I had been on the waitlist since January and was told I would have a spot by May -- that never happened. Now that I'm relocating out of state to Colorado, I requested the return of the $700 deposit I paid, and they refused, saying it's "non-refundable." We're talking about daycare, not a university. Keeping a deposit after never offering the spot you promised feels like taking money under false pretenses. This isn't about the amount -- it's about the principle, and it's deeply disappointing. read more

The staff is friendly and you can tell it's genuine, the school is run very well , the teachers are consistent and not a high turnover (which I know is hard to achieve), my kiddo is happy and learning and engaged! I had been at another school prior to moving over to Goddard. We were at the other school for 1 year. The difference in how Goddard is run is night and day. I can see the development my child has made since switching and he's much happier overall. When I pick him up at the end of the day he doesn't want to go home he's still having a great time! read more

We cannot express how much we adore the team at The Goddard School of Reno (Somersett) . My son has been attending since he was 6 months old and he will be 2 years old next week. The teachers not only care about the children but the families as well. I feel they do everything to ensure the safety and well-being of the children. They provide an incredible curriculum and my son has flourished well beyond our expectations. They take the time to work with each child and create fun lesson plans to engage the kids. My son looks forward to going to "School" every day. The entire team from the Directors/Owners to the teachers go above and beyond. I absolutely love all of the teachers and staff!!! We trust them 100% and know that they treat our son with the utmost respect and caring that we could ever ask for. You will never regret paying that little bit extra. . . it's worth every penny!!! read more

Don't do it, friends. Don't be fooled by the shiny brochures or pictures of happy children on the website. Be smarter than we were. Like many other parents have mentioned below, we were originally drawn to The Goddard School in Somersett because the facilities seemed clean, the curriculum appropriate and the staff friendly. On our initial tour, we were told how the school caters to the whole child and teaches them the life-skills needed for success. They even had this phone app called "Tadpoles" where busy parents could get photos and updates on daily activities. Sounds great, right? We enrolled our son immediately. I'm embarrassed to say it took us two years to realize what this "school" was all about. At first, there were just little things that were just... well, off. Our son came home with the wrong clothes. His face was never cleaned. The bento boxes we sent in his lunch never made it back. Morning drop off was always a guessing game as to which classroom our son would be in to start his day. Minor inconveniences. No big deal, right? But then, minor issues became major issues. There were scratches and bruises on our son's face without incident reports. There were incident reports that blamed students for the inattention of teachers. Multiple concerns were raised about bullying in the classroom that went unanswered by the staff. Teachers were swapped in and out of positions so fast that students didn't even learn their names. It was not uncommon for our son to have four or five different teachers all in one day. A few, such Mr. Jon and Miss Cassie, were phenomenal. The rest were just treading water, doing what they could to harness the chaos with minimal training and no resources. Ask about faculty retention rates. In the unlikely event that you get an honest answer, you'll see what we mean. The problem with this facility was not with the teachers, however. The problem was the administration. As one previous reviewer stated, students were often pushed through grade levels before they were ready in order to make room for more revenue. Kids in top-tier classrooms were pushed out of their system early after their tuition maxed out. It's been several months since we withdrew our son from this program, and we have yet to receive the $700 tuition reimbursement owed us. Then there was the matter of multiple unsolicited emails sent to parents about "exciting" opportunities to purchase clothes and other items from friends of the owner. Classy. This behavior should not have come as a surprise. After all, the "principal" here is not an educator. Her background is in finance and she runs this franchise as a business. What a very lucrative business it must be indeed. Other parents warned us specifically about The Goddard School's Somersett location. Sadly, we didn't listen. We should have. I can't begin to describe how relieved we were to get our child out of this environment. Hopefully other parents won't be as naive as we were to place their children there to begin with. *Update--after reading the franchise owner's response to my original post, all I can say is bless her heart. Every buzzword in the industry was covered. The sheer number is quite impressive! read more

I had the privilege of working here for almost two years and the memories, friendships, and love that I received will be with me forever. Denise and the rest of management have created an environment where they ensure their teachers are taken care of. Because of the constant support from the owner and directors, teachers are able to wholly focus on providing the highest quality of care for the children. Management is quick to step into the classroom and never forgets how much work it takes to exceed the standards of a normal preschool day in and day out. I got to share my days with some of the most kind and intelligent teachers. They genuinely love their kids and love their job. They are passionate about curriculum and helping their students reach developmental milestones. There is truly a sense of community that is formed within this school. One of the things I loved the most was the level of communication that is encouraged between staff and families. I never wanted families to feel like they were missing time, precious milestones, or little joys just because they were dropping their child off at the school and so much of the staff holds that same mindset. This is a school where your family and child will be loved, academically challenged, and celebrated. read more

I cannot recommend this school enough. We started our now 2.5 y/o in their infant room and were completely blown away with their care, communication, and friendliness. The owner, Denise, has done an amazing job of navigating and communicating changes due to COVID this last year. Our daughter comes home with impressive vocabulary and can count in Spanish. She talks about her teachers and classmates almost everyday on our way to school, which means so much to me (specifically Ms. Shawna). My husband and I are thankful everyday for the care and education they provide, and we have complete confidence when we start our newborn in the spring/summer. read more

I like Goddard. My son is enrolled here and I like their location (I live in Somersett). The staff here are great. Upper management can be a little bit friendlier but the teachers are nice. They are clean and professional. What I love most is you get everyday updates on your children and I love love love the pictures that I get everyday. It makes me feel secure and I get to see what my baby did that day so I can ask him questions about his day. The only con is they are pricey. But as long as I know my son is learning and he's safe, I will pay whatever amount I need to pay. read more

This is the best school in Reno hands down. We transferred my oldest son from another school when he was 4 years old and the youngest was around 2 years old. The 2 year old had a specialist team he was working with when we made the switch and Goddard was extremely accommodating. In fact, I think we saw so much growth with Goddard's help that my son did not need the specialists within 6 months. (There was a concern at the previous school that he was biting because there was a delay in communication.) That 2 year old starts kindergarten this year and he is more prepared than my oldest was due to the consistency in excellence in education from Goddard over the years. With that said, we are currently going through the COVID-19 outbreak in the US and this school has exceeded our expectations to keep families safe. They are open and are supporting the families of first responders and those that need the a safe place for their kids because they are unable to keep them at home during the quarantine. This is an example from an email we received communicating the lengths that the school is going through to keep their families safe: * For those of you not coming to school right now, we are no longer allowing parents in the school and are having staff take children from the lobby to the classrooms. We are no longer touring prospective families and have cancelled all visitors and events for the months of April and May. * We have the ability to deep clean every classroom daily, which include sanitizing all toys and cleaning all surfaces throughly with soap and water and then a bleach and water solution. We still have our janitorial staff coming nightly and will never cut them. They vacuum, mop, and sanitize the floors in all of our classrooms every night. * As soon as a student is dropped off in their classroom, their teachers are helping them wash their hands. Throughout the day, students and teachers are all abiding by our hand washing standards which include washing before and after meals, after outside time, before and after sensory play, after toileting, and before and after diapering. Students are also directed to wash hands at other times when needed, such as sneezing, coughing, nose picking, etc. * All deliveries and packages are being screened in the lobby and unpacked/unboxed and sanitized before bringing them to the inside of the school. Any parents who are dropping off packages of diapers and handing them to staff in the lobby and we are treating these packages in the same way. * We have advised all staff to stay home when not at work. We have held staff meetings over the last week stressing the importance of providing a clean, safe environment at school, as well as keeping ourselves and others safe outside of the school. * We are not aware of anyone associated with the school that has tested positive for the virus or has similar symptoms. For any child or teacher who reports they are not coming to school due to illness of any kind (even symptoms not related to the virus) we have asked for doctors notes before they can return to school. We spoke with the health department yesterday and they confirmed that they will notify us immediately if any cases of COVID-19 are reported in relation to our school. Prior to this unusual time I heard parents complain about the price. Let me tell you, it is more than worth it to have your child in a safe environment, with teachers with degrees (not babysitters), and at a school that makes communication a priority. read more

The staff and management make recommending Goddard and easy choice! Top notch education and state of the art facility. Wouldn't send my child anywhere else. read more

"Everyone who is employed here appears to love what they do and speaks with the children lovingly and respectfully. I appreciate that what the children are learning is a unique curriculum built on best practices for social, emotional, and academic needs." read more

We have been at this school for over a year and I have nothing but amazing things to say. My daughter is only there 2 days a week, but she learns so much in those two days it's incredible. The teachers are amazing. They are kind and you can really tell that they enjoy what they are doing. My daughter comes home talking about her teachers all the time. They have really had a positive impact on her. My daughter has moved through 3 classrooms and each transition was smooth. They waited until she was ready and let her transition at her own pace. The school is constantly having great events. They send home a monthly curriculum and each month the schools subject focus switches. They just did foods of the world and it was great. They even had a party at the end of it where parents were invited to come in and enjoy new foods with their children. Like I said, I can't say anything but great things about this school. After having an awful time at another Reno daycare, this daycare is a breath of fresh air. read more

My grandson has been attending for three years and he has really enjoyed the program.

We attended this Goddard for 5 years, but left recently due to a cross country move. One of the hardest aspects about our move has been finding a daycare we love. Denise and her team have set the bar so high it's been difficult to replicate. This is a wonderful school, and looking back, we appreciate everything this school provided us with. We loved our time here. read more

This day care facility is more like a preschool than a daycare. My son has consistent care from the same teachers with no turnover. When I say teacher, that is what I mean. They are not babysitters like the facility where he was before. Since being at Goddard, my son is able to identify 6 different types of dinosaurs and name them. It's been amazing to watch. He'll come up with words I didn't even know he knew! Most recently "helicopter". Thank you to all the beautiful teachers for caring for him when I am away. read more

My son Rowen has been attending the Goddard School in Somersett since he was 6 weeks old. The staff there have been such a support system are like a second family to us. Denise, Bri, and Erica have so accommodating with my work schedule and "mommy time." I can't imagine my son going anywhere else and highly recommend them to any family with young ones. read more

Our boys have been loved, encouraged, and cared for by the Goddard staff over the last 6 years. What a blessing it has been for our kids and for us! The Goddard staff is warm, nurturing, and they work tirelessly to help kids grow emotionally, developmentally, and academically. We have loved and appreciated their daily communication about what the kids are learning and have enjoyed getting to see fun snapshots of our boys when we couldn't be there with them. The Goddard staff feels like family and there isn't any place we would have rather had our boys be in their early years. We love you, Goddard Family! read more

The Goddard School is outstanding. I marvel at what my two kids are learning from their deeply committed teachers with whom they are developing meaningful, lasting relationships. The Director of the school is intensely committed to quality and security, and she goes out her way to provide enriching extracurricular programs for the kids, such as theater experiences or seasonal festivals. I am also impressed by the knowledge of early childhood development exhibited by Goddard's excellent teaching staff. Your child will be safe and cared for here. Five Stars. read more

I love that my daughter is so well cared for by her teachers. In the 8 months she's attended the school, I've seen her little active brain engaged and learning new skills everyday. Another notable/worthy thing to communicate - the school is incredibly clean. This school is top notch in terms of communication about activities and safety, level of care and development of my child's emotional, physical and spiritual well being. I could seriously go on, and on! read more

Completely agree with Burt W. We were first impressed by all the bright colors, seemingly educated & young teachers, the cleanliness and the illusion of security with the fancy hand scanner etc. But having two kids with special needs we started to see their true colors and their intolerance for differences. In addition, we were disturbed by the constant turn over with employees--never knew who was going to be caring for my kids in the afternoon--and also coming home with other kids clothing?! My older son has autism so the constant change was unsettling for him. My younger son, who also was diagnosed with a developmental delay, was treated like a complete burden. Although we immediately obtained NEIS services to help him--Goddard cowardly removed him from their school (same week he received his diagnosis interestingly)--informing me via email versus an in-person meeting or phone call. If you are considering sending your kids there, I recommend you search the area and ask around first. If your child has any sort or disability or delay, don't expect them to budge from their elitist, branded structure to help your child. You will just be sent an email saying that their program isn't a good "fit" for your child--when really, there seems to be a predjudice towards differently abled children. read more

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this location of Goddard. I was very concerned about my daughter going from having a Nanny to being in a "school" atmosphere, but everyone at the school went above any beyond to make her feel comfortable. The staff is wonderful and my daughter has learned so much! It so nice to find a place where you know your child is getting the best education possible and your child is being watched as well as you watch them yourself. They have a great program and the school is well worth the tuition. read more

We had the worst experience with this school. First we were very hesitant to sign up our son to this school. We did sign him up because it seemed clean, the teachers were nice and it seemed like a positive learning experience (yes we were wrong). As we attended the weeks seemed like years, as our son was sick, bit, sent home with others clothing and to top it off -his teachers seemed to change by the week. This type of practice of teachers coming and going does not let my son settle into a positive learning environment. We have talked with other families who tell us the same thing that the teachers come and go so much their children have never got to adjust for the last year. Before we left this school to attend another school I was approached by the school asking to move my son to the next class to make room for other children, I found this totally unacceptable wouldn't you? Also the owner of this school is not involved as she was never around to talk with us and only concerned about her money because that's only when she would talk with us (when it was time to pay). This is a small community ask around you will be told the same. I urge you to look around as we have found a great school just down the road. read more

Horrible school! All this school wants is your money. They have horrible schedules and don't even provide the kids with food after all the money you are paying. Anyway my son went here and he got really sick from pink eye and got a fever. The staff didn't care at all they still made us pay them they made a huge chunk of money off of us and my son only attended the school for 1 day cuz he was really sick. I understand we signed their contract but still it wasn't fair that they took our money knowing that our son couldn't attend cuz he was so sick. Now he is going to a school where they provide him with food and they have an amazing flexible schedule. They have a huge playground with animals and more things to offer than this Goddard school. Worse investment we have ever made! We made a huge mistake by taking him to this school. Waste of money. I would give it zero stars but the website didn't let me... read more