Posted 19 February 2012 - 08:30 PM
I know this is way after the fact, but I can't believe how much I'm reading about the Kindercare and I fully agree. Kids started there years ago, 1 child went through preschool & pre-k. I was interested in Kindercare because it seemed so academically advanced and the facility was so nice. I was getting sheets home that stated this child had achieved certain skills, practiced and/or mastered certain academics etc. etc., but when they were tested at school for kindergarten readiness, the teacher informed me this child had none of the skills I had been told they had had. When I noticed my child's behavior deteriorate, I started popping in randomly at Kindercare to see what was really going on during the day and once I found my child and a buddy out on the playground by themselves. At times the teachers were gossipping amongst themselves and ignoring the kids while they squabbled and fought in some pint-size version of Lord of the Flies. Another time my child had snuck into a different room unsupervised and gotten into something dangerous and became very ill. To top it off, they started kindergarten with a huge struggle.
My other child went through Mt. Olive, we HIGHLY recommend it. The first time I drove past it I was put off by physical appearances, it looked like no one was there at all but it was so highly recommended I went in for a tour. The other child came out of the program more than prepared for kindergarten and started school on the right foot, and that can make or break the first years of elementary. Mt. Olive was just a fantastic experience, we loved it, it was such a simple yet effective program I wish my first child went there too. It was years ago and my child still asks to drop by on occassions to see their old preschool teachers, it left that much of an impact.