In 2021, my husband and I were excited to close the chapter of needing day care in our lives as our three children were old enough not to need it. Then in 2022 we were blessed with our "bonus" baby. With a degree of reluctance, we opted to enroll her in the same daycare our three oldest children attended. This decision came with a touch of hesitation, considering the significant changes that have taken place at the small, intimate center we once knew and adored. That center did not seem to know the direction it wanted to take and there was some toxicity with one of the owners. (Never once was I concerned about the care she received in the rooms by the staff.) During the year she was there, the boundaries with one of the owners felt chaotic and unpredictable. It was time to cut ties with a center we had been at over 10 years and began looking for a new daycare for our daughter to attend. We were fortunate that Goddard-Lakeville had availability for our daughter to attend. The very first thing we noticed was the level of safety/security at the center. There is no entering the building unless you are welcomed in by a staff member. I have seen grandparents needing to show their ID's prior to being allowed in the building. In today's day, the level of security is incredibly comforting. The second most prominent feature is the teachers' level of involvement. Right from the tour, we observed how the teachers were fully engaged with the children, not lingering on the sidelines with their phones or engaged in conversations amongst themselves. Thirdly, the communication is outstanding. There's no ambiguity regarding the center's operations - it's clear, concise, and consistent. The policies are fair- they do not change based on the most recent parent's complaint. The extent of our daughter's learning journey is astounding. We're immensely thankful for the age-appropriate curriculum. As advocates of education and evidence-based approaches, Goddard truly stands out as exceptional! Finally, the teachers are fantastic! They genuinely invest in the well-being of the children under their guidance. They understand my daughter as a unique individual and cater to her specific needs. Based on our experience with two prominent daycares in the Lakeville area, I wholeheartedly endorse Goddard-Lakeville. The owners cultivate a community that balances professionalism and healthy boundaries while providing a nurturing environment for children to flourish. The teachers are top notch! Any family that decides to invest in the care at Goddard-Lakeville, will not be disappointed! read more

The Goddard School in Lakeville has been an excellent choice for our daughter's childcare. Since starting there at 2, her vocabulary has dramatically increased and she is doing fun and adventurous things every day, while expanding her knowledge of various cultures too. Her safety and well-being, along with those of the staff, is always a high priority for the owners. Our daughter is greeted with a smile each day, and eagerly awaits going to school every day. We are so thankful for the care and attention that has been given to her, and that she now has a whole community of trusted people other than her parents who have her best interest in mind. It's true that it takes a village to raise kids, and this is a great one to be a part of! read more

I love knowing what Oliver worked on during the day so in our time with him we can reinforce the lessons. I love his smile when we get there in the morning and that most days he's not ready to leave when I pick him up. The pictures are a welcome bonus! read more

Great school! My son loves it there! The owners, staff, and teachers are wonderful! Very clean too! I'm glad there is a Goddard school in the Lakeville area! read more

When we moved last summer to the border of Apple Valley/Lakeville, we were apprehensive about moving our son to a new daycare. As a teacher myself, I wanted a school with a sound educational philosophy--but as a mother, I wanted an environment that was as warm and loving as home. We were lucky enough to find both at The Goddard School. We rarely make an investment in something without weighing the costs and benefits. After extensive research on daycares in the area, our decision to enroll our child at Goddard came down to several factors: * Age-specific programs with a varied, play-based curriculum focusing on areas from language/cognitive/social and emotional development to the arts to self-help/life skills * All staff (including the owner) with degrees in education, who exude positive energy and a caring attitude * Top-notch physical facilities, including advanced safety features, large outdoor playground areas, and a bright, welcoming layout * No pricey required school uniforms to have to buy/compel our child to wear My husband and I marvel at how our son is thriving at Goddard in just a few short months. We have such peace-of-mind knowing he is in a place he loves going to every day! Through the Tadpoles app, we get photos on our phone during the day of him engaged in fun activities, like yoga, art projects and themed days. We also receive a detailed daily report on how much he sleeps, his progress on toilet training, how much/what he eats, and what he has learned throughout the day. When we arrive in the morning or leave in the afternoon, everyone at Goddard is genuinely welcoming--greeting us by name like we are part of a family. We couldn't be happier with our choice! read more

Goddard has great structure and curriculum but more importantly everyone who works there is so friendly, knows my children's names and is always welcoming and kind. read more

We love it here at The Goddard School-Lakeville. Most important to us, we feel safe leaving our children there. We know they are well taken care of and loved. The staff is friendly and caring. The facility is clean, safe and inviting. We have seen growth and development in our children, so we couldn't be more thrilled with the education and learning that takes place daily. I don't think we could recommend this school any more. Our family is proud to call this place home. read more

My two kids, ages 1 and 3, both go to Goddard and love it! We toured centers all around Lakeville, Apple Valley and Rosemount in addition to researching online and immediately decided that Goddard was/is the best for our family (and the best in the area). The teachers are very attentive to the children's individual needs and the directors know every child by name. We were particularly impressed with the Goddard curriculum. It's play-based in nature and has academic features as well. Not only do we get a couple of pictures throughout the day, but we get to read about all of the activities that our boys did. Our three-year-old loves looking at the pictures on the daily report and telling us about his day and what he learned! I was terrified to leave my boys after staying home with them for a year and a half but after starting Goddard, I can honestly say that I don't have "mom guilt." read more

My husband and I enrolled our daughter in The Goddard School at the beginning of this year and cannot believe how much she has thrived. We enrolled her in the toddler program. The program and classroom environment at Goddard is unique and thoughtfully set up to help kids at this age adjust well for transition/change. There is a young toddlers room that is attached to an older toddlers room with a shared bathroom (like a Jack and Jill set up). Why this is so beneficial is it keeps the classroom size smaller and more manageable. Kids in both classrooms are able to spend some together throughout the day (in the morning during drop-off and in the afternoon during naps and pick-up) and still have their age-appropriate learning time in their own designated rooms. It makes transitioning to the older toddler classroom a breeze, which is what our daughter experienced. She enjoys going to school every day. We are impressed with all of the teachers' credentials (degrees in education) and experience, but more importantly the attention to care and the loving and nurturing environment they provide to each child. The faculty at Goddard make each day enjoyable not only for our daughter, but for us as parents as well. They treat us like family and management team goes above and beyond for you. If we ever have a question, they are easily reachable because the owners, Tom and Mary Sue are onsite everyday and so are their two wonderful Directors, Michelle and Catherine. They welcome your questions and and genuinely want to work with you to help address any concerns. I appreciate that they take the time to periodically check-in to make sure everything is going well. It shows how much they care. There are so many wonderful things our daughter gets to experience at Goddard that we wouldn't be able to give her in any other setting like having a fun group of dads who play music for the kids, Costume Kim, a librarian and dentist who have visited the school. I see her teachers thoughtfully plan out their days and prepare lesson plans that measure up to Goddard's play-based learning standards. Their play-based learning approach is methodical. With every activity, there is a goal behind it. For example: coloring their rockets and then making them fly in the air is a science/study in which the goal is to make things happen and watch for results or repeats action. Or reading together in their circle times is a language development/communication skill in which the goal is to develop interest in and involvement with books and other print material. There are many other skills that the play-based approach teaches and it keeps the children engaged and curious. The fun part about having the Tadpoles app on our phones is we get pictures of our daughter enjoying her day at school. At the end of the day, a full detailed report is sent with what her teachers logged including her nap times, what she ate/drank and how much of it and the activities she participated in throughout the day. We have had a wonderful experience here and we highly recommend Goddard. read more

I called to get basic enrollment information to consider Goddard as an option for my three year old and spoke to Mary Sue (the owner) on the phone. Wow, was she rude! Without personal information, like my child's birth date (can't I just tell you he's three?), she refused to give me even RATES of what they charge for classes. She kept repeating that "it's a two way street" and I need to give her information on us before she can even tell us how much they charge families. That's just absurd. Thanks, but I will enroll my child in a preschool where they are kind to potential families. If she's rude to me on the phone for 2 minutes, imagine how she will treat my child? read more

We moved our 2 and 4 year old to Goddard shortly after they opened, coming from a Montessori with very inadequate food allergy policies. Our youngest has food allergies and we wanted a safe place to send her every day. We were very pleased with Goddard, we were the first food allergy child to attend, but they were extremely open and willing to craft their policies and procedures to keep all of the children safe, including those with food allergies. They formulated an allergy plan, trained their staff and made sure every room was completely safe. They now have more children with special food needs and they're able to give them a safe haven every day where the kids can grow and learn safely. I have also found them very flexible with suggestions, they are always willing to learn more about allergies and make any policy adjustments as necessary. In addition to their commitment to health and safety, they have a very clean facility and great toys and outdoor space. There is a ton of room for the kids to run around and just be kids. The play based learning has made our kids flourish there. The teachers are wonderful too and our kids love them. Every month they have special activities for the kids, this week they have soccer shots and a martial arts presentation. They have brought in Mexican dancers, Costume Kim, play actors, puppet theater, and many other things to enrich the learning experience. They also provide a wealth of information and pictures throughout the day with the Tadpoles application. They have information on everything that happens that day, what they are learning, what kind of activities they're doing, and pictures of your kids doing those activities, it's great to get little notifications about your kids throughout the day. Overall we're extremely pleased with Goddard and would definitely recommend it to anyone! read more

Although the Goddard system is outstanding, each location is independently owned and operated. Unfortunately, the staff at this specific location is extremely inflexible and unwilling to work with parents to accommodate the needs of their children. If your requests falls outside their rigid curriculum and daily schedule, be prepared for the staff to say we can't do it. read more