Having our daughter in Pea Pod during her toddler years was a wonderful experience! She thrived…read moreunder the loving care of the parent coaches, Tara and Jasmine, and other parents. I also learned a lot about parenting from our discussions and readings at our parent meetings (especially "No Bad Kids" by Janet Lansbury). The co-op experience is unique because you get to be in the classroom regularly along with a parent coach and two to three other parents each day. It creates a very special community experience, and you get to be there with your child as they learn and grow. As a new parent with a Covid baby, I was so thankful to find a strong community at Pea Pod. I'm still close with many other parents from our cohort, and I love that our kiddos have known each other for over half of their lives! Most importantly, I feel like my child was truly cared for, respected, and allowed to be herself at Pea Pod. This meant - and still means - so much to me. It was the best childcare experience I could've wished for during those two precious years of my daughter's life, and I would recommend Pea Pod to any parent looking for loving care and a community for themselves and their child!

Peapod is an unlicensed, unregulated co-op preschool operating out of Tabor Space in Portland. As…read moreof July 2025, they were cited by DELC for unlawful care. No license, no DHS oversight, no required training, and no accountability if a child is harmed. They employ Jasmine Kennedy, who is unregistered and has no early childhood education experience (confirmed via her own public LinkedIn profile). She doesn't lead activities or engage with the kids meaningfully. Crafts were never more than paint haphazardly smeared onto paper out blocks of wood. Never once did we see a semblance of any kind of planned lessons or sessional activities from this "teacher." (Even through peapod says she's not a teacher, she's listed as such on both their website and her own LinkedIn). Multiple children, including ours, disclosed being grabbed, yelled at, and made to feel unsafe by her. When we raised concerns, the board shut down communication, deleted our posts, and said we needed to "manage our energy" at drop-off. No one ever asked how our child was doing. A leaked multi-page board document reveals a disturbing pattern: after a child disclosed being hurt by Jasmine while alone with her, the board portrayed the parents as the problem. They called the mom manipulative, overly anxious, and mentally unwell, implied her concerns were racially motivated, and labeled both her and the child liars. Jasmine was described as emotionally overwhelmed and burnt out, with the document centering her discomfort, not the child's safety. Multiple other parents had also shared concerns about Jasmine being rough, but those were ignored as "boundary setting." Instead of addressing her behavior, the board unanimously voted to terminate the family's enrollment claiming the family was "a harm to the community." Since speaking out, Peapod leadership has labeled us mentally unstable, mirroring the retaliation described in their own records. Peapod uses community-friendly language, but behind the scenes it silences parents and protects unqualified staff at kids' expense.

Over the past 10 years Tracey has been so helpful for my son by teaching me how to handle difficult…read morebehaviors, so that he had more engaged and understanding parents. I went back during my divorce, when I really needed perspective, to raise my kids without having a more stressful divorce than one naturally is. This was so good for them and me. My current partner and I still have sessions now and then while blending a family. Tracey is an expert in exactly what she says she is on her website, and I would recommend her to anyone needing parenting interventions now or if you'd just like parenting to be more enjoyable for the whole family instead of a struggle. If you need more immediate crisis care there is a crisis line 988 nationally. Or you can google your county crisis lines. They are all listed on the National Alliance for Mental Illness as well. There are a few crisis walk in clinics in PDX, like via Cascadia. Tracey will help you with any hard subject, and I appreciate how boundaries are taught and kept very professionally. I've seen a ton of different providers over the years due to insurance changes, but I will always go back to Practical Parenting PDX for proven interventions and help to make parenting more fun.

After my son's two suicide attempts this year i found myself needing someone to talk to because of…read morethe anxiety of the ordeal and its impacts on my life and my family. I found this therapist on Yelp and being on Yelp, I called the number listed. She answered and was rude because apparently there's a portal system she uses to screen her clients which I didn't know about because I found her on Yelp. She was on speaker phone while my wife was with me and my wife noticed this from her as well that this was a particularly unpleasant way to go about any business, let alone mental health because nobody calling her number is having a good day But I try and I book the appointment anyway through the site before leaving town for five days for memorial day weekend. I came back last night and opened my email today to look for the link that was provided and found an email from yesterday that I'd not filled out the intake questionnaire and that it had to be filled out "before the appointment" as per the email. I then take the time to do so despite the fact that any day back from a vacation is going to be very busy and today was no exception but I did make the effort. Come the appointed time and again, juggling several things, I couldn't find the link and so I emailed tu get another one then immediately found it and logged on. I'm sitting there waiting for my appointment when I get an email from her and quickly respond without reading that I was waiting for the appointment in the video conference chat. And after waiting a few more minutes I go back to the email and see that apparently I had to have that done by 5pm the day before (which was not previously mentioned and also was when I was still driving back into town,) and so I needed to reschedule. And, annoyed at this perfunctory screening process and her tone and attitude at this point, I give it one last shot. Tonight I get an email saying that she'd been communicating so the to me clearly (again, she wasn't at any point clear on this overwrought process,) and because I wasn't listening to her directions (that she didn't give,) I "wouldn't be a good fit." I'm dumbfounded and I'm appalled. At the very least, if her business is going to be conducted through her website in a way where she is going to deny people who are coming to her for help, then these such stringent directions really need to be on there or at least on her page in Yelp but first and absolutely foremost, YOU'RE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD LADY, if you are in such a state of burnout that you can't muster a simple civil tone with people who are coming to you for help, then you need to find another career. Those directions weren't clear at any point. Her screening process is an unnecessary mess and needs an overhaul. Most inexcusable, her attitude is judgmental and condescending and for her to turn around and blame someone coming to her help for her messy business intake practices then that's just gaslighting and abusive. So she don't deserve to have any clients and I am taking the time to put this on a public forum because I dread anyone who comes to her at a point like where my son found himself, hanging by a thread and looking for help, to be treated like this by someone who trained for years to know better. My undergraduate degree was in psychotherapy and the reason I didn't pursue it was the burnout rate but having been in the boards of a couple of treatment centers in my old life, I know what that looks lilt in earnest. I can smell it. But so help me God, the only other time I've heard or seen of a therapist with this much animosity towards clients or potential clients was Richard Dreyfuss' character in What About Bob and that was a fictional character written as an indictment against the entire field of psychotherapy. And probably because of therapists just like this one. I dread for anyone who comes to this woman for help. She makes the whole field look bad.

Like the viewer below me, I'm honestly surprised at the reviews. Our son has been going here for…read moretwo years and overall it's been very satisfactory. We've loved just about every teacher / classroom our son has moved into and if we were so so on the teacher it didn't matter much because our son is always so happy to go and see them. There's definitely some teachers who go above and beyond to do their job and others are still great. There's no one that looks like they are slacking off and neglecting kids needs. I feel like my son is on track mentally and physically with any other kids his age. He always comes home and says things that are intelligent and hilarious. The only thing is that I wish the outdoor area wasn't mostly covered in concrete, I would love to see turf installed throughout the whole play area. Overall I recommend this school to anyone who's asked me about where to take their kids in town.

My daughter attended daycare here from 3-9 months. I was so impressed by all of her teachers who…read morewere so kind and enthusiastic. I really appreciated the great communication from the teachers and administrative staff, as a first time mom with an infant in daycare, it really helped to put me at ease. Also loved getting photos and updates via their app during the day while I was at work. Highly recommend!

Our experience with Marigold has been extremely disappointing, and I feel obligated to share our…read morestory in order to provide a fair perspective for parents considering this preschool for their child's education and well-being. Our concerns primarily stem from the inappropriate and unprofessional behavior displayed by the teacher, who is also the owner of the school. She showed a pattern of passive-aggressive communication which created an atmosphere that was tense, uncomfortable, and contrary to the nurturing environment one would expect in a preschool setting. One of the most alarming incidents involved the teacher threatening to involve the police when we arranged for a family member to pick up our daughter's belongings. The overreaction was deeply unsettling. Instead, I had to involve another Mom to help get my daughter's things. Among the items returned to us was a painting my daughter had done especially for Miss Heidi after her cat died last year. This "drama" all stemmed from my husband's response to her email, letting her know we aren't moving away-just leaving the school and she verbally attacked him. However, this wasn't the first time we received a passive-aggressive and extremely long email (like this review, I've got a lot to say!) After our daughter stopped going to Marigold, we discovered that the teacher had sent an email about our family to other parents. This email contained numerous inaccuracies, further highlighting the lack of professionalism and accountability we experienced during our time at the school. This teacher's actions not only undermine the trust necessary between educators and families, but they also bring into question the very ethos of Marigold School of Early Learning. Her actions reflect directly upon the school and its values, and unfortunately, our experience was far from positive. She even would make comments about "feeling sorry" for my daughter! This is also not an inclusive preschool, which as a mom new to the whole school scene wasn't really on my radar. She made a few comments about how my Deaf son would have to go to school with other kids like him (she said this to my daughter). The teacher also tends to dish out unnecessary information to other parents about other parents. I have emails that I can show to prove her unprofessional behavior. Communication matters. It is very important. It is the essence of being human. I wasn't even going to write a bad review because her teaching style was exactly what we were looking for and she write a detailed journal of the kids' days and I thought maybe this is an isolated incident. But after hearing from other families that they had similar interactions with her, I feel like it is important I voice our experience. It is my hope that parents considering this preschool should be aware of these issues and take them into account. As parents, we entrust educators with not just the academic growth of our children, but also their emotional wellbeing. It's disheartening to think that such behavior is presented in an educational setting where developing trust, respect, and healthy communication should be a priority.

We love this school. Ms. Heidi is fantastic. What a great place for kids to play, interact, and…read morelearn and all with an amazing teacher. Her school is so calm and clean and interactive. The teacher has a really nice style. We couldn't be happier and we feel our child is well prepared for kindergarten.

Our 3 kiddos have been going to knowledge Beginnings for the past 5 years. The staff are very…read morefriendly and caring. We absolutely love their summer activities. They have activities such as water day, petting zoo, exotic birds and reptile days, foam day, ice cream and popsicle snacks and much more. We are happy with this center and our kiddos will be keep going there and possibly summer camps when they are older.

My daughter has been at Tigard Knowledge Beginnings since she was five months old and is about to…read moreturn 5. My son has been there since 3 months old and is about to turn 2. They have both had the most caring teachers and absolutely love it. I have always had peace of mind dropping my kids off at Tigard Knowledge Beginnings because they are happy to go and come back with all kinds of stories. As full-time working parents, we could not have the careers we have without this amazing facility. And I want to give an extra shout out to Ms. Suha and Ms. Dani who have taken care of both of my babies with such love!! Also, some of the older reviews are horrible and false. I intentionally chose this facility after touring multiple because it was the cleanest and most colorful one. Although childcare is expensive in general, I wish I could give even more money to these wonderful people who take care of the most important thing in my life.

Our family cannot in good conscience recommend this school to anyone, regardless of how nice the…read morehome setting or education methods might be. Your kids would be fine here. But for the cost, there are much better options in Portland! We had a terrible experience with this preschool. This business is run by someone who lacks professional ethics to an extreme we've never before encountered. Long story short, Angela Molloy Murphy has no problem using a contract to screw a family out of thousands of dollars, and will refuse to even discuss the possibility of working out a mutually agreeable solution to a problem. If you do decide to go with this school--be warned. Please do not pre-pay any amount more than necessary, and do not trust Angela Molloy Murphy to follow basic codes of decency or fairness in any business interaction! Protect yourself.

Rowanberry School, and Angela Malloy Murphy, were one of the best aspects of my daughters'…read morechildhoods. I should say "are" because we are still close with Angela, her family, and the other families who attended the school. My oldest daughter was welcomed into the school at age 3 and she spent the next three years growing, exploring, challenging and thriving. My second daughter was a part of the community from the day she was born and while she's a very different child from her sister she found the same nurturing educational environment. One of the things I most admire about Angela is her ongoing enthusiasm of early childhood education and the fact that she is always evolving her school based on new information and what are the needs of the children in the classroom at that moment. I went from a somewhat nervous new preschool mom, asking a million questions all the time, to knowing that whatever was going on in Angela's classroom was fun, exciting, and appropriate for the kids. I see that Cedar L, below, questions Angela's ethics; I find this laughable. Angela is one of the most generous, honest and straightforward people I know. In the course of our nine-year relationship I think we've had to have a few conversations where something had to be worked out, as is to be expected when you're doing business with someone, and that's what a preschool is--a business, after all. I don't even remember exactly what those things were due to Angela's they lovely way working through small conflicts and preserving great relationships.

Owner closed one of her locations with no notice. She will not refund my deposit and is now…read moreavoiding me. My deposit was $900. Dont trust her with your money or your kids.

We moved to the area earlier this year and were very lucky to find Amazing Minds! Miss Julie is…read moregreat with the kids and I love that my 4 year will come home excited to teach me about palindromes!! I feel confident that she will be ready for kindergarten (and then some) next year. Julie is kind, flexible and keeps us informed all along the way. It's scary to move and find someone you trust with your child and thankfully we've found a great partner in Amazing Minds Academy!

Stumptown Kids is more than just a pre-school. Jenn and her staff go out of their way to create a…read morewelcoming and nurturing environment that keeps kids engaged, models kindness and self-reliance, and welcomes parents to be part of their child's "school life". Every day that I went there, it was a place of peace and kindness where kids are encouraged to grow in their own ways. The instructors were always responsive to questions and after-hours emails and stayed engaged with where our son was in his development. Since the class size is kept small, all of the kids know each other and their parents mostly know each other, leading to a real "family" atmosphere in the school. In addition, I was really pleased by the way they took any special needs in stride. My son with hearing loss (wore hearing aids) went here for two years. Jenn and her crew made sure that his needs were being met every day and never once made him (or us) feel like the "odd-man-out". They even changed the main room of the preschool to make it more sound-absorbing, so our son wouldn't be so overwhelmed with noise. When we needed to schedule speech therapists to come to the school for him it was never an issue. I would highly recommend Stumptown Kids to anyone considering sending their child there. It's run by real people who genuinely care about your kids and want to see them succeed. I was really sad to have to move on from here when it was time.

With both my daughters attending Stumptown Kids Preschool it has been our family's home away from…read morehome and I couldn't imagine my children spending their days anywhere else. Stumptown Kids is a play-based and child-centered preschool, which means the school values child development and listens to the what the individual children are communicating. My children have been able to explore and learn about the world around them in a safe and loving environment. I appreciate how the staff teaches the children how to take care of themselves both emotionally and physically. My second grader still eats her protein first from her school lunch, which is just one example of how she learned to take care of her body. What I have cherished the most is the sense of community that Stumptown Kids have instilled in my children. The school does this on a personal level by providing the tools for the children to support each other; and on the local level the school does this by taking neighborhood walks and regular visits to a nearby senior living community. The school itself is a beautiful space. Jennifer Loring, the owner, has taken great care to design a school that feels both welcoming and fun.