Stepping Stone has been great for our family. The teachers are positive and fun-loving and the administrators are great too. My kiddos are well cared for, fed healthy meals and snacks, and learn new things everyday. Especially in these hard times I am grateful for their diligence in cleanliness and care they show us as a whole family. We're very happy we chose Stepping Stone. read more

My 10 month old has been at stepping stone for about 6 months. At the beginning we noticed some disorganization in the school and turnover within the administration. Our son seemed to be happy in his class & with his teachers so we decided to see how things evolved. The new principle seems to have her act together. I have seen a lot of little positive changes over the last few weeks. It feels more organized and cleaner. I appreciate the powers that be getting involved and trying to get the school back on track. read more

When we first switched here last November (2017), I toured with Jessica and had a great impression of the facilities and her description, etc. Our daughter stayed in the 2 year classroom and Deanna and had no problems. We just moved to Austin and she was going through some behavioral issues because of the big change, but for once in weeks she started calming down. I believe Deanna and the stability helped tremendously. About a month ago, she moved into the 3 year old classroom. The teacher didn't pay her any attention and about a week in, I found out she didn't even know which ones were her pullups or extra clothing. I then found out that teacher was being fired and Jessica had left and a Morgan was the new principal. Just got a letter this morning that Morgan is stepping down as well. I have no idea which teacher my toddler is getting, as they rotate the teachers and there is no stability anymore. I don't even know how she's really being cared for, tbh. She comes home some days and she's super thirsty, like she hasn't drunk water all day. This past week she's started acting up again and I just KNOW it's because of what's going on at school. No attention, no care. This school is junk and I would NOT recommend going here. read more

Poor experience here all around as a potential parent. When we visited we were concerned about the low reviews on here and other sites but met with the new principle/director who promised to make changes. However, in our visits we noticed that the staff were not paying much attention to the children and were talking to each other even while we were doing a tour. We had to push to ask if there was a discount for Seton employees which the principle/director seemed to grudgingly admit and then gave us pricing for. We followed up two times over the next few months to ensure our child would have a spot and really felt that communication was a total let down and this lack of care to respond to me signals a fundamental problem and lack of thoughtfulness at this facility. After this communication issue and hearing continuing poor reviews from others in our neighborhood group, even after the new principle/director arrived, we decided to place our child elsewhere and have no plans to reconsider this school. read more

POINT PROVEN!!!! Just to add insult to injury and to PROVE to all of you reading my previous review about Stepping Stone, here is an update that will solidify that these people are completely detached from your child and only paying attention to their bottom line!! Over a week ago Miss Rhonda P. herself instructed her staff to kick my 4 year old out of her precious school. Just this past Friday, my wife received a phone message from the very same girl (we'll call her Ashley) who called her to come pick up our child and to ask him to leave. The young girl politely and firmly reminded us that "tuition is eight days overdue for (our son) and if we do not want any interruption in his care we need to get tuition in the office by end of day." What a sweet girl!! I promptly returned Ashley's call and informed her that: (Me): "oh my gosh thank you SOOO MUCH for the reminder to pay tuition!! (Ashley): "oh no problem we try and stay current so there is no interruption in the kiddos care. So you'll be bringing his tuition by the end of day?" (Me): " no Ashley I won't be." (Ashley): " ummm ok, we'll if we don't get it in there might be an interruption in your sons care." (Me): "ummm, that's ok." (Ashley): " ummmm, why?" (Me): " because you yourself kicked him out over a week ago." (Ashley): silent pause............"oh" (Me): "ya, did you write that down this time Ashley?" (Ashley): " yes" (Me): " excellent work! Ok have a great day!!" (Ashley): " you too" Amazing business your running there Rhonda P!!!! read more

I have both my kids here at Stepping Stone Brodie. My First son has been going since he was 6wks old. He first started off in the Satellites classroom with Priscilla and Lola. Being a first time mom I had many requests for my child especially with him being so young, the teachers were very understanding and helpful. Everytime I would drop off they would light up with excitement to see him and at pick up I would get a detail note about his day verbal and through tadpoles along with pictures. He is currently in Comets with Ms. Julie he is learning so much everyday and his vocabulary is expanding so much. Ms.Julie also talks to the kids in both English & Spanish. My second son is currently in the Sputniks with Ms.Jordan and Ms.Sarah I love seeing them love on all the babies amd play with them in the classroom and just care for them. All the teachers at Stepping Stone School Brodie are full of joy as soon as you walk in. read more

We've been at this location for 2 years. We have had great teachers and our kids enjoy school. We started with Ms. Terri who spent 6 months teaching our 1st little one to nap. She went above and beyond to help him transition to a childcare center. We were then placed with Ms. Candace who taught him songs, shapes, colors, and the alphabet. She left to pursue a law degree and we had some bumpy times while we waited for a consistent teacher. Ms. Cathy swooped in and helped with potty training. We felt comfortable starting our 2nd child at 3 months and are pleased with the individualized care she has received. Ms. Cathy even checks up on the baby on her breaks from the 3 year olds! These teachers are caring and do everything they can to provide a positive experience for our kids. Teacher turnover isn't great. But that's just par for the course with the low pay in this industry. The administration has had turnover this year and we hope there will be some organizing and streamlining at the admin level that helps teachers feel valued which will translate to less turnover. read more

My son was at this school for over a year. At first it was a great school, but they have had so many teachers in and out recently and not to mention principles. Everyday I pick my son up he is in a different classroom with a different teacher and I have to track him down. I also have to track various items that belong to him down. Like THE SHOES he was wearing.. yes that means he is running around barefoot. Half the time I would pick him up his pants were wet or his sock were wet with urine. They have too many kids per teacher to notice when one wets themselves. We have had a few changes in our house hold recently that have been hard on my son. He has acted out the past few days at school probably because of this and instead of working with my son and our family they kicked him out. Thanks for that stepping stone. Another big change to make things even harder on my child. Probably a blessing in disguise. We should have pulled him out along time ago. The school looks great the building is awesome but lets get real... I would not recommend this school to anyone. read more

We enrolled at SS in Oct. 2017 after having some issues with our previous child care facility not having nap time for preschool ages and being intermixed with after school program kids up to 12yrs old. My 3 yr old daughter began in the Commanders class with an exceptional teacher and after her departure there was some transition time in finding another good fit for her class but the staff and the children handled that time well. With the start of this new school year and having turned 4, she has moved up into the Phoenix class (advanced pre K) and Miss Megan is an amazing teacher. Megan has children herself and is in tune with how to constructively handle AND teach such a rambunctious age. My daughter is actively encouraged to reach her potential in all areas of growth; kindergarten prep, social skills, food exploration,etc. This year we are also being integrated with the use of ABCmouse which my daughter is so excited about! Megan is also very personable and provides detailed information about my daughters daily activities and progress, which makes me even happier with our decision to continue another year at SS. There has been a recent change in the campus principal this past month and we are delighted. The news letter informed us of her degree in Early Childhood Development as well as her experience in the field of over 10yrs made us excited to welcome Ms. Autumn to our school. She is always smiling and is very hands on with every aspect of the school which makes her the ideal leader. Lastly, one aspect that provides comfort and joy everyday is the Tadpole app that the school uses to send pictures and the day's events of my child. I get to see pictures of her doing school work, singing along with the music man that visits the school and playing with her friends on the playground. In the notes section I am informed of everything that she actually eats from the meals provided (morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack) as well as what the day's learning objectives were and my daughters accomplishments. What more could a parent ask for...? read more

We have been so delighted with our daughter, Mary Sophia's, experience at Stepping Stone School. She is thriving, learning and growing in an environment of positive support and love, and she wakes up each morning excited about school. The following excerpt is from a letter I wrote to Austin Monthly magazine: My wife and I did extensive research into our options when our daughter was born and Stepping Stone came out on top of our list for a number of reasons: the cutting-edge curriculum based on the latest research, the excellent training program for teachers and the strictest standards for quality and cleanliness. But the real reason we chose the school are more down to earth and personal. It was the first place that I stepped into (unannounced, mind you) where the staff seemed in control and not flustered, the children were happy and excited and occupied with a wide variety of activities. And now that we have become part of the family, everyone in the front office knows my daughter by name and greets us when we step through the door each morning. The highest endorsement however, come from our daughter, who calls out each morning when we pull into the parking lot: "Yay, school!!" It really makes me feel good to know my daughter feels safe and happy and welcome in her home away from home. read more

We've had a great experience so far at Stepping Stone. The teachers do a great job caring for our little one and the principal is on it.

My little girl has been enrolled for 2 months since she was 8 weeks old. She is in the satellites classroom with Mrs. Lola and Ms. Priscilla. They are both loving and attentive and my girl is always clean and dry and well fed. The facilities are always clean and bright and seem to be well organized...also every employee that works there seems to know my little ones name! All in all, as hard as it is to leave her every morning, the people at stepping stone brodie make it as easy as possible by proving each and every day that my daughter is in great and capable hands. Thank you! read more

Not a good school - i have called the main office twice to file a compliant with an 'Area supervisor' and I am still waiting on a call back. It seems they read the reviews on Yelp rather than returning phone calls. The administration at this school is horrible and clearly the main office doesn't care either. The principal has a snotty attitude and they don't really care what your wants, needs or concerns are. They can not keep teachers which speaks to the management of the school . Again, my sons main teachers were not a problem. The school is. I won't go into every issue I had but lets just say I did not feel comfortable leaving my son there anymore. read more

I'm so surprised to see bad reviews - but then see that they're from the very short period of time that this school was between directors. I'll admit that was a difficult time, but I'm so glad that we kept our son at the Brodie Stepping Stone throughout it. Since a permanent director was found, we've been very pleased with everything about this school. The director, assistant director, and the teachers have proven to us time and time again that the children at the school are their number one priority. And just when I thought that things couldn't get better - they did. The current leading team (Aimee and Stephanie) are outstanding on every level (just go meet them - you'll understand then). They embody what every great teacher and school leader should - they are warm and friendly with the parents, and wonderful with the kids. They provide support in so many ways (like advice on how to handle a tempermental toddler), and I appreciate everything that they've brought to this school. Our son has been at Stepping Stone for almost 3 years now, and we feel so lucky to have Aimee, Stephanie, and the wonderful teachers at the Brodie Stepping Stone taking care of him. Keep up the good work!!! read more

The stepping stone brodie location is amazing ! My daughter attended for 2 years and learned so much ! all of her teachers were so kind and caring. If it weren't for my change in work schedule I would still keep her there. It is bitter sweet to be leaving but I am very grateful that my child was able to have this wonderful experience. -CF read more

Hi. What i'm about to give is a thorough and detailed account of why we were not pleased with the care of our child at Stepping Stone Brodie and why we ultimately chose to leave in favor of another nearby childcare center. I would like to preface this review by saying that my child's teachers and teacher assistants were wonderful individuals who all truly seemed to care and did a wonderful job (except for one assistant that I came across, but I digress). We had our child at SS Brodie for several months. From day one there were problems. The biggest issues here are that the management (at the corporate level and the management on site) does not seem in tune with the needs of the classrooms. The infant rooms are all far too overcrowded, though they do comply with the state regulations of at least 2 adults for 10 infants, but this ratio is overwhelming for the caretakers to handle such small children with only two people. Not only this, but the infant rooms are tiny. That aside, there were constantly floating helpers in my child's classroom. More often than not, when I would arrive to pick up my child, there was a floater there assisting the lead teacher that I had never met or seen before in my life. This was a larger overall problem in that there was never any opportunity given to meet the staff as a whole or for families to get together and interact outside of pickup/drop off times. A daycare-wide event in the spring/fall would have done wonders to acquaint families with the staff as a whole and to help families interact with each other as well. I wasn't looking to make best friends with other families or the staff, but simply exchanging pleasantries and learning names would have been helpful and comforting when leaving your tiny child in the care of strangers. Another problem I noticed with the infant rooms is that the rooms were set up in a way that any two classrooms shared an accordion door in the middle. This door was open when a teacher or assistant was helping with the classroom next door, particularly during early morning drop off or at the end of the day when ratios were low enough that they could consolidate the two classrooms. I can understand the need/desire to let your staff go and consolidate the classrooms, however, as many people know, infants are delicate and easily susceptible to illness. It was bad enough we had 10 children in one room all sharing germs and passing illnesses to one another, but with their consolidation techniques we had DOUBLE the contamination factor with 20 children all intermixing at the beginning and end of the day. And let's not forget during the holidays -- during this time they consolidated even more infant classrooms into one class as many children were out on vacation. Again, all these criticisms are not the fault of the teachers or the assistants. I feel that ultimately this is a reflection of the SS corporation and its management in placing more emphasis on profits than on quality care of the infants. I cannot speak to the other classrooms, but it was also of concern to me that though there was a "curriculum" that was supposed to be followed, I never saw any of that in action - never saw that being exposed to the infants. It was all the teachers could do to keep up with the day to day demands of caring for ten infants per classroom. In just a matter of weeks we experienced the turnover of two teachers in our classroom. I would advise families to stay away if you can. For not a lot more money we have found another child care center that values the quality of care given to the infants and does not cram ten babies into one room nor does it have a medley of floaters in and out of the classroom. read more

Our baby boy is in the Moonbeams infant room at Stepping Stone- Brodie. Having been displeased at a privately owned Montessori before, our main concerns were cleanliness and professionalism. This center is bursting with both. You can see it in every corner of the building, on each smiling teacher's face, and through every window! We are first time parents so as you know we're extra cautious about everything. From day one we have felt comforted that our baby boy is getting the best care away from home. In fact, I can tell he loves his teachers and class. He is happy when we drop him off and pick him up; therefore, so are we! read more

I have a 3 month old little girl at Stepping Stone School and I love it!!! The Principal and staff are just wonderful. I can't stop bragging to friends and family about the awesome teachers in the infant rooms, Rosalinda, Lola and Betty are just great with my baby and always have smiles on their faces.... I love that. I totally recommend the school. All the negative reviews are sad but I don't see any of that when I'm there, I see sincere ladies that love what they do and we all know it's not the easiest job!! High -five ladies read more

My daughter started at 8 weeks in the Infant. I dropp off in the morning and my husband picks up in the evening. We love Ms. Lola and Ms. Betty. They are always happy to see our daughter and take care of her. Ms. Pricilla is great with her in the afternoon. My husband is always telling how sweet she is. We are happy with her class! read more

Our four month old son has attended Stepping Stone at Brodie for almost two months and we have nothing but good things to say about the school and the curriculum. His teachers, Ms. Lola and Ms. Priscilla, are great with him and very attentive to his needs. They keep him stimulated throughout the day and he seems to really enjoy his time there . The school principal, Jessica, seems very organized and has the Brodie location running well! I would recommend. read more

When you have to leave your baby with someone , this is the place! Stepping stone and Mrs. Lola make you feel like you're family . Every day I get updates and pictures of what she has been doing throughout the day. What make me smile is every morning when I drop off my beautiful baby girl , she smiles at Mrs. Lola and is so happy to see her . No tears , I couldn't ask for more than that. read more

My son has been attending this school for the past 4.5 years. There are two main factors that have made this school the right choice for us over the past few years - the Director and the teachers in my son's classroom. When we first began at this location it had quite a bit of turnover with directors and staff, however, Ms. Jessica has been the Director for the past few years and has made this location a huge success. She is extremely genuine and personable - I feel comfortable speaking with her about joys and concerns. She knows the children by name and is the most positive and invested Director that has been over this site since we have been there. She is the reason we are so happy here. I have recommended this location to co-workers and friends - one co-worker has her son there and one friend will soon have her daughter here as well. It is a wonderful community to belong to. My son is now in the Kindergarten Readiness Program at the Brodie location and loves his teachers (Miss Gena & Ms. Megan). They are competent, qualified, academically challenging, and they know and love their kiddos. The kids get along really well with one another and I can only assume that it is the leadership in the classroom that fosters these friendships and acquisition of knowledge as the kids prepare to go to Kindergarten. I will be sad to need to switch to elementary school and lose this wonderful support system when the time comes. read more

Not the place for your Child if he/she has Special Needs of any sort. My Wife and I had looked for a good place for our 4 Year Old Son with Aspergers (delayed development) to attend while we both worked. Initially we were swooned by the walk-thru of the Campus and were impressed with the knowledge of the Front Office Staff. She was very informative and seemed highly motivated. We were especially impressed at their supposed Teacher Accreditation. We were also told the Teacher/Student ratio was very small. After explaining how our Son is still being potty trained and wears pull-ups (due to his delayed development) and we were assured he would be well cared for and would also assist in the potty training. WRONG Our Son was literally ignored on a daily basis. We regularly picked him up and he was filthy, had been left in a poopy diaper for what appeared to be the entire day, dirty, and was typically off playing by himself. The student/Teacher ratio was horrendous and the "Teacher" who they touted as having a Bachelors Degree was not really a "Teacher" at all. She always appeared to just be a Supervisor for the "Student Teachers" that were literally doing all the supervision and care for the Kids. The supposed Teacher had ZERO experience with Children with Special Needs, espcially those with Aspergers. She treated him like he was a Monster and made confusing comments about how she doesn't see any Violence in him. As if Children with Aspergers are all violent animals? Any time either of us would arrive to pick up our Son, the Teacher never knew where he was and would instead refer to her Helper. They pretended their classrooms were small quaint environments when in reality they would just open all the connecting walls and what was once a class of 15 became a class of 45-60. All the while the Student Teachers/Assistants were running around trying to keep control of the classes. Due to the lack of experience from the Student Teachers, their frustrations would show even with Parents around. We observed on numerous occasions them yelling at the Kids. Needless to say, our Son was switched to a Private Provider where he received the actual love and attention that he desperately needed. He was potty trained in less than 2 weeks and we/he couldn't be happier. Read the reviews and if they do not convince you of how horribly run this place is, then I feel bad for your Child if they're subjected to this environment. This is a cash cow for this Company and in no way shape or form is a place of prestitgious learning nor loving facility--as they so claim. read more

I think it is important for parents to know two very important facts about this childcare business. 1. The owner, Rhonda Paver, incorrectly portrays her business as a "school" when in reality it is merely a babysitting service. 2. Your child will have numerous teachers and an unstable environment because of worse than average employee dissatisfaction and an unusually high turnover rate. The reason for the high turnover rate is because she pays her "teachers" minimum wage without affordable benefits. Therefore, the "teachers" are often young or poorly educated women who are mothers themselves who are desperate to find a way to work while tackling their own child care issues. These young/poorly educated women become overwhelmed because Texas has poor mandatory standards and Mrs. Paver takes full advantage of that by cramming as many children into a small room with one of these "teachers" as is allowed by Texas law. It isn't rocket science. Too many children with one poorly educated, overwhelmed "teacher" means your child will not learn much and will be left without direct adult interaction most of the time for 8-10 hours a day. Because of this the children become bored, irritable and chaos eventually ensues. I am writing this only because of my personal experience with Stepping Stone "School". It is to warn parents of what they will truly receive for their childcare expenditure and as a recommendation for Mrs. Paver to change her hiring practices as well as how she operates her business. I can only hope this review serves a positive influence for anyone who reads it, whether it is a prospective parent or Mrs. Paver. I feel certain that the over zealous positive reviews are phony since at best her schools are mediocre and I doubt any parent would be so happy they would take the time to give Stepping Stone a 5 star approval. If you are requiring a TRUE preschool with high quality care then this place will be a profound mistake and there are much better options out there. read more

This is a very well-run and caring facility. Our infant son attended for 6 months. Their safety measures are great, and our son seemed very happy there. He was truly loved by Miss Lola and Miss Priscilla in the Satellite room. We loved that they used an app to send pictures and updates of your child every day. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was for reasons they can't really control. One was that they didn't get much, if any, outdoor time. I think there may be a law they have to follow on that. Second was that it was just too far from our house, so the drive was killing us in the mornings. Third was something I wish would have gone better, which was how often he got sick. It was pretty much a weekly thing. Runny nose to a fever. 5 days well, 5 days sick. This is the downside of large daycares and a hard thing for the facility to manage. Part of growing up, I know. But maybe more fresh air might have helped. I'm grateful for the love my child was given however and I think they're great. read more

We continue to be disappointed with the understaffed after school care classroom. To many students of varying ages mixed in together. Staff turn over constantly from administration to teachers. We will not be coming back next year. It didn't start this way but has gradually been declining over the past three years. To bad Stepping Stone the Brodie campus is beautiful, just wish the staffing was more consistent. read more

Next week will be my son's last at Stepping Stone. I share the same care standards that have been expressed here. My son has been enrolled for two years, so I've seen a range of classes and teachers, and also the new principle that keeps being mentioned in responses. I do really respect her, and I think she's doing all in her power to make this a great school. For what it's worth, I think the problem sits at a higher level, organizationally, starting with the owner and people at a Director level who make HR, hiring, pay, and other policy decisions. It's apparent to me that the teachers are not well taken care of, not treated (and likely compensated) fairly, and as a result the school is staffed by people who just don't care or feel powerless. The turn over in teachers at this school is shocking. As a result, this school also does not maintain state minimum standards for teacher:children ratio, oftentimes despite the principle filling in as an extra body. It's not uncommon for me to leave my toddler in the company of 12-13 (at one time 18) other toddlers and ONE teacher. I'm eager to see the canned "we appreciate hearing your point of view. We strive to create a stable and nurturing environment in which all our students thrive" response to this review. While those standards may be in place, in theory, they're not equipping this location to meet them. It makes me sad to leave my child here every day. And don't be fooled by the "voted best childcare" banners on site. The school offers a drawing for free tuition to parents who vote in the Austin Family Magazine poll, thus bolstering their numbers. I'd venture a guess that they wouldn't win any awards that weren't with incentivized votes. read more

I too agree if I could give this school less than one star, I would. They either need to do a 180 super quick, or just shut down. Consider this: my daughter came home every day in a pull-up that obviously hadn't been changed since lunch. I didn't realize how bad it was until her new preschool went through 4x as many pull-ups. That's because they actually CHANGE her! My husband also picked her up one day to find her hands covered in her own poop, which she was sitting in, and none of their sketchy afternoon staff seemed to care. No one helped him, he had to take off all of her clothes as she quickly got the poop everywhere, and had to change his own clothes. The directors and teachers seem so friendly and nice, and then before you know it, they're gone and there are new staff who seem equally great, and the whole thing just repeats every few months (or weeks). My son did have some good teachers here over the years my kids went there, but they're all gone except for one here or there. Only reason we stuck with them is that we kept hearing that teachers and directors were committed to our kids, and going to stay, only for them to quickly look to greener pastures! This school seriously needs to look into why they can't seem to hold on to any teachers! I finally got got sick of all the chaos and lies that things would be different, and we changed schools even though we still live in the same neighborhood. Needless to say, we are now so much happier, and my children have stable, consistent learning and teachers. It is truly a night and day experience. I also found out Stepping Stone was fraudulently changing an employee's work hours to give them less pay, and that an investigation was under way. Maybe that's the reason everyone leaves. That person eventually recouped $2K in back pay! I think Stepping Stone's model could work if they could just get their act together and not do illegal things. They did have a music program included with tuition, which I and my kids liked. I'm shocked though that a preschool with this bad of turnover can stay in business! Do yourself a big favor and steer clear of Stepping Stone Cherry Creek! read more

My 3 children love coming to Stepping Stone! I am always greeted nicely and the teachers are wonderful and attentive. I never have to worry about them and know they will have a fun day while I am at work. read more

I enrolled my son with special needs here half time (three days a week, half day) for a month, and had the most amazing experience! My son is 4 and has mild cerebral palsy from a brain injury at birth. He is also nonverbal. To say I was concerned where to place him is an understatement. The reviews on here really deterred me, but thankfully I received personal feedback elsewhere that made me decide to give the school a chance and take a tour. My son was in Miss Pipers class and she couldn't have been better with my kiddo! She was patient and compassionate and willing to learn my sons alternative means of communication, as well as encourage his classmates to do that as well. My son made friends who were happy to see him, greeted him with hugs, and said goodbye to him just the same. He was always so happy at pickup. My sons private therapists were also able to go up there and implement his therapy at school. This really helped for playground time - and the school also had no issue including my son with a motor disability on the playground. The only reason we stopped going is because my sons transfer was approved for a great public school with long term opportunities. My son had his second day there today and does so well following directions and staying with the group. I know this is because of his stepping stone experience. I can't wait until my youngest is old enough to go into Miss Pipers class! read more

I must say I am shocked at the reviews that have come before me, and can only imagine they are from disgruntled employees or something. All 3 of my children have gone to Stepping Stones since infancy and I have been nothing but thrilled with it. Every school will have its snafus (not happy about the tuition increase, for example) but overall there is no other place I would put my children. The teachers are just WONDERFUL and my children have learned so much! They always go the extra mile and ensure I know about what my kiddos were up to all day- they even made my husband get well cards after I had just mentioned his surgery in passing. They have seen my children through teething, biting, potty training, and kindergarten with amazing patience and love! Ms. April and Ms. Jaya are simply miracle workers with children and I am so glad my kids got to experience their class! I am also SO PLEASED with the new Director and Assit Dir! My kids absolutely love running and hugging Summer to both start and end their day. It is so comforting seeing how much she loves my kids and they her. You can see it in the way she greets them, talks to them, and plays with them. Even the way she talks to me is so positive and refreshing! She and Laura have really made us feel safe leaving our children there each day. Laura is so much better than the previous director and I really trust that she knows what is best for my kids. She has really improved the school and the communication between the school and parents-I rarely miss an event now that she emails. She and Summer really make the school seem like a second home, we wouldn't go anywhere else! read more

I have 2 children currently attending the Brodie location of Stepping Stone. We've been registered since January 2013. Both of my kids have been in the infant class, Ms. Lola, Ms. Priscilla, Ms. Betty, and Ms. Rosalinda all take/have taken such great care of them. :) Ms. Katie, Ms. Megan, and Ms. Monica are fantastic to my older child. In all child care settings there will be problems, but I think the issue is based more on the simple fact that we all have the mindset that "no one can do it like I can". In all aspects of life, we, as responsible humans make mistakes and work daily to be better at our jobs, parenting, relationships, etc...to think that these employees are no different is naive. I think the staff, and Ms. Jessica all strive to do their best. Staff that have known my kids from the beginning (Ms. Gabby) stop for a smile and a talk in the hallway. My children always have smiles on their faces when I come to pick them up and my older child is constantly talking about her friends, teachers, and what fun things happened that day. Their development is encouraged and the staff is always willing to support our home life process as well as possible. My husband and I are very happy with our choice of child care locations. Thank you SO much for loving on our kids! It means the world to know that they're safe and well taken care of while we're at work read more

We have been in the Brodie location since November last year with my 3 year old and with our little one since June this year. We can not express how loving the teachers in the infant class are. Starting with Ms Lola, welcoming the little one every morning, followed by Ms Betty creating smiles on their faces, followed by Ms Priscilla and Rosalinda, who are all doing fantastic job. We have been in a daycare before, where our kid would get diaper rash and all and this has never happened to use here. We have a great overview of how the day went, with all little details and most importantly, we do get to talk to the teachers and have a wonderful relationships with them. They are great caregivers and care about the little ones, like they are their own. Now, speaking of the older one, we have there, I must agree, that the turnover of teachers seems just excessive. He has had many teachers in the past couple of months, but luckily his friends are around and it is easy for them to adjust, as they stick in the same collective all the time. So I am very often questioning, why is that? I strongly believe, the teachers are underpaid for what valuable job they do and convinced, there must be too much profit left for the school from the high dues we pay monthly. And because of the low salaries, it causes that the teachers are irresponsible and do not care really, if they are late or not, because sooner or later they will leave. It may be the whole market here in Austin, but I would suggest Stepping School Senior Management to think about how to build a good name and rating, rather than how to stuff their pocket. It will pay off in the long run. Please do not let all the good teachers leave! Again, Lola, Priscilla,Betty, Rosie, Courtney, Jackie, thank you so much ladies for taking care of our most precious kids. We appreciate all you do and the love you provide every day, regardless, how badly the company pays you.We know, our kids are safe with you, happy and well taken care of. read more

My daughter was a full time student, we dropped her off at 6:30am and was suppose to pick her up at 6:00pm but luckily she was able to come home at 2. I had a friend that warned me that they didn't keep her sister hydrated enought and I failed to listen to that warning... My sweet girl wasn't given enough liquids, if any at all.. Yesterday morning when we dropped her off, the teacher I was promised that would be there every morning was not there... The lady in the front wanted me to leave my daughter with her, I told her NO! She comes to school to be in a classroom and that's where she needs to be... The lady went to the classroom and I began to tell her about two problems I already had: she hardly peed yesterday (she needs more liquids) and the wipes I told you to use on her sensitive skin were never used... The lady started to tell me that she would inform the teacher and stated that, that was if Keniece even had the same teacher because they have been changing teachers every week (hmmm what? I was told she had a great teacher that had been there)... We later called the principle to ask her about that and she told us that the lady was LYING. (why would she lie?) I kept calling every two hours to check on her and at 12, I talked to her teacher.... She let it slip out that NOBODY at the school gave my daughter lunch the day before, the lunch she is suppose to be served at school. Her first day I had told the teacher she was dropped off with that everything in her lunch box was JUST extra snacks (Cheerios, gold fish, peanut butter sandwich) she of course didn't need to eat any of it but it was there if she got more hungry... The teacher told me that they didn't offer her any food and that she ate what was in her lunchbox, her lunchbox food was NEVER touched by her. She was hungry all day until she was picked up, she could of been picked up at 6. Keep in mind that they updated me on her and said she ate most of her cheese pizza, pears, green beans and milk... When the teacher told me herself that nothing was given to her by the school... The school obviously lies and my baby had to sit there while everyone else had something to eat but her... And again. She wasn't fed anything there yesterday either. Yesterday's lunchbox only had Cheerios and crackers HOW IS THAT SUPPOSE to be a lunch??? So again, she starved while her friends were eating around her. I DO NOT RECCOMEND this school, they can't keep teachers, don't keep kids hydrated, the principle is a liar (but claims her own teachers are), they don't relay information to eachother and they don't have anything together... They pride themselves in being like a school but they aren't... I pulled her yesterday, and she will never be going back there!!! Also, she was only there for a day and a half. The second half day, they kept telling me she was drinking water and she had been chaned three times... Your suppose to provide your own diapers and only one was missing.. Again, the staff at this school are liars. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about the Stepping Stone Brodie location. Jessica the principal has created such a loving and nurturing environment at the school. The teachers in the baby rooms are just fabulous and I know my child is well taken care of. read more

We have been looking for a new school for our 2-year-old daughter, and this is one of the schools that we toured recently. We are not planning to use the school and have never had a child there before, so I cannot speak from that perspective. However I was fairly shocked at the way our tour was handled, as well as some of the things we learned on the tour, and I felt compelled to post here. When we arrived, I was quite impressed with the building and facilities. They really are very nice. We were greeted by Ashley, who was quite professional and businesslike. After we filled out the forms, we started our tour, which included the infant rooms (we are expecting #2), 2 year old rooms, and main play areas. First, the infant rooms: We were not allowed to go inside the room or speak to the teachers, we were only allowed to peer in from outside the door. Ashley told us that there were 9-10 infants in each infant room with 2 teachers. The state requirement is a 4:1 ratio which obviously is not being met here. When I inquired about the ratio and whether, in fact, they placed 3 teachers in the room when there were more than 8 infants (as most schools do), she simply repeated that it was 9 or 10 infants and 2 teachers. So they aren't even meeting the minimum state requirements - how the heck does this place pass inspections?! The room was brightly lit and the cribs lined the walls of the room. They were not sectioned off in any way from the action at the center of the room. I inquired as to whether the lights were turned down in the afternoon to allow for some rest time (as they are in our daughter's current school). I was told they were not, and that that was a "state requirement". BS. Plenty of other schools do it. So the poor infants have to try to nap in a brightly lit room with other kids playing right next to their cribs. Great. Next we were shown the 2's room. Again, we were not allowed to go in or speak to the teachers. When we asked why not, we were given some BS about state rules and privacy concerns. That is absolutely not true as every other school we have visited not only let us in the rooms, but allowed us to talk to the teachers as long as we wanted to. When we asked about talking to the teachers, we were told we could do that after we signed up! Nice. My husband asked, "If we can't go into the rooms and can't talk to the teachers, how are we supposed to know if we want our kid to go here?" Good question, and he received some more BS about state rules and privacy concerns. So, I guess if my child went here, I would not be allowed to visit any other rooms due to "privacy concerns"? Methinks we were just asking too many questions that they did not want to answer. And the final straw - they have 12 two-year-olds per 1 teacher - the state requirement (which is too high, IMHO) is 11:1! So again, they don't meet the minimum standards for care set by the state. Honestly, I didn't think daycares were allowed to operate if they don't follow the rules, but apparently, they are. Anyways, 12 two-year-olds to ONE teacher? Ridiculous. It's 10:1 at my daughter's current school and she doesn't get much in the way of personal attention. I didn't even bother to ask about the 2's ratio as I already could guess what the BS response would be. Maybe they wouldn't let us talk to the teachers because they were afraid what we would hear... Anyways - they don't follow the minimum state daycare requirements, won't let prospective parents into the rooms when we tour the place, won't let us talk to the teachers, and feed us BS about nonexistent "state rules"? NO THANK YOU. read more

My family recently returned to Austin after being away for 5 years. We were looking for a great place for our two young boys and were very thankful to find the Stepping Stone School. We knew before returning to Austin that the school was one we were interested in looking at as it has a very good reputation. We have been very happy with the boys care AND education. They have a wonderful kindergarten readiness program and an amazing staff. I can't say enough about Ms.Kimberly and the rest of the staff and teachers. They took to time to learn about the boys and our family including an older school age child. The boys come home happy every day and ready to get back there in the morning. A great exepience for everyone! read more

We were not sure about the ratings on this school but decided to give it a try because the location is very convenient for us. It seems that from a couple of months ago until now they added more staff, I see the new assistant principal welcoming the parents and floating around classrooms to make sure everything is going smooth. (I drop off a bit later than most) Ms. Paty has been a great adition to the school. I'm just glad my job is part time and my son doesnt have to be at a daycare for long hours like some of those kids. 6am to 6:30 pm seems a little too much to me. JMHO read more

If I could give less than 1 star, I would. This place is TERRIBLE. DEPLORABLE environment for children AND staff. *Constant Turnover-Lack of continuity a child needs for routine and balance *Lack of communication with parents *Never know where to drop off or pick up your children in am and pm *Over state mandate child to teacher ratio -ALL THE TIME *Like Lord of the Flies - survival of the fittest in the am and afternoon when they are not in an assigned class *Teachers/admin often are shoved into a position due to understaffing, and are clueless as they have minimal or no training *Grossly understaffed and paid for what parents are charged *Teachers often seemed overwhelmed and frustrated *Preferential treatment to staff children over paying customers children DO NOT USE STEPPING STONE - DO NOT take your children and hard earned money here. It is a mess. They are not at all organized, nor do they care about the welfare of your children. They will lie through their teeth to you. Below are SOME of the incidents that have occurred recently. Luckily for Stepping Stone - there is a limit to how many words I can post. There was an incident while my child was there, of a child getting his fingers caught in a door and his finger broke and required stitches and surgery. This was due to the overload of children on the playground with minimal supervision. Generally there are only 2-3 teachers to 20 + students outside. They do the best that they can, but they are overwhelmed. My child was bullied and attacked by the child of the asst. principal. When the school called to tell me, they did not tell me the whole story and downplayed the whole thing. Upon picking my child up that evening and seeing the extent of my childs injuries, I inquired further and found out the real story. Not only did the administration lie about what occurred, they lied about the severity of it. While getting the whole story, I witnessed the child who bullied mine, acting out and hitting the teacher and throwing a chair across the room in frustration. Not a stable environment at all. Upon learning of the whole story, I insisted the two children be separated. I asked for my child to be moved over to another class. Was told my child could not go to a 4 yr old class as they had no room, and my child was not 4 yet. I was also told by admin that they would journal the childs behavior and the child was going to have a safe place to go during class but also that my child was too empathetic and was maybe trying to comfort a frustrated child, and could be getting the brunt of the frustrations. Are you kidding me? Needless to say they are not doing their job in helping the situation only placating a frustrated child who will continue to be frustrated. The child ended up in my childs class within two months even though the teacher was way above state mandated ratio- b/c the asst princ wanted it. There are many more incidents that occurred, but these were the most serious ones and wanted to give examples of the hypocrisy of this school and lack of following state mandates for ratios. Update: Admin is saying I was misinformed for child having illness. While I appreciate the phone call - it was too little too late. I called on Wed pm and emailed Thurs am and was not responded to until I posted a negative review here. Rather than address me on the phone or in person, they addressed me here. Did not receive a phone call until Mon. Almost full week later. Not acceptable. I stand by this review in not wanting people to take their children here due to the general lack of give a damn - when a paying customer is leaving, you should call them. read more

I'm not sure why this school has such a low rating. I have 2 children here... ages of 1 (my son) and 3 (my daughter). Both are happy at pick up, well taken care of, rarely sick and well fed. Are there boogers? Yes it's a daycare. Do my kids sometimes return home dirty? Yes, they play. But my son has never had a diaper rash. NEVER. My daughter always had issues with this at previous daycares, but here my son is always changed, napped and fed as expected. There has been some turnover in my daughter's room, but the director has done a great job of addressing any concerns we have when a new teacher comes on board. The other rooms seem to be very stable. She's currently in the 2-3 year old room, and it looks like they have a good teacher on board here now. The director is rarely in her office, and that's a good thing... she is always helping out in the other rooms. She knows every child there by name. My son often runs to her when we are leaving because he loves her so much. If you need to talk to her, she will stop what's she's doing and give you all the time you need to address any concerns. Is it perfect? It's a daycare, be realistic. But out of the 3 daycares we've had our daughter at (one of them being more premier than this one) she's been the most well adjusted here. My son has been here since 6 months old and he has been doing great. Early walker, great dexterity, learning some words... all things are on point in development. read more