We've been at Childtime for about two years; both my daughter and son have been here since they…read morewere about a year old. I continue to be thrilled that we found Childtime Alexandria during our long child care search: it is a gem. We have appreciated all of the staff efforts to make us feel welcome and the kids to feel secure and loved. Literally every day, my kids come home sharing new words and songs with us. It is remarkable how much they have absorbed from teachers leading storytime and structured lessons, including animals, colors, how to write their names, and the alphabet. The teachers have been our partners in potty training and teaching table manners. Every morning is such a pleasant experience; families greet each other, and my children give their teachers a hug. I highly recommend if you are looking for an alternative to the more well-known child care centers in the Alexandria area; this is a fantastic value and will set your kids on the right path.

My boys attend Childtime through drop in care and they love it. I love the convenience of being…read moreable to have the flex option to drop in as needed. It has helped on the days when school is closed. They also have an awesome Summer Camp program.

We've sent our children to Telegraph KinderCare since early 2021 and want to stay here forever!…read moreThey've build a community of support that is hard to replicate. The quality of childcare is high and I feel that my children have a place they can learn where they're truly loved. I highly recommend Telegraph KinderCare!

If i could put zero stars I would this center alone is terrible the outcome of that is the loss of…read moremany kids and I from experience would not take my kids here if i were you none of the teachers are academically trained and they don't have any experience/ qualifications. Most of the kids are a mess too!

Our kiddo has thrived at Primrose - both academically and emotionally. The teachers are…read morecompassionate and patient, and my kiddo is genuinely excited to be dropped off in the mornings. We have been with the school for three years and would recommend it to others. Other things to note: there are new owners as of this year (they seem great). The open hours (7:30 am to 6 pm) are some of the longest as compared to other daycares in the area which has been especially helpful with the return-to-office traffic and the struggle to get out of DC. The school is receptive to feedback and problem solving when specific issues arise. They were able to accommodate my kiddo's allergies (the school offers breakfast, lunch, and snacks a few times a day). And the curriculum has a great mix of activities, including science projects, gardening, other play-based learning, and intro to very basic reading and writing skills for the older classes.

If you are looking for a daycare where your child is not just watched, but genuinely known, taught,…read moreand loved, Primrose is it. My daughter, Kathani, has been here for about 15 months and the growth has been incredible. Ms. Shakia is truly a baby whisperer. I'm not kidding -- she has taught my kid things I couldn't get her to do at home, and then all of a sudden Kathani comes back like she's been practicing choreography in secret. She is also the ONLY person on this planet who got my child to wear her Trolls headband. Miracles happen in that classroom. Ms. B, Ms. Kyra and Ms. Shanica have been so kind, supportive, and patient with her. Drop-offs used to be emotional in those early months... and now my child literally runs to them and gives everyone hugs. That kind of trust is earned. And they earned it. The front desk team, Ms. Dorsa and Ms. Abby, are the kind of people you actually want to see before you've had your coffee. Warm, friendly, never rushed. And Ms. Megan gets the big high fives at pickup -- a whole routine at this point. And the admin leadership, Cidney and Celia, deserve a real shoutout. The communication, the consistency, the tone of the whole school -- that comes from the top. They have built a culture that feels safe, joyful, and intentional. As a first-time mom, I needed somewhere that would support my daughter and make this whole working-mom-life possible. Primrose has done that and more. I'm so grateful we found this place. They have become part of our village -- the good, dependable, loving part. Highly, highly recommend.

Appreciate the caring, attentive staff in Infant Room A…read more The center director and assistant director were always extremely responsive and helpful during our time there. Our son loved his teachers, and it was so sweet to see him smile at them at drop off every day. They were good about giving updates at the end of the day and sharing pictures. Somehow they got him to sleep in his crib during the day too, which he will not do at home.

We love this Kindercare location! My daughter started her care here when she was 10 weeks old and…read morewe are approaching our two year anniversary of being with Kingstowne Kindercare. We love the ease of communication with the director, assistant director, and teachers whether it be through email, written form or on the phone. The Infant A class is where my daughter first started at 10 weeks old. Ms Theresa and Ms. Afrosa and Ms. Elizabeth were the teachers who cared for my daughter. They all took great care of my daughter and even took the time to listen to my concerns when it came to having a breastfed baby. I did not receive as great of support from other centers when it came to being a breastfeeding mother so this was a plus. When my daughter was moved to Infant B classroom the teachers did everything they could to make sure it was a smooth transition. When I wanted to bring in food from home they worked with me to make sure this was something I could do for my daughter and still follow their required USDA guidelines. I was and am still pleased with the curriculum and guidance my daughter receives at Kindercare. I am given written notice and email notice about what she will be learning in the classroom and how I can implement those skills at home. I can see my daughter thriving because of the consistancy of curriculum she is receiving at both home and at daycare. Ms Maribel and Ms Yasmin have been the teachers caring for my daughter in the toddler room. I too experienced open communication on how my daughters day went and if there were any concerns. It is clear to me that the teachers here at the center really do care about my child and her growth as a person. This past summer my daughter was able to participate in their summer program. Before the summer began I was given written notice of the program and what activities my daughter would get to participate in. She really enjoyed the puppet shows and the water play days. The older children would go on field trips to local water parks while the toddlers and preschoolers had water play at the Kingstowne Kindercare location. When my daughter turned two she started her transition to the Discovery Preschool classroom. The teachers, again with the great communication, took the time to go over the changes my child would be experiencing in this classroom. They start potty training and shared with me their tips and techniques so I could implement them at home. This does not mean they are open to what I am doing at home and implementing at daycare. Other benefits to this daycare center is they are reliable. I have noticed the past two winters we have been enrolled with Kingstowne Kindercare they have remained open when other surrounding centers and schools have decided to close. Their reliability is important to me as a working parent who is not able to take time away from my office when surrounding schools close. They also have a great website and phone number system that you can call to see which centers are open, closed or delayed. They also have picture days in the spring and fall. They also have book fairs and with a child who loves to read I appreciate this.

I thought of one thing to add that would be useful for parents looking for a preschool: Some…read morepreschools in the Alexandria area require all students to take a nap, even if the student is old enough to stop napping and doesn't nap at home, and even if the parents would prefer the student not nap at school. Northeast Stars does not require all students to nap. The teachers (who are awesome) coordinate with parents on when the student is ready to stop napping at school. Older students who don't nap go to a different room to do activities while the younger kids sleep. It's a badge of honor for the kids when they're old enough to "go to specials" instead of napping. This makes parenting a 4 year old a lot easier. This is the main thing that other parents in our social circle are envious of when we compare preschool experiences.

My wife and I interviewed, applied for and we're awarded enrollment for many pre-schools in…read moreArlington. But, when we visited NE Stars and met the owner, director and teachers, we felt it was worth the longer drive to Alexandria for our son's initial learning experience. We've been enrolled now for 8 mos and we couldn't be more happy. NEStars philosophy and teachings has led to our son to become more autonomous over this short period of time. He's also made many friends and has expanded his interests. There are many programs offered like Soccer and Gymnastics that expose him to interacting with his friends and his own self. I think one of the best qualities of NE Stars is the diversity among the friends. We couldn't be happier with NE Stars and will be sad when it comes time for him to graduate on to the next chapter in his learning.

We loved our daughter's time in the infant room at Bluebird II. I was nervous about leaving her at…read morea daycare when I went back to work, but Bluebird turned out to be so wonderful. Ms. Tuba and Ms. Sonia took excellent care of her, along with all of the infant room teachers. Bluebird is clean, bright, safe, and all of the children there seemed so happy. There also didn't seem to be much teacher turnover, so the children form positive relationships with the staff. It's a low-tech day care, so you won't receive daily emails and pictures, which was fine for us. The teachers are hard working and our daughter was well taken care of and loved every day. We were so sad to leave when we moved to Maryland. Highly recommend!

As DOD Civilians my husband and i were in a bad spot in trying to find a daycare for our 18-month…read moreson within 5 days of arrival from Germany. I happened to walk past BBA II and just walked in to see if they had an opening (all other daycares were booked for months and very much out of our budget). The owner Susan was there that day and was very courteous, she showed me around the entire daycare and very patiently answered all my questions. She stated that she had openings available due to BBA II having larger class sizes. Initially, that did concern me since my son had only been in CDC with class sizes of less than 15; however, he adapted very well to his first class of ~22 kids (with the appropriate number of teachers/aides). BBA II provides diapers, wipes (from COSTCO), and (not the best) food. I just had to bring a bedroll for his naps. Also during warmer weathers, parents are asked to provide sunscreen and appropriate headgear since the teachers take the kids out on nature walks. The teachers have been great- especially in his 2 1/2-3 year class with Ms. Yilliam. For Holiday 2018 my husband and I put together gift baskets for each of the two aides and one teacher to show our appreciation- our son talks about the teachers as if they are his second parents! The prices are low- especially for a daycare located in Old Towne Alexandria, on popular Duke Street, and a walk away from King St. Metro. There is a daycare in my residential neighborhood that is smaller and more prestigious, we had considered them since they also had an opening and it was one block away from our house, however, they charge about $1,750/month and parents were required to provide diapers and wipes. At the time of his enrollment ~21 months ago, BBA II charged ~$1200+/mo for non-potty trained kiddos (I think more for infants); this cost lowers as soon as your child is potty-trained (which the teachers really help a lot with). My son is currently 3 years old and enjoys it here. He has learned some light Spanish (colours, alphabet, and numbers), has excellent manners (taught at home but reinforced at school), brings home art projects everyday that we have proudly hung up in our house and given as gifts, has began to learn to spell starter words, understands traffic signs... overall this school has been great for my family and my son. The ONLY negative comment I have is in regards to the food and snacks the school provides. Nothing is fresh, nothing is notably nutritious. All food appears to be canned (highly processed and filled with sodium). I wish, instead of canned peaches or crackers as a snack, they would actually provide fresh cut fruits or hummus with carrot sticks (for example); typical lunches consist of an entree of sloppy joe sandwiches, pre-made meals of chicken nuggets/chicken patties with ketchup, or canned chicken and rice soups (to name a few meals), accompanied with diced canned fruit, or applesauce; typical breakfasts consist of little pre-frozen bagels with butter/jelly, biscuits with jelly, or cheerios without milk (?)...

My son has been enrolled in the preschool class at Chesterbrook since January of this year. I have…read morebeen more than ecstatic with how much he has learned and developed in these nine months. The learning environment at Chesterbrook has exceeded my personal expectations as a first time mom and what I envisioned he would be learning in Pre School. With the academic and fundamental progression that I have seen thus far, I am more than confident that when he graduates from Chesterbrook he will have the skill set required to advance to first grade with ease. Along with how well he is doing academically, he has awesome teachers that are very supportive and instructing him on not only his academic growth but also his social skill growth with his peers. They consult with me on his progress and answer any of my questions or concerns openly. With previous schools, I struggled with lack of communication from his teachers and have realized that Chesterbook is a breath of fresh air. All of the teachers and staff are friendly and helpful even if my son is not in their physical class daily. As a mom this makes me feel good about the environment he is in everyday while I'm working. Something new that I love is that they have recently incorporated sending notifications and updates of his day through an online/phone application. At the end of the day I receive an email update. Now I get to see all of his great memories and accomplishments that he has during each school day!

This is a great school for PK. The teachers really care about the children development they do a…read morelot of hands-on work with the children and I definitely see a difference in my child since going to the school. They are very organized they do daily reports down to what the kid ate and the activities they did with lesson they learned and daily videos. my review is based upon other schools that I have experience that don't have the resources or don't even give you a daily report . The Catholic school for pre-K especially for beginners was not a good choice for us. I am so happy we picked this school over any Catholic schools.

Veronica and the staff at this location have been so welcoming and helpful with our transition to…read moredaycare! We love the multiple updates we receive and the activities the kids engage in!

Please read the reviews at the Complaint Board site before enrolling your child at this center:…read more http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/kindercare-gum-street-unprofessional-c651515.html