The quality of care and professionalism has continued to go down over the past few years…read more Communication from the administration was sporadic and at times non existent. I'd toured the Jericho location years ago when I was still pregnant and was impressed which is why I later brought my toddler to the current Largo location. Their policies and procedures were constantly changing and the turnover rate was astounding. I did have a good experience with one teacher in particular, but when she left there were no longer any redeeming qualities. The "Assistant Director" was rude and ill-informed and usually unable to answer even the most basic question. The director was never available and rarely responded to email. I'd look elsewhere for the care of your little one!

Great daycare. My son has been there for a year now. He has thrived and is very happy to get there…read morein the morning and slow to leave at night. They notify me every time he falls or gets injured by another child. They will also send an incident report. He did contact hand foot and mouth like the other poster's child during that time however I was notified immediately as soon as it was discovered. They also had the school cleaned out and had parents take anything that was their childs home to be washed. Now you must bring home the bedding every week. The turnover rate has been high the past few months but I do believe this is due to the wage that the workers are paid. There was a story about this recently on the today show. All in all I would recommend this daycare to anyone. My son has thrived and continues to thrive each day he is there. His teachers are very kind to him and have nurtured him through each transition. Whether is be with a new teacher or when he moved to the next class. The administrative part with communication can be improved but that just takes some training on the directors part to her staff.

In response to the owner's reply: it seems this company always has an excuse for the way COA…read moreChildcare is run. The director was fully aware of what was happening--that's the most troubling part. Even with cameras in place, it's clear the higher-ups aren't reviewing them, or else they would have seen multiple incidents: a teacher left alone with seven infants, and even a school-age child placed in the infant classroom. These are not minor mistakes--these are serious violations. It's no surprise that parents are withdrawing their children for reasons just like this. I personally know several parents who are urgently looking for new childcare to get their children out of this center. How this place continues to operate while violating so many rules is beyond me. Parents, please be aware--this company shows a disturbing lack of accountability. Their response is nothing more than excuses piled on top of excuses, as if we don't have the ability to screen-record or screenshot proof directly from the cameras.

The reviews for this center are extremely misleading and appear to come largely from friends or…read moreassociates of the staff. My child no longer attends this daycare, and I'm writing not only from my own experience but also on behalf of parents I personally know who are actively searching for new childcare because they are trying to remove their infants from this facility. I genuinely do not understand how this center is still operating. Staff turnover is constant, and it's not hard to see why. Employees are treated poorly, and I have never encountered a daycare that does not allow staff to leave the building at all during their lunch breaks. Expecting employees to remain inside all day without fresh air or a real break is unreasonable and contributes directly to burnout and high turnover. Another major concern is supervision. There have been instances where a school bus driver was watching infants, despite not being a certified classroom teacher. That alone should raise serious red flags for any parent. Illness is also a recurring issue. Children are frequently sick, and it's clear why toys are not properly cleaned. They are simply put away and reused the next day. When concerns are raised, parents are met with nothing but excuses and deflection rather than accountability. This center puts on a polished front when it's time to enroll new families, but once you're in, the reality is very different. The fact that they continue enrolling children despite being severely understaffed speaks volumes. It is evident that profit is being prioritized over safety, staffing, and basic care standards. Let's not mention the treatment of the kids. Being left to cry in their cribs and you can't really blame all of the teachers there are maybe two good ones! But when they are overwhelmed and have way too many infants it's only but so much they can do. The staff to child ratio is never right which is a complete violation! I have also had former employees confide in me about the treatment they experienced while working here, which only further confirmed my concerns. At the end of the day, all I can say is this: don't let the reviews or the director fool you. What you're promised is not what you get. Unfortunately, many parents don't realize this until they've already enrolled. I'm already expecting a response filled with excuses and a complete lack of accountability, because that is the pattern here. This is exactly how concerns are handled nothing ever gets fixed. Parents are met with excuse after excuse, denial, and deflection instead of real solutions or meaningful change! This also appears to be a broader pattern across multiple Children of America locations, not just this one. When the focus becomes how many children can be enrolled rather than staffing appropriately, maintaining safety standards, and having a genuine interest in the well-being of the children, these issues are bound to happen. Unfortunately, that seems to be exactly what's going on here! Everything feels like a front for parents. The director is known for minimizing concerns, downplaying serious issues, and attempting to "smooth things over" to save face rather than actually addressing the root of the problems. Safety concerns are brushed aside, staffing shortages are normalized, and accountability is avoided all in the name of maintaining enrollment numbers.

I am truly grateful for the care and dedication shown by the staff at my son's school. The teachers…read moreand team are attentive, patient, and genuinely invested in the children's well-being and development. As a parent, it gives me great peace of mind knowing my child is in a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment. Communication is always thoughtful, and the staff consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the children feel comfortable and cared for. Thank you for all that you do every day. Your hard work and commitment do not go unnoticed.

This is a great place to bring your kids for care. My twins have been coming here ever since the…read morewere less than 1year, now they are almost 3years old.

This place is fabulous! Both of my kids have attended The Children's Center and I have been very…read morepleased with them. Here are the reasons why: 1) reasonable tuition 2) great teachers 3) they helped a lot with potty training 4) they don't call you at work every time your child's nose is running 5) I love their snow policy (some daycare centers close as soon as the first snowflake falls) 6) the office staff are super friendly and most importantly FAIR 7) they open super early I give five stars and they deserve ALL of them!!!

Toured the center, it was okay. Good staff, and polite. expansive, will think about it this place.read more

We LOVE this school for our child who is in 2nd grade. She has absolutely blossomed at the school…read morethanks to the wonderful teachers, small class sizes, and tons of attention to each child as an individual. My daughter is KNOW at FCS and that's given her an outsized sense of confidence. The school has systems in place to help each child be their best selves. Structure like having lower school classes in 1/2 and 3/4 classrooms gives the children a chance to take on leadership roles early. They rotate for phonics and math, giving them exposure to other teachers. Art, Science, PE, music and in aftercare instrument lessons, are all wonderful. My child needs extra help in phonics. We work closely with the lower school learning specialist, our homeroom teacher, the phonics support teacher, and our outside-of-the-school tutor. My daughter's teachers proactively coordinate on my daughter's behalf to help her. I'll often see e-mails between our tutor and the phonics learning specialist that I didn't ask for! They just care about my daughter and talk to each other to help her! There are some negative reviews on here. To those I'd say that no school is perfect for all children or all families. I would also say that the school is not set up to cater to kids with sever special education needs, or kids who are performing many grade levels above their age-group. The school focuses on the whole child and we've seen the positive impacts of that socially, emotionally, and academically for our child.

I wholeheartedly endorse the education and experience students receive at Friends Community School!…read moreOur daughter attends FCS and is in First Grade. We are very pleased with the education she is receiving as well as the support she receives from an emotional perspective. Even her spiritual desires are supported and we feel that is incredible. FCS is a school that feels like home and the staff do indeed feel like family. My husband and I are glad to drop her off for school each day knowing that we will come back to pick up a very happy and well-adjusted little girl. Attend an Open House and see for yourself!!

The management and staff lack on communication. They failed…read moreto tell me my child was being bullied by another child. I payed them to transport my child to school and they failed to report to me that they had my child arriving an hour late to school on their watch on three occasions. They also failed to effectively communicate that they didn't provide transportation on 2 hour delayed school openings, if I would've been informed, I would've dropped my kid off initially myself, instead of bringing her to them first just to be declined of the service I pay them for and be even more later to work...total inconvenience. Tip: when you run a business of that nature, your communication must be at an ultimate high!!!

We wanted to like this school. But staff refused to acknowledge constant bullying by one of the…read morestaff's children. They gaslit my son into thinking that if he were more friendly and compassionate he would get along with a very manipulative and entitled student. They taught Montessori principles but when it came to one of their own children, they expected families to look the other way or "understand" the complexities. We thought the environment would be great for our rather shy son, but we were raklroaded by passive aggression. Also staff tends to talk to parents about other children... Very inappropriate. If you decide to send your child here, RUN at the first hint of these behaviors because it will only continue. My wife and I discussed these matters with staff, but they continued to ask what my son could have done to mitigate the bullying. We finally had enough and decided to leave. Our son is thriving in fourth grade and we feel supported by teachers who are not compromised by their own personal issues. ​

My 2.5 year old son will be attending OCMC in the Fall. Montessori education is awesome! Parents,…read moreI highly recommend you check out OCMC. Their mission is to make Montessori education affordable for the local community and to share the philosophy of Maria Montessori on educating the whole child. You will not regret it!

DO NOT commit to multiple weeks here until you have tested it first. I paid for 8 weeks -- over…read more$4,000 -- and my son lasted 2 days. My biggest concern was that Spanish instruction is a key part of what they advertise, but when I asked for any proof or documentation that it was actually happening, they could not provide it. That was the main reason I chose this program, and it was not delivered as promised. Beyond that, communication and transparency were consistently poor. Concerns about his daily care, meals, and progress updates were met with excuses rather than accountability. The restricted access policy, while understandable for child safety purposes, is also directed at parents in a way that made it very difficult to feel informed and confident about my son's daily experience. It simply wasn't a good fit. So I withdrew my son and requested a partial refund for the weeks he would not attend. They refused to negotiate at all, citing a no-refund policy -- despite the fact that services were not delivered as represented during enrollment. My son is now thriving in a program that communicates openly and delivers exactly what it promises. I am formally pursuing a refund through available channels. Do your research before committing financially -- I wish I had.

My child attends the Alexandria (Old Town) campus. I cannot express how much I like this school…read more Montessori preschool is an adjustment for anyone coming from a regular play based preschool or daycare, but there is a method (and no madness). I am impressed with the scope of what my kid is learning and impressed with how the teachers have cultivated a sense of leadership in her. It's just an all around great place and I heartily recommend it for any parent looking for daycare in Old Town Alexandria.