licensing reports: https://legacy.dss.virginia.gov/facility/search/cc2.cgi?rm=Details;ID=50753;search_keywords_name=goddard%20old%20town%20alexandria

Good afternoon families, I would like to share my experience…read morewith The Goddard School in Old Town Alexandria. While some members of the management team were helpful, I had ongoing concerns during my time there. Communication from the enrollment specialist, Anu, was inconsistent. I was told my calls would be returned, but they often were not. I also experienced serious billing issues, including unexplained charges to my account. My balance reportedly exceeded $5,000, yet my caseworker stated my actual co-pay should for DSS have only been around $200. Despite multiple attempts, no one could clearly explain the charges. I was also concerned about the classroom environment. On several occasions, the food portions appeared inadequate, and I noticed milk that smelled expired. I reported seeing mice in the building to the Operations Director, Ms. Mack, and she addressed the issue immediately. She consistently went above and beyond to support the staff and ensure classrooms remained in ratio. However, there was a constant turnover of staff, with new employees appearing almost daily. As a parent, this instability did not make me feel comfortable or secure leaving my son there. I was also told that the curriculum was not consistently being followed, which became another reason we decided to withdraw our child from the school. Additionally, I witnessed concerning behavior from the owner, who often appeared angry and was overheard yelling at staff members. The environment seemed stressful for employees, many of whom looked unhappy and underpaid. One of my biggest concerns involved safety and medication procedures. I was told children were receiving medication even though no properly certified medication staff appeared to be available in the building at the time. I also became aware of multiple child injury incidents that are reportedly under investigation. I do want to acknowledge Ms. Mack and Ms. Mahdu, who were the only individuals in the office I personally felt I could trust and who consistently treated families with professionalism and care.One day I went in the classroom and I saw Rebecca taking some pills in a pillow box and left it outside the countertop you are saying that I do not like the rough dirty filthy in the classroom Miss miss Trinity is Olivia. They all get rid of all the good staff members all they have right now is young lady who do not know what they're doing. They need to be trained. I saw two new people at the front desk Normal Mack where's Mack? No one can answer what is the height about then Mr Ray no mystery. No one know where is mystery. Ultimately, due to concerns about safety, staffing instability, billing practices, and communication, we decided to remove our son from the school.

We had our two year old at Celestial childcare until she was ready for pre-school. Karla is a…read morepleasure to work with. While at Celestial, she learned the basics such as putting on her own jacket, hanging it on a hook and best of all, clean up time! That last bit made it all worth it, nothing like seeing your toddler break into song and start putting toys away. Not only that, kids get to work on their Spanish. This was a major plus for us as we wanted to foster bilingual development. Needless to say, the price you pay is very economical when comparing to local child care. "Tuition" also includes meals, snacks and DIAPERS! When they are ready, they will also help potty train the kiddos. If you are looking for a place for your kiddos, I highly recommend touring Celestial, do it before it gets a long wait list.

We just love Celestial Childcare! Our daughter has been going to Celestial Childcare for over a…read moreyear and a half and our son will be joining soon. When we first toured Celestial Childcare my husband and I were impressed by the curriculum to include language - Spanish. The warmness expressed by each kiddo showcased to us that this is where there kids wanted to be. They are learning while playing with appropriate boundaries and discipline. Each time we drive near daycare our daughter shouts, "Oh yay, we go to Ms. Karla's!" This warms my heart because my daughter is excited to go there to learn and marvel at new things. Each day she comes home expressing new ideas and words/phrases in English and Spanish, and she is so enthusiastic to share how her day was. I'm in awe in Ms. Karla's ability to captivate her classroom and for all the kiddos to listen without disruption. It's more than an art - it's natural born skill - and it makes us happy we chose Celestial Childcare to be an extension of our family. This is the place for your kiddos! You'll be so happy with your decision.