The owner is rude and a liar. She would say that certain information had been communicated to us "multiple times" and, upon reviewing all communications we had from her or anyone else at the school, nothing had been received in ANY of our email accounts. The staff turnover is insane because people don't want to work for her. At one point a teacher asked parents to please consider not sending in peanut butter products because one child was allergic (if you know anything about peanut allergies, even peanut residue in the air can cause BIG problems) and was yelled at by the owner that they could not ask that of the parents. The classrooms are constantly at or over capacity because of the inability to keep staff, and thankfully the former director did have the foresight to shut down one day because they legally did not have the help to be open. There were plenty of other times this probably should have happened too. I haven't felt like my child was truly safe at that school for a while and started looking for other options once the ones I felt did keep him safe left. Oh there was also the COVID scare where they did not enforce their own policy that parents had to wear a mask to drop off and pick up their child(ren) which resulted in said parent coming in direct contact with teachers while infected, but also resulted in said parent sending the child (in my son's room) to school while infected. There were also two teachers infected by other sources and that fact was NEVER officially communicates to parents. There is also the mandatory super camp activities that are NOT in the enrollment agreement and add an extra $200 one month to the cost of tuition. I would recommend that anyone with other options steers clear of this particular school. If you like the Goddard curriculum, try to enroll in one of the other ones in the area, as they do have a different owner. This is school does not live up to the standards I had heard about for YEARS for Goddard. read more

I called yesterday to get information about this location. I was greeted and had a wonderful conversation with Ashley about enrolling my little one. I called back this morning to set up an interview/walkthrough of the facility. This is how the call went: Brooke: good morning thank you for calling Goddard in Mechanicsburg, this is Brooke. Me: Good morning Brooke, how are you? Brooke: click... hung up the phone. I assume that maybe because my wife and I are military and our phones are out of state, maybe she thought I was a telemarketer. I call back and they let it go to voicemail. I left a very polite voicemail thanking Ashley for her time, and we will be enrolling our child in a different school. read more

We were offered and accepted a spot for our child. Then they set up a time for a virtual walkthrough of the facility and when the agreed upon time came we never got a call. When we called to inquire about the missed time they told us they gave our spot away to someone else. My wife accepted a job based on having childcare there. read more

My son who is 2.5 has been attending Goddard since 7 months old. I toured many local facilities and was extremely nervous and upset to have to put him in any daycare setting. I actually left two in tears. The teachers in the infant room- Ms. Kayla and Ms. Jaime were so fantastic and calmed all my nerves about placing my son in daycare. They showed him all the love I would and all his needs were met. He has moved through pre-tods with and tods with another group of amazing teachers who taught him so much! Ms. Lily, Ms. Ciara and Ms. Paige were so great! He is way ahead of other kiddos his age and he amazes me every single day with how much he learns. Ms. Rachel is just amazing and so sweet. She is so patient and kind- always smiling! My babe loves giving her hugs and can't wait to see his friends and teachers everyday. Ms. Ani is new and so far she has been such a great hire/addition! I have been so pleased that I will be enrolling my newest addition into Goddard in Mechanicsburg. read more

Our two year old son started attending Goddard in August 2021. He was not in daycare prior, due to the nonavailability of openings. At pick up the FIRST DAY, the director informed me that my son would not sit for any activity or lunch and would not sleep on his mat. This same director was the one who had our initial meeting and was told this was his FIRST TIME. She then proceeded to say that they recommend parents to get their own table and chairs to work on sitting at home, which we ALREADY had. When he started, he did become ill three times, which is not abnormal. He was NOT consistently in daycare to become used to the expectations. We received a message from his teacher, whom we NEVER met in person. She stated concerns they had regarding our son. She did ask what we do at home, which I provided. After messaging back and forth, I asked if we could have a meeting with the teacher. Our meeting was set up with the teacher and director. During our meeting, our son's teacher informed us that they had tried EVERYTHING I provided and said that it did not work. Also, the teacher could not handle a meeting with us. She had the director speak for her the majority of the meeting. Our son's teacher did say that he was NOT horrible or had behaviors like the others and that they would give his transition time a chance. We also had issues with nap time. We asked if nap time would be shorter for our son. At first, they agreed; however, when it was brought up again, we were told that it is group care NOT one to one care, our son woke up the other kids to play (which is NORMAL), would cry if woken up, that all the kids need a two hour nap to be successful, and THEY WOULD BE OUT OF RATIO!! Daycare facilities should be in ratio AT ALL TIMES!!! If it is not one to one care, why ask us what we do at home with our son to use in his classroom with him! Also, our son's pediatrician said that a two hour nap is TOO LONG for his age group. Our final email, regarding our son's behaviors, was the last straw. The director provided us with a list of concerns of his behaviors, which are AGE APPROPRIATE! We asked his pediatrician about it. The director also proceeded to say that there were complaints from parents that our son is hurting their children. How the heck do they know our son's name to be discussing this with you? Why were we not informed if these concerns were so prominent? Since there was a lack of communication and documentation of the concerns, inability to adhere to our son's dignity, his privacy and lack of cooperation with us, we LEFT! More information before we left: Our son had his finger stepped on, which broke skin. NO incident report was provided. A report from their QA was provided. The report was shoved in his bag. The report noted that the assumption was his finger got stepped on. NO band aid was on his finger and NO report of care after was provided. On the final day, I received our son's items. I checked his bag at home. We still had things missing. I emailed the director regarding the missed items and that I would pick them up when they reopen after the holidays. The director informed me that they did not check above the cubby and to see if we would like the items to be dropped off at our house. AT OUR HOUSE!! I told her that I do not feel comfortable with that, and we would wait. The director was EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL, especially in her emails. She is young and needs a course in communication. Goddard NEVER asked what our son's likes/dislikes or strengths/weaknesses were. Goddard NEVER seemed interested in working with us or communicating anything, good or bad. For the amount of money we spent to send our son here, it is a JOKE! read more

We have had two children go through the Goddard program in Mechanicsburg. Our eldest son just entered first grade, but returned to Goddard for the summer program. We have seen a lot of transition in the time we have been there and we couldn't be happier. Our youngest is there everyday. He is welcomed by everyone and the teachers are quick to let us know how he did and celebrate his accomplishments. The owner is extremely responsive and we have had a number of families sign up at Goddard under our reference. We have also noticed that our older son is excelling in public school. He's ahead of some of the other kids and it's noticeable. We credit his Goddard experience to his success. We would recommend this school over and over. We have a number of friends enrolled and they are all just as happy as we have been. read more

*My experience with The Goddard School* please read before committing to childcare at The Goddard School-mechanicsburg. I'm sharing my experience regarding the neglect my 8 month old daughter was subjected to on June 28th 2021 at the Goddard School in Mechanicsburg PA. For the last four months she was enrolled at this facility, I have packed the same number of bottles and stored then in the same pockets, of the same backpack. This particular day, I sent 4oz of water as well in a supply cup because the weather was slated to reach the mid 90s. On June 28th I dropped my child off at 930 am. I received one update in their app at 11:00am stating my child was given 1 of her 3 bottles. My daughter has a strict feeding schedule of every 2-3 hours. I hadn't seen an update when I checked again at 2, but their app that they use rarely works and is never accurately updated so I thought nothing if it. I arrived at 4:30 pm to pick her up and notice she is acting very out of it. Tears were streaming down her face and her lashes were crusted together from tears. They informed me that she "fell asleep on the carpet" which she has never done. I proceed to my car, but before I pull out of the parking lot I check her bag and notice 2 full bottles and her water cup were full inside of her bag. Worried, I called my husband and explained how weird she was acting and asked if he knew anything or heard anything from the school about her bottles. He said no. I proceed back in to ask what happened and why my daughter was not fed. I spoke to the assistant director who checked with her infant room teachers that explained "they thought I only sent one bottle" so she was only given one of three bottles she should have been fed. I proceed to ask "why didn't you call me?" And she was unable to answer the question so I asked her to please assist me in getting Nancy Goss, the franchise owner so I could discuss the matter further. Nancy was unaware of the situation and let me know she was going to look into it and give me a call before she left for the day. I left to rush home to feed my child and received a call from Nancy. She reiterated that the teachers were not aware that I sent more than one bottle (which I obviously already knew), did not have an answer as to why they didn't simply reach out to me and proceeded to argue with me that the temperature was "actually only 95" after I said "i was concerned my child was dehydrated because it's close to 100 degrees out." Her resolution for my family was to "not require a 30 day notice to leave". I pulled my child out and picked her items up the following day. I have been scrambling to find a sitter until I have full time daycare for my child, as just about every full time school has an extensive waitlist. I was never asked by anyone at the school if my child was okay. I am very disappointed in the franchise, Nancy Goss, and the teachers who I trusted to meet my child's basic needs. I am sad and disgusted thinking about my child crying for a number of hours that day, and not one of her three teachers (which have been with her since day 1), thinking "maybe she's hungry" or "maybe I should reach out to her parents and check to see if they have more formula." I am sure some people have had great experiences with Goddard, but unfortunately I am not one of them. read more

My son has been attending Goddard as an infant at 10 months old and transitioned at 13 months to the Pre-Tods class with Ms. Lily. All of his teachers have been so accommodating to his individual needs. His teachers are sure to communicate with us on those skills he is excelling and those areas of development we can work on at home together. I love the art projects they do, and the outside time. They are teaching him sign language and encouraging his communication & social skills which has been such a wonderful gift from Goddard. read more

I would never recommend this daycare. They pride themselves in the use of technology, such as realtime email updates and a computer sign-in system, but in the limited encounters with this, I have found it to be an excuse for the teachers to substitute instruction with laziness. I once came into the classroom watching the children viewing Disney's Moana with the discussion of "Why is Moana sad?" When questioned about any aspects of the curriculum, the staff immediately become rude as though you insulted them to the core with simple questions like did my potty training child have any accidents today? They would simply attempt to brush aside any concerns by directing you to the daily reports they send, which do not contain any of the information you are requesting. I also doubt the accuracy of those reports as on a couple occasions I would get an email sent in the morning stating they already had a noontime nap and afternoon snack. The administration is less than caring about your child's learning and more caring about finding excuses in why your children do not live up to their expectations. They do not take responsibility in the fact that they are the ones providing instruction. When you are in disagreement about your child's participation in summer field trip activities, which they make mandatory and charge a hidden fee, the only recourse you have is to take time off of work for several hours to watch your child. The daycare refuses to assign the appropriate amount of staff to allow your child to stay at the daycare instead of the field trip. I would highly recommend you consider a daycare that cares about you and your children. read more

Parents please see photo uploaded of a print screen from their own website as a response to the owner stating all of her "teachers" have bachelors degrees. This place is a daycare and nothing more. Also my son is now enrolled in a real school and surprisingly this school has many Goddard transfers that all had the same experience we did. Shop around and take a tour of this place with a critical eye if u are considering this place, as your child's well being and respect is very important at such a young age. read more

The Goddard School of Mechanicsburg - Print screen of their website stating "credentials" of their "teachers" yet owner states otherwise: misleading! - Child Care & Day Care Near Me - Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Focused on play time not education. Big money for play time. They try to highlight technology but they do not use it to educate, just to sell. read more

Our toddler daughter is a student at the Goddard School. She just LOVES it here! Our teacher is exceptional and we are constantly impressed with the curriculum and our child's growth. I would highly recommend this daycare to other families. read more

The Goddard School is a wonderful daycare for both of my children (infant and toddler), and I could not be more pleased with the care and attention that they receive here! Nancy and all of the staff/faculty have been extremely warm, welcoming and attentive to my children's needs, and made our transition to this daycare better than what I expected. The focus on education is so important and my son wakes up excited to go to daycare, and to learn and play with his friends and teachers. I receive photos and updates consistently throughout the day, and have found the teachers to be the best around. I highly recommend the Goddard School in Mechanicsburg! read more

This is not a caring or friendly daycare and I would not recommend this daycare to anyone. Staff is very rude, the daycare owner is very unprofessional over phone and in person to the point that she yelled at me when I expressed some questions and concerns regarding the school curriculum and activities for my children. This daycare has mandatory summer field trip activities and if you opt out from having your kids attend some of trips, they refuse to watch your children at daycare during that time and make you find alternate care for that day. When I expressed some of my concerns about my child attending some trips, the daycare owner dismissed my concerns all while yelling at me and then she decided to discharge my children from their daycare and only gave us 1 day notice when we didn't even have another daycare lined up yet. They don't communicate well with new parents about these rules which were not even written in their enrollment agreement. Staff is not very accommodating in parents requests and choose to dismiss parents requests for their child care when they please. I am very disappointed at the low level of care and compassion from this daycare towards parents and children. Luckily, I was able to find a different, much better daycare for my kids that is more accommodating, professional, caring and respectful towards parents and children. read more

As a teacher working here, I warn parents and other employers to stay away. This place is very unprofessional!! Owner is never actually around running the business:( Directors are nice at first but as time goes on you realize they are unprofessional and fake. An example : Put my two weeks in &' was given great feed back but talked about behind my back very negatively. Also went in for my last paycheck when I was told it would be waiting for me between 3-6, I got there at 4:30 and was then told my check was mailed. Wasted my time and gas. Goddard in Mechanicsburg does not know what communication is. I chose to leave this job due to the lack of communication, illegal care for the children, and unprofessionalism. read more

This is the third daycare our toddler has attended and by far the best. The teachers and staff genuinely care about the kids and celebrate their developmental achievements. Splash days are a big hit with my child and so are the music classes! Our little one also has very sensitive skin and they are cognizant of diaper changes. I would recommend this daycare facility to other families! read more

Throughout my 3 years involved in the Goddard School, my daughter, husband and I have had nothing but positive experiences! Being a teacher myself, I value the education component of any place. The things my daughter knows already is incredible. This is attributed to the caring, knowledgeable, and loving teachers that she has. I would recommend Goddard School to anyone looking for a place to send their child. read more

Parents Beware!! Seriously not impressed! The Director is EXTREMELY difficult to deal with and I highly suggest you get care elsewhere. I would never have my kids here again. I found a place in Camp Hill off Slate Hill and it was wonderful! read more

My kiddos are in summer camp and LOVE it here, from all the awesome field trips, to the fun events planned at the center to their teachers they can't wait to see each day!! The owner sets her staff up for success making sure they have all the education and tools they need to run loving, caring, educational and fun classrooms for the kiddos! The directors are there for guidance and support when parents or staff need it! I also love that one of the directors is always in attendance on field trips! I myself worked in childcare for almost 10 years and it's not easy, but the owner, directors and staff make this place a really great place for the kids! My kiddos will absolutely be back next year for summer camp!! read more

My kids love going to the Goddard school every day! I know that they are in safe hands and when my youngest is old enough to go into public school, he will be ready because the Goddard school has prepared him according to state standards. As a teacher myself, this was one of the reasons I chose this school. My older children have a blast at summer camp. The field trips and activities are hands on, educational, and FUN! I also feel like the teachers genuinely care about my kids. Five stars! read more

Horrible, the owner is extremely difficult to work with. All she cares about is the money and sends out reminders in the middle of the month everyday until the first of the month when the tuition is due Revolving door with staff no consistency. There were 5 directors in the year we were there. Old dirty toys for the children to play with finally bought some new ones and the very next month tuition increased. She had stated when we left that she hopes we find what we are looking for well we did. My child is taken care of by loving, kind, and sweet individuals who really love their jobs. The same teachers are there in the morning when I drop my child off and the same teachers are there in the evening when I pick my child up. Consistency. We only have to ask once if we want something done. At Goddard we had to repeatedly ask if we wanted something a certain way and they still could not get it together. Do your home work worst mistake ever. read more

I highly recommend Goddard, Mechanicsburg. Goddard is my son's "home away from home". The teachers are kind and caring and love my son. I wish that I could stay home with my son, but that is not an option. I sent my son to another daycare for 1 1/2 days before pulling him out, disgusted by the utter failure of the staff to care for my then 3 month old. Like an angel, the Goddard Mechanicsburg owner heard of our issue and worked with us so we could get our son in to the school ASAP. My son smiles every day and is excited to see his teachers. They stimulate the children like no other daycare could. For those of you struggling with where to send your child to ensure they are loved, well taken care of and stimulated, look no further than Goddard Mechanicsburg. They truly are wonderful. I can go to work and not worry about my son. As an added bonus, they send you e-mail updates with pictures and the latest on your child's sleeping and eating schedule. You simply can't find a better place. read more