I've been pondering this review for about a month now, but I REALLY FEEL OBLIGATED TO WRITE IT TO LET THE PARENTS WHO HAVE CHILDREN ENROLLED THEIR, KNOW THAT I WALKED IN FOR A TOUR, AND WAS LEFT UNATTENDED FOR 45 MINUTES. I COULD HAVE WALKED OUT WITH ANY ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN....AND ALL BECAUSE I WAS DRESSED LIKE A STEPFORD WIFE. My spouse and I made an appointment to come and view the school. He took time off of work and we headed in at our selected time. We walked up to the school and piggyback in. Was not buzzed in. No one greeted us. We just walked in. We then sat there for 10 minutes and that's when a kitchen lady came out, and told us that the principal or lady who does all of the tours, was 45 minutes late. So we just sat there. Then I said to my spouse "You know what...I want to see something". I got up and walked around. No one said anything or asked me who I was. Another 10 minutes had passed and no one said anything. So I walked to where all the children were playing outside. They're corralled like animals in a fenced in playground, with about 50 plus kids of all ages in there. I opened the doors and stood there. I stood there for 30 minutes and no one said anything to me. The two younger girls (staff members) were on their phones chatting.....and I purposely stood right next to them to see if they'd say anything to me. NOTHING!!! Sooooo I turned around and went to find my spouse and told him. I said "this is not the school for us". Then the lady walked in who was supposed to give us the tour. She was all apologetic and I told her of the SECURITY BREACH, and she said she'd take care of it. Then she proceeded to show us around the school. Mainly the rooms for the 2.5 year olds. We went in and you're hit in the face with a URINE AND POOP SMELL. I just looked at my spouse. It smelt like a dirty animal control place, where they put 100's of unneutered stray cats. It was just gross. We were polite and finished the tour, but sincerely should have just left when she was a no-show. THIS PLACE IS SCARY UNSAFE!!! AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME.....GO AHEAD AND WASTE YOUR TIME. CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF. PS-To the staff and principal of the school...who will most likely write a response to this review......SHAME ON YOU!!! And I hope Child Protective Services pays you a visit. I will not change my review. I was appalled and your place is unsafe, unsanitary and disgusting. read more

Our child has been going to Stepping Stone for about a year now. We have absolutely loved the teachers our child has interacted with. They have been extremely helpful this first year as we navigated parenthood. For example, our child struggled with table food for a while. Around 9 months we asked if they could help at school. The teachers got them eating real food in less than 2 days! We know they are safe and loved while they are there. read more

My son goes to stepping stone in one of the infant rooms. We have been there for 5 months and have had a great experience so far. His teachers, Lola and Natalia, truly do care about him. He looks forward to seeing them every day! I love seeing the smile on his face when he walks into his room, and it gives me comfort knowing he is in the right place. The place is very clean and secure. Communication is great as well, from both his teachers and the school. read more

My son (now 16 months) attended Stepping Stone Brodie, and it just wasn't a good fit. I'm sure most of this comes down to what teachers/caregivers your child has, but there were a few other instances that caused us concern. First of all, this place is very large, and they would shuffle my son from room to room. I would have to drop him not in his usual classroom with different teachers daily - which I didn't love. These teachers sometimes didn't know his name, making me nervous that he was getting lost in the shuffle. Additionally, there were multiple instances where my son wasn't using his own personal items. For example, they put him in someone else's scented diapers, which caused a rash despite his own diapers being available. I emailed the principal that day and he came home in the scented diaper again. We later learned that this was due to the teacher's failure to retrieve his personal items from his usual room. On another occasion, we received a photo of him sleeping on another child's sleep mat. Communication here is also very lacking. At the end of the day we would receive minimal information about how his day was and the daily reports got progressively sparse (these have info about naps, meals, etc.). While not a major issue, it only added to my concerns about the level of attention and care being given to my child. To make matters worse, after an incident where my son's finger got caught in a door and was injured, we were not immediately provided with an incident report. We later had to receive it via email, yet another example of poor communication and disorganization. Long story short, the lack of communication, disorganization, and chaotic environment left us deeply disappointed. While every place has its challenges, the consistent issues we encountered at Stepping Stone Brodie made it clear that it was not the right fit for our child. read more

I have two kids who have been here basically since they were born. There is no one I trust more than their infant teacher-Lola. She has been so amazing with my son. I feel so relaxed when I know she is with my son while I'm at work. She is so kind and caring we just love her! read more

Our son attended Stepping Stone Brodie and we couldn't be happier with the experience. The staff is great and the director is very communicative, the curriculum is educational, and it's a great place for developing little brains. We noticed growth in our son's speech, mobility, dexterity, and vocabulary each week. We had a terrific experience at Stepping Stone Brodie. read more

We enrolled our 4 month old at in the "Satellite" class at this Stepping Stone this year and it has been a wonderful experience! As first time parents, we were nervous to drop our daughter off at day care (especially at such a young age). But, the teachers and staff there really take an interest and get to know your child. We feel completely comfortable knowing that she gets the love and attention she needs while we're at work. And we always find her with a smile when we pick her up. Christina and Larissa run a really tight ship. We're so glad we made the decision to go here! read more

I hate to leave bad reviews but it also has been weighing on me , not sharing our experience here. My daughter attended stepping stone about 6+ months ago, so things may have changed by now- hopefully! Depending who is leading the front office and the teachers your kids have, obviously make the experience. When we started- we were also wowed by the newness of the playground and tech. We actually did like her teachers to start (no longer there). I felt like they cared and took care of her. But, we did have issues with her being bit daily for a couple weeks. We didn't receive notices either, but would find bite marks at bath time. I know that's a phase with kids and I understand, but for it to happen daily? And with no notice to a parent? Unacceptable and really hard to see my baby sad and get hurt at a place she should be safe. (There was issues of who should communicate teachers or principal) A few months at stepping & we also started to notice a lot of turnover. We blamed it on covid - but after talking to some teachers who left, we learned that wasn't the reason. The communication overall was terrible- it was always a surprise. Every time we walked into her classroom there was a new helper. We never were given an update on who to expect or any communication. A little scary when you're dropping your kid off with a stranger daily. I didn't know if that was the norm, but now being at a different daycare I can tell you that's NOT the case. We would see the principal and front office workers, in her classroom helping. Everyday at pickup or drop off was a mess truly and everyone looked stressed. I had my radar up for a while and should've trusted my mom instincts sooner (biggest regret)- but I kept blaming it on covid and I understand daycare life is hard as an employee. The final straw was when her teachers changed & we had an incident. We picked her up one day and saw blood on her shirt. Teacher said she had a little fall but was ok. When we got home to check her- her tooth was half chipped! It wasn't a little fall for that to happen. Again, no call when it happened. After that, we called and took her out of that school immediately and haven't looked back! Daycare is not cheap- it's so hard to leave your kid with strangers- and then to have an experience like this- not fun! As a first time parent it's hard to compare daycares to anything else, but let me tell you - there are better places who are organized, have good leaders, have teachers who stick around and communicate! Don't settle - just had to share because I kept thinking about this and felt guilty not sharing my experience for other parents to be aware of. read more

Stepping Stone has been a home away from home for my twin boys. They've been in Ms. Lola's class since they were three months old and she has been fundamental in their development over the past 5 months, taking their growth so seriously and being so committed to working on whatever we're trying to focus on at home while keeping things consistent for them. She cares for them and all the kids in her class like they're her own, and as a first time mom it's been made so much easier to leave them there because of the trust we have in her and the rest of the staff. read more

My daughter Kinsley began attending Stepping Stone at age 1, not even walking yet. Their experience, insight and guidance was crucial in helping me learn to communicate with my only child. Over the years, as Kinsley grew into a toddler, then a grade-level student, it was Stepping Stone and their campus director, Jeanette Gonzalez who helped me learn what to expect as the years flew by. Their contributions are unmatched. When Covid swept through our country, it was clear the education system had no plan in place to keep our children learning and moving forward. The way Stepping Stone IMMEDIATELY adapted to the new environment, put an executable plan in place and provided the necessary structure children need to continue their education. They implemented measures to include temperature screenings, social distancing guidelines, and worked closely with the AISD teachers to keep all students on track with their education. Moreover, Stepping Stone students are also able to enjoy recess with their friends, and enjoy the most "normal" education available. Ms. Gonzalez, Mercedes and her entire team are a tremendous resource that never lost a step, while the rest of the world stood still. I am forever grateful, as Kinsley continues to thrive. Bless you all, Keely & Kinsley Sadler read more

Stepping Stone School - Brodie/Circle C - Preschools Near Me - Austin, Texas

We have had a great experience with Ms Lola and Ms Alyssa for our 5 month old. She absolutely loves her teachers and I feel comfortable leaving her in their care. They are experience and knowledgable and do a great job with her routine. We are always greeted by name in the lobby by the director and other staff and the building is always clean. Would definitely recommend! read more

I have both of my kids here at SS Brodie since 2015. They both love it, but for a time there was a rough patch. During that rough patch, there was a bit of turnover which causes distress and concern for everyone in our family and others. We know a few families that left because of that. I believe that things have turned around for the good of everyone with an experienced administrator. She has listened to the concerns and has created a stable environment for both the staff and families. The anchors and backbone or this campus are the teacher my children interact with the most; Ms. Cathy, Ms. Megan, Ms. Victoria. Both Ms. Victoria and Ms. Megan have been teachers to my daughter. Victoria has established great relationship, growth, and independence for my kids. Megan has done wonders driving focus and attention to prepare everyone for Kindergarten next year. Ms. Cathy has been wonderful for my son. She's known him almost his whole life, having time with her as a baby, and now as threenager. She has helped foster a wonderful transition from diapers to potty trained. She does a great job of communicating concerns as well as praises. read more

My kid has been going to Brodie location since a year. She loves it. There has been turn over of teachers due to the post covid situation but the school has handled it well to not cause much disruption to the kids. They are flexible with the drop off and pick up time which is a blessing for working parents. My kid gets enough time outside, which she loves and she enjoys herself there. read more

My son started at the Brodie location when he was 3 months old, in the infant room with Ms. Lola (she is WONDERFUL). Then Covid hit, and he stayed home until 7 months, when I had to return to work. At the beginning of covid, Stepping Stone immediately enacted cleaning and campus policies above and beyond the requirements from the CDC, and they also never closed. This allowed people who had to go to work in person the ability to do so. Since the pandemic began, we've been notified of only two instances of covid on campus, which is, in my opinion, a testament to their caution with temperature screenings, masking, and deep cleaning. Parents aren't allowed inside anymore, which is a bummer but makes perfect sense. The less germs in there, the better. My son is in the 12-18 month room now with Ms. Ana and Ms. Priscilla. They're great- he does activities every day (fingerprinting, drawing, play-doh, singing and dancing) and he comes home with new skills consistently. He's learned some baby sign language, as well as some social skills/cues that are really helpful. The principal now is Mercedes. She's a delight. Other staff I get to interact with consistently (at drop off and pick up) are Ms. Rosie and Ms. Angela. I trust all of them implicitly with my kiddo and consider them 100% part of the "village" it takes to raise a kid. We had some issues with one teacher early on, but they were all addressed and everything has been great since. I'd recommend this daycare to anyone looking for their child to develop social skills and early learning (and a healthy immune system- like any daycare, no shortage of colds, although way down with the cleaning policies). read more

My child has been enrolled at this Stepping Stone since February of 2018. She loves going to school and learned so much from these amazing individuals. The communication, pictures and reports I receive our beyond our expectations. Angela, Cathy and Rosie are so loved by our family. Ms. Jeanette and Ms. Mercedes are definitely a plus and a joy to see everyday. Thank you for loving my daughter and taking care of her daily. My daughter will be well prepared for Kindergarten next year! read more

My daughter absolutely loves Ms. Lola! This is a wonderful place and extremely friendly.

I want to thank all of the staff from Stepping Stone School - Brodie/Circle C for your diligent efforts in keeping the students safe and learning though this COVID-19 pandemic. I am so pleased with how both of my daughters have progressed, since their start at Stepping Stone. Very great teachers and really helpful leadership, my daughters enjoy their time in school and learning new things each and every day. Every day both of my daughters are looking forward to coming to school, that alone says a lot of this school. Thank you again Stepping Stone School - Brodie/Circle C for a safe and learning environment. read more

Stepping Stone School at Brodie is a lifesaver! My daughter is so excited to go to school every day and has so much fun learning from her teachers and playing with friends. I'm especially thankful for the excellent customer service from Daniella as we've navigated placing our daughter back in daycare in a pandemic. She's been so helpful with all of our questions and she always checks in to make sure our little one is thriving. Danielle leads an excellent staff and is always on top of every detail in such a busy environment. We recommend Stepping Stone to all of our friends with kids! read more

This is hands down the best child care I could have ever wished for. They greet you by name when you walk in and say goodbye when leaving. Most importantly, Ms. Lola and Ms. Alyssa treat my 5 month old like a princess. She is learning so much from them and even gives a great big smile every time I drop her off. It was a nervous wreck, being a first time mom, to drop off my little but one cannot find a better place than this. Thank you Stepping Stone read more

This school is an amazing place! Very clean with great staff and very welcoming. The director, Jeanette Gonzalez, was very accommodating and you can see the love that she has for the children. read more

I rarely write reviews however I had such a great experience with the awesome administrators! Brooke and Bailey are so attentive and listen to everything and anything my husband and I have to say. From the very beginning at the tour, to the parent orientation and even the first day they gave us all the information we needed, answered all our questions, and followed up with us. It really put me at ease seeing how they run the school and manage the classrooms. This really made me feel comfortable leaving my daughter in their care. My daughter is always asking for Ms. Brooke and Ms. Bailey even at home! read more

Stepping Stone School - Brodie/Circle C are amazing. With all the changes with AISD, they have been amazing with helping and adjusting to having my child be there. They are great at making sure my child gets on his zoom meetings. They also help my child with doing his school work. When picking up my child from Stepping Stone, he likes to explain all the fun activities he does during the day at Stepping Stone. read more

This is my review from our time here starting back in 2011 and attempts at giving them chances to improve over the years. I witnessed a teacher sleeping in the young tod room while the kids roamed about... Classrooms were frequently over ratio and chaotic. One teacher grabbed a pillow out from under a restless 1 year old child's head causing her head to flop back and hit the ground. One teacher grabbed a mat out from under a toddler standing on it and he lurched backwards (neck and all) and fell down. One teacher let a child with Down syndrome out of the young tod room and he wandered around the center for 15+ minutes while teachers gossiped at the end of the hall and nobody knew the child was missing and on his own. After watching for awhile, I finally took him to the chatty Kathy "teachers". One teacher grabbed my older daughter's arm hard, pushed her slightly, and screamed at her. When I confronted her she said they were way over ratio and she was stressed out. Another daughter was stung repeatedly by wasps due to what I considered to be an infestation. They had a wasp issue for a couple months without resolve. My daughter was stung in and outside of this school over a period of 3 weeks and had to have an Epi pen due to their negligence. They violated state guidelines potentially exposing children to unsafe treatments/pesticides by having the principal use spray in and outside of the facility vs having the pest company resolve it safely. More than 8 principals in under a year for two years that I know of. Daily sheets were never done. Children drinking out of dirty cups.. list goes on. Plus as another poster said, the entire school has this terrible stench. They tried to hide it for awhile by some extra super strong pine tree fragrance that punched you in the face when you walked in the door and gave me asthma attacks... poor kids! I reported all of this repeatedly to the center and to corporate and they chose to do nothing other than argue with me and give me attitude. Cool. I found another daycare to take great care of my kiddos years ago andwith the exception of the really bad taste in my mouth, never looked back read more

Both my daughters have been at stepping Stone since they were 7 weeks old now they are 3 and just about to turn 1. Mrs Lola and Miss Priscilla are Hands down the best! Both my girls love them and they are very special ladies in my book. If you child gets in their class they are so lucky and blessed ! These 2 ladies I trust 100% with my girls at any time. I know they will love them and care for them just like I would. When each girl has moved up especially recently with my youngest I literally cried because these 2 ladies have been so wonderful! They both are so loved by our family! read more

My little girl has been going since she was 12 weeks old and is now 20 mo. The same Director/Principal has been there the entire time so I can't speak to to turn over mentioned in another review? We had an excellent experience in our infant room, with Lola and Priscilla. They would follow any schedule you indicated and genuinely enjoy their jobs, really wonderful people. Note they are they are breastfeeding friendly. There was some turnover in staff during our time in the next room up, but my daughter just loved Jessica (and sadly the gal that left). Jessica consistently made me feel like our daughter was very special to her, and was so positive and happy every single day. There were repeated incidents with my child being bit early on; however I believe that's normal with the age group, and ultimately it was handled as it should be. She is now in a 18-24 month room and we just love the teacher there, Cathy. In every single room they have weekly activities planned around a theme and posted should you wish to reinforce at home (with suggested reading materials available upon request, etc.), so you even know the songs they are learning that week, the sign of week and the Spanish word of the week for example. I personally don't think people take advantage of this - myself included, I could absolutely do a better job. My little one randomly signs things to us and we have to learn from her teachers what they mean. They also do art at least one a week so there will be no shortage of priceless memorabilia. I like the Tadpole app with daily updates/photos (if you ever feel the teachers are slacking, just say something to them or the Director and it is immediately rectified). I like that you can sync so both parents can edit and/or view. I love the flexibility in schedule**: they are open 6:30-6 and you an come and go as you please; I consider this a huge benefit. There is no extra charge for before or after school, those are the hours. It's a huge plus they are open almost every darn day of the year whereas most places follow the AISD schedule and that's very difficult for working parents. (Tip for new parents: this is important factor for sure when considering daycare pricing) Another pro is the kiddos get am snack, pm snack, and lunch, and milk all included in tuition. If you want control over what your kiddo is eating simply get a copy of meal plan and indicate specifically what you are ok (or not ok) with; you are also welcome to provide whatever food or beverage you'd like for your child. I was disappointed when they transitioned the indoor play area into another room. But, they are consistently making improvements inside and out. ** My only complaint is similar to what some other folks have said, but I can't help but note that it's just an unfortunate side effect of one of the upsides. Yes, drop off can seem crazy sometimes; the Director might be pitching in, or the teacher from next door might be in the room when you come in instead of your regular. But they offer the flexibility of dropping off your LO ANY TIME. I was up at 6am once with my 15 week old and Couldn't.Even. So dropped her off. The next day? 9ish as usual. But then after the clocks moved? We were an hour earlier for week. I had a training? It was 7:45 for two weeks. With 8-12 kids in any given room, it is completely understandable to me they might have difficulty adequately planning resources around that randomness. You are also not required to give notice for off days. How on earth do they plan around that?! I loved the fact that the morning of July 3 my hubby and I decided we wanted a Parents Day Out (no judgement) so we dropped her off, when originally we'd thought we'd all spend the day off work together. They manage to roll with this kind of fluctuation every single day. Times 100. I can say with confidence they are busting their butt every single morning to deal with the scramble - that is, they are doing the best they can - all to offer a level of flexibility you don't get in many other places. I do like the idea of frequent gatherings for parents and staff to get to know one another since drop off isn't really an ideal time to do so; I think this would help create more community. (It's only fair to mention they do have occasional events but Thanksgiving for example was during the workday, and the Mother's Day and Father's Day aren't really inclusive and occurred during drop off period.) I would give SS Brodie 5 stars if only I had something for comparison. All in all, some very special women work here and have been a big part of my daughter's life. I am forever grateful. All that said, there was a spot finally open in the Mariposa Montessori about two blocks away we'd been waiting for (been on the list since I was 6 mo pregnant). With some hesitation, we are moving her in the fall, but not because we are unhappy at SS, but because we are interested in the Montessori principles and staff. read more

We tried a few day cares with our 3 year old until we landed at SS. After getting frustrated with the previous school because they could "handle" our touchy feely boy we were pleasantly surprised how willing they were to work with him. He immediately started making friends and improved his social skills. They have been very helpful. Not all things are perfect. They have areas for improvement but nothing that made me worry. I can't speak for infant care. We now have our older child enrolled in the summer program. Both kids love the school and are always learning something new and going on really cool field trips. No complaints. read more

Our oldest began at Stepping Stone - Brodie at 3 mons old in the fall of 2017, and we had the best experience with her teachers and administration. There was a rough patch beginning fall 2018 to spring 2019 with a change in school leadership. This was a hard time and we considered moving to a new provider. However, when Ms. Jeannette came in as principal, things started getting back on track and I have only been more impressed at her turnaround and culture re-built since then. We enrolled our second daughter in 2020 and now both girls are happy, learning many new words and concepts (even teaching us new sign language, etc!), and look forward to seeing their teachers and friends every day. Additionally we have been comforted by the steps and transparency of health protocols put in place since the pandemic began. I am happy to see Ms. Mercedes as Principal now as she's been communicative, caring, and personal to my family's needs since day 1. It's amazing that she remembers the details of each child in the school, even what's happening with them at the day to day level. I am even more impressed at how quickly she recognizes parents wearing full masks all the time! She's accountable, quick, and I have complete trust in her and her team keeping my children safe and growing each day. I also appreciate the uptick of activities and engagement fun for families (such as Reading Week and all the dress up days this week!), even with all the pandemic restrictions in place. My girls love the learning activities, new stimulation, and outdoor play they get at Stepping Stone Brodie. Thank you Ms. Mercedes and the whole team for all you do. Appreciate you!! read more

We have been very happy at Stepping Stone since our son started 3 years ago. The moment I walked in and toured my gut told me this was the school. I really feel that as a mother, you have to trust yourself gut. when Covid hit last year they were amazing. We opted to take our son out but they gave us the option to save his spot, while offering discounted tuition. We had a new baby at home too. we came back in November after seeing how beautifully they managed the pandemic. They are very open to communication and I feel they truly enjoy their work. The teachers we've had for our children have been so wonderful. Thank you Stepping Stone for taking care of my babies. read more

You're probably reading reviews because you're considering this school for your own child. Let me save you the time (and money) and urge you to KEEP LOOKING. This is going to be a long read but it's important that you know what you're getting into. I had a bad feeling about this school the minute I stepped foot into it but we just moved and with the waiting lists at other nearby centers, I had no choice but to send my kids here. We lasted six weeks before I quickly withdrew them. We'll start with the facilities: The center is old and smells every bit of it. Our 4 year old was in the Orion classroom where the restroom was a supply closet with a black curtain being used as a door. The lightbulb was burned out in that "bathroom" the entire 6 weeks we were there, even after asking that it be fixed. The kids had to either use the restroom in the dark or with the curtain open and in front of all of their classmates. (Pictures attached. Please also notice the chemicals in spray bottles right above the toilet!) The infant classroom is incredibly small. Accidents could have been avoided if the teachers were provided some room to actually move about the space freely rather than scuffling around babies, cribs, refrigerators, and bookcases. *However, it is worth noting that the teachers in the Sputnik classroom are wonderful caregivers. They are both very warm, loving ladies. I was so thankful for them! Education: I'm not sure what my 4 year old was learning other than what the "F" word is and how the teacher has to twist one of the behaviorally challenged children's arms across his chest and bear hug him until he calms down. My son actually said, "she has to hurt him because he's bad". Sigh. It was a common occurrence for me to have to explain away completely inappropriate things that my son had witnessed there. But, I digress. I'm not sure what he was learning. He would bring home 10+ pages of coloring pages every day. I got a couple pages of him tracing letters a few times. But for the most part, I had no idea what he was doing all day. Tuition: we paid approximately $2,000 a month for our two kids to go here (with 10% sibling discounts). It BLEW my mind that this center cost as much as the newer and MUCH nicer Southpark Meadows Stepping Stone we had just come from. You get the picture. Keep looking. There are MUCH better places to send your babies for comparable rates. Be picky! read more

Stepping Stone School - Brodie/Circle C - Preschools Near Me - Austin, Texas

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My son Lucas has been going to Stepping Stone since he was 6 months old and he is currently 3. When we first started, i loved it. We've had our ups and down's with the location. The principle Jessica and staff were great, no turnovers and everyone seemed happy. Than another int-rem principle came and it was terrible. Now, there is a great principle, Jeanette that took over and she is amazing. My son is currently in Quasars with Ms. Kathy who is phenomenal. it is mainly because of her that my son is potty trained. Her disciple and dedication to the children is amazing. Both my husband and I are so happy with her mannerism & attention to detail. My only concern is that I feel like these classrooms (starting at 3 +) should have (2) teachers only because they are at an age where they need constant attention and with only (1) teacher, that can be difficult. read more

We moved to Austin November 2010. I got a job on South Brodie and was pretty sold on Stepping Stone from the beginning when I saw the building and how close it was to my work. I knew they had a few locations and the facility was so nice, it seemed like it was meant to be. Never have I been so wrong! I called and set up a tour. I met with the director, Janika. She showed us around and we met the teachers. They seemed nice and the kids seemed to be having a good time for the most part. Their brochures and outline of the curriculum was very polished and they even had a cute little video of laughing happy genius children. The first day went okay. I never saw the teacher introduce him to any kids or help him adapt. He was also still potty training and i didn't feel like they helped that process at all. i'm not one of those moms that expect preschool to potty train my children but they do have to help when they spend so much of the day there. He went through like 5 sets of clothes everyday. It's like instead of reminding him to go, they just waited for an accident and then changed him. Our 3 year old son has NEVER cried when being left with new people. He's very social but after the first couple of days, he would throw a FIT when we dropped him off. We gave it the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, thinking it was just a lot of change for him all at once. But it didn't get better. He always came home with stories about someone hitting him or throwing rocks at him. He's three so, again, hard to know what really happened. Then, THE FINAL STRAW: i walked into the lobby one day and he was standing there, ALL ALONE with no adults or children around. He could have walked out the front door all by himself! The teachers leave around five everyday which is when the "assistants" are left with the children who, apparently, are nothing more than teenage babysitters. On top of all this, the director called me after I had paid my first month's tuition to tell me that I was $100 short. I questioned her on it and she then remembered that she has UNDER-QUOTED ME BY $100 but still said I was required to pay the full amount. $100 a month is a big difference. We immediately withdrew our son and I've never been more confident that I made the right decision. We've since put our son in Sun Moon & Stars Learning Center (SMS) on South 1st Street and he loves it! He's learning so much and has made so many great friends. His teachers are also his friends and they actually quoted me the right price and everything. Not once have I questioned his safety and he can't wait to go to SMS and even asks to go on the weekend! (See Sun Moon & Stars Review) read more

This place is so bad that I resigned from my job in order to avoid paying people to neglect my son. I will start by saying I had a very good impression of Jessica and felt secure enough to have our son enroll here. However she is not the one that cares for the children there and that is where my discomfort lies. While we waited for our tour I watched as an infant was left crying and screaming in a crib (I'd put her around my son's age of 4 months) for 7-10 minutes in favor of gathering linens. Not because multiple children were crying and the teachers were comforting others but for linens. Never mind the fact that you can hold a baby and gather linens - not a word was spoken to this child, nor did they receive a comforting touch. It was only my outrage that had Jessica in the classroom giving the baby to the teacher that had been ignoring him/her. While we were in the room that baby found itself back in the crib, eyes glistening with tears as they cried. It took all my willpower not to hold that baby myself. The next day I called to inform Jessica that I would be staying home to care for my son. All she said in response is "That's great! I'm so happy for you." She didn't even care to ask why or how they could improve. I have heard bad things about Stepping Stone but thought this campus would be different. It isn't. read more

Private School Price for Basic Day-Care (if that) Writing this review about 1.5 months since leaving SS-Brodie. SS being our first childcare experience, I wanted to make sure my review would be fair by allowing time to compare it to an equally priced care provider in the same area. I also want to emphasize that this review is NOT a reflection of most of the individuals that provided care to our daughter from 3 mths up to 16 mths of age before we left (Ms. Dianna, Ms. Allison, Ms. Sarah to name a few). We will forever be grateful for their individual assistance in the development of our child. The proceeding comments I believe are a majority related to administration issues starting at the highest levels of SS-Austin and then trickle down to the admin specifically at the Brodie location. Things seemed to start out great. The principal (Jessica) and assistant principle (Morgan) at the time were very welcoming, accommodating, and seemed well-qualified for their roles. We LOVED the infant care-giver (Jakki) as well. Within 2-3 months of starting, these individuals announced in short succession that they would be leaving SS-Brodie and this is when things really began to change. This ushured in a rotating cast of care-providers. One teacher was present for literally one week before leaving. We received some information (that I cannot fully confirm) that these teachers were being paid only slightly above minimum wage, which for the tuition we were paying seemed outrageous. (If remotely true, no wonder they had constant staffing issues.) The ensuing cast of administrators (minus a young woman that started just a month or so before we left that really seemed to be capable of the job) were frustrating to say the least. They all seemed incapable of handling the job being overwhelmed and/or just not qualified. Just a few examples of our experiences...incident reports received days late (and only after I happened to discover a stack of them undistributed once); zero accountability (we'd ask why our child had this bruise/that cut and it would end up with a continuous "I wasn't there, you should check with so-and-so"); no steady curriculum (despite the fact we were paying for STEAM protocol); constant diaper rash (for lack of regular changes, would be gone by Sun. but back by Tues.); teacher-to-student ratio/staffing issues (regularly arrived to find my child strapped into a roaming buggy for what was probably hours OR in classrooms of other age groups so state minimum guidelines for coverage were technically met); a regularly filthy child (and I get it, infants and toddlers are dirty, but it's been night and day with our new provider); daily reports with minimal and often un-trusted information; security concerns (little scrutiny over who was entering/exiting the facility-on numerous occasions I found the foyer void of any personnel because they were all needed in classrooms to meet the teacher-to-student ratio); and I could go on. Our new provider has been a huge eye-opener! We are paying an equivalent price at a school off of Frate Barker (GS of Austin) and we love it. There is a weekly and daily curriculum that is posted and adhered to (compared to the kids just being watched while they roamed the classroom for most of the day playing with what they wanted to). Art is done each day. My child's vocabulary has blossomed (I acknowledge some of this is related to standard age development). Minimal diaper rash and minimal filthiness. We feel like we are finally getting the private education we are paying for, not just a daycare, and have beat ourselves up for not having made the transition sooner. read more

My son started at this campus in May 2013, when he was 2 years old. Previously, he was at the Stepping Stone in College Station, which we loved, as you can see from my glowing Yelp review! Now, our experience with the Stepping Stone campus on Brodie was a polar opposite. We were quite dissatisfied and ended up pulling him out after 6 weeks. Here are some of the reasons we were unhappy: 1. The student: teacher ratio was high - always at the state-mandated maximum. As a result, even though the teacher seemed nice, we always felt like she was distracted and our son did not get sufficient attention. 2. Often, we would drop him off in the morning and his regular teacher hadn't come in yet or classes were combined, and the new teacher had no idea who he was. 3. Often, we would come to pick him up, and he wasn't in his usual class and it took several minutes and several teachers to figure out which class he was in. 4. Our son cried for some time after he left him (new school, new city etc), but the teacher never comforted or distracted him. She had a "time out" pillow and he would just "cry it out" on the pillow. 5. The teachers did not seem supportive of our potty training efforts. 6. We picked up our son at naptime a few times and his face hadn't been washed and he had food around his mouth. Once he was put to nap in his pullup, without pants! 7. The principal and assistant principal were poor in communication. We didn't know their names. They weren't easy to find. The few times we talked to them, we dint feel like our concerns were being really heard. read more

My daughter started stepping stone Brodie back in March 2020. They have done amazing during covid with their protocols and communication. We ended up moving to Bastrop and took our daughter out of Stepping Stone and enrolled her in a new school closer to home. She missed her teachers and the school so much that we ended up taking her back. We drive her in to austin each day to go to Stepping Stone. The principal Mersadies has gone above and beyond since she started at Brodie and really does care a lot about each child and school. read more

Infant care is substandard. My baby was always frozen. Her little hands and feet were ice-cold every time. I gave specific instructions to dress her in the warm clothes I brought and those instructions were ignored. I went in one day and found her dressed in just a body suit, completely cold. She was just 2 months old! I was told the place is kept so cold to keep germs down. Unless the place is sub-zero, that's absolute nonsense. The place appears to be understaffed. Mrs. Lola and Miss Priscilla are excellent caregivers but they suffer with too many babies, many absences, and uncertain staffing levels to the extent that the principal herself claims to have cared for my precious baby. What did it for me was the day I picked her up and found her with scratches up and down her face! I was - and still am - livid. Sure, babies can scratch themselves but the extent of the injuries was so severe that neglect, at best, was the quality of care given. And she never, ever, had scratches in the 2 months I cared for her personally. She had deep scratches down her cheeks and under her eyes. Thank goodness here eyes were not damaged! There was no report. I was not called. When I confronted the "director", she had no idea of what happened. The principal was no where to be found. My baby was immediately dis-enrolled and a police report filed. When I picked up her stuff, the incident report appeared, filed at 9pm (! - they close at 6:15pm) on the date of injury and stated that they were "too busy" to file it earlier. My blood boils to this day. I paid them for quality care and didn't get it. They were paid NOT to be too busy to properly care for my child. My baby was in their "care" for just 10 days. Hold your baby tight. This is definitely not a place you'd want to entrust your precious child to. Never again. Never. read more

We used this daycare to bookend our time at Stepping Stone Kyle. We used them for a week or two, until a spot opened at the Kyle location, closer to home. Then, after an unfortunate incident at the Kyle location that left us seriously questioning their ability to care for our child, the corporate office was able to transfer him to the Brodie location while we shopped around for something else. As I wrote a pretty fair but unflattering review of the Kyle location, I would just like to make a few comparisons. This location has a great principal, Jessica, who is really on the ball and appreciates the staff. I also loved that there is practically a triple entrance to get in (a gate, a keypad-coded front door, and then a door to leave the foyer area). The nutrition is much better, too. For example, when I brought extra fiber-rich food for them to serve if breakfast was just graham crackers, the teacher sort of scoffed, as if there was no way they would serve something so UN-nutritious for breakfast (where as the Kyle location would). My son really did seem to like it at the Brodie location. There were more toys for him to play with, though the rooms were pretty small. Compared to my favorite daycare, I was a little annoyed that the parents didn't pack up the bags for you at the end of the day. You spend (i.e., waste) a lot of time digging bottles out of your kid's cubby while the worker is inconveniently handing your your child. You look at them like, "can you hold them long enough for me to finish loading their bag???" The workers are all very nice, accommodating, etc. My kid probably spent a total of less than 3 weeks here between his first and second go, hence shorter feedback. read more

Since COVID started, my daughter has been going here. They have been very helpful, caring and informative. I truly appreciate all they do.

I wish there were more stars to give! I can't say enough positive things about this location! Both of my children- 2yrs and 4yrs, literally jump out of the car each morning with excitement to see their teachers and friends. Each evening when we pick them up they are all smiles. I have seen exceptional intellectual and social development in each of my children since they've been enrolled at SS Brodie. Both of my children absolutely love their teachers, and through that I can see how caring and engaging the faculty have been especially during such a challenging time. On that note, if you're looking to ensure that your child has a "normal" academic and social experience, look no further! The faculty and administration have committed themselves to ensuring that these children are as unaffected by this pandemic as possible. Thank you Stepping Stone Brodie for providing a safe and happy place for our children to continue development! Lastly, I see some negative reviews, and while I can empathize with those parents, it seems to me (we are very picky with child care) that this facility has made positive and extensive changes to their infrastructure as well as their staff since previous years. read more

We were looking for a daycare in South Austin for our 1 year old son. This would be his first experience in a daycare setting. We researched a handful of places but nobody had an opening immediately except for Stepping Stone Brodie. We needed something immediately so that my husband and I both work. We toured Stepping Stone Brodie Ln in early January with Ms. Amy. We were told on the tour that the Tadpoles app would provide updates on how our son's day was going and photos. We started our son a couple weeks later on his birthday. We show up on his first day (his birthday) with muffins and goodie bags for his classmates. We walk to his room, the Betas (the room Ms. Amy said our son plus 4 others would be in with Ms. Alyssa). Nobody is in there. So we walk back down to the lobby to try and find the director, Ms. Autumn, or any staff member really, to tell us where to go. Finally someone helped us and said in mornings and evenings, the kids are dropped off and picked up in the Supernovas room, but he'll be in his actual room for the rest of day. Ok fine, no big deal. My husband and I both leave for work. Couple hours go by - no update in app or photos. Noon comes and goes, still nothing. So I called to ask why we haven't seen any updates in the app on our son's first day or photos. Ms. Autumn, the director, said "Oh you'll get a report of his day when you check him out at the end of the day. Photos you should be getting - I have to approve first but I saw a couple come through my email." It was disappointing to learn that the updates weren't coming throughout the day like we were told by Ms. Amy. Fine though, I'll deal with it. The next few days, I quickly learned that they hadn't been in the Betas room at all because of sick teachers and some that had quit. A clear staffing issue and poorly mismanaged. A couple days in the mornings, there'd be only 1 teacher (ratio is 1:5) but like 6-7 kids. Huge safety concern! The director very rarely returned emails and if she did, it was days later. After his first week, on Friday you take their belongings home to be washed (blankets, sippy cups etc). Please tell me why after being out that first Friday (he was sick) and upon return the next Monday, when I asked for my son's blanket they couldn't find it. It was nowhere to be found. It was a blanket made by our son's grandmother. Should we maybe have sent a different blanket? Probably...actually more than probably. Yes we should have. Regardless, how a blanket can be lost and to this day (a month later) they have not found it. There was one day that our son had a small injury to his finger (shut in bathroom door) and Ms. Autumn called me to notify me of the incident and what actions were taken. She assured me I would receive a photo and report in the app soon. Never got it. A few days after that, one of our son's teachers told me that the co-teacher is being moved to the infant room because she was pregnant and couldn't lift due to a back issue. This teacher then tells me she is also pregnant and can't lift over 10 lbs (doc's orders). I have zero issues with the teachers being pregnant. My issue was that if they can't lift items over 10 lbs and are in the toddler room where all are over 10 lbs, then who the heck is changing my son's diaper??? Just so many red flags. A few days later, we decided to pull our son because of the negative experience, and poorly mismanaged expectations and overall management of the center itself. We contacted Corporate to inform them of our experience and decision to withdraw our son. They were disappointed and assured us that we would not be charged for the rest of the month's tuition and could pull him out on the 31st (of Jan). Corporate's level of concern and willingness to make things right is the ONLY reason I am giving a star for this review. The last day, as I was walking out, someone from Corporate was there and handed me a resignation letter from Ms. Autumn. I told her that this letter did not surprise me at all. If you're looking for a daycare center for your child in the South Austin area, I would highly recommend looking elsewhere. We are now at Bright Horizons Westlake and LOVE it. Yes it's more expensive but worth the difference in level of care for our son. His first day there was a completely different experience for the better!! Good luck out there mamas and daddies!!! read more