Love them!! My kids have been in daycare their whole lives, so we're very familiar with the whole daycare scene. For convenience, we kept our search to daycares near the 40/42 area. Okay, so some comparisons. When we originally moved here we checked out most of the childcare available in the area, and narrowed it down to Cleveland Child Care and Little Stepping Stones (on Cleveland Road). Both are 3 stars I believe, and were very similar. We went with the latter because in light rain the former's playground was pooling and we had heard bad things about management's ability to accept criticism. We very much liked the teachers and mgmt at LSS, but were very disappointed with their help (or should I say lack there of) potty-training my son. You get a sheet every day of their activities, what they eat, potty, sleeping, etc. They weren't even trying to put him on the potty. We would complain and they would try for a few days, and then stop again. So we had him pretty much potty trained at home on the weekends and during the week he went in his diaper. Lovely. Further, neither center had much, if anything, in the way of security. Open Arms is a 4 star facility that is only slightly more expensive than LSS, and I think the same price as Cleveland. During daycare hours the doors are all locked and you need an access code to get inside (or ring the bell). We've been happy with their curriculum and activities, love their outside play areas, and love the teachers. My son is thriving there and doing great with the potty training. Keep in mind it is a church sponsored daycare, so they do sing religious songs and say prayers. It's a Lutheran church so it is pretty comperable to most Christian based religions. You also get the activity sheets each day, and they provide all meals. That being said, we may move our son to a more curriculum focused daycare in a year, but only because we believe he might need the extra help. We really do love it at Open Arms, and wish we had started there instead of LSS.
I have had my son at LSS 2 for a little over a year. He loves it and I really like the teachers and I especially like the directors. When I first went in - they did not reconize me so they came out of the office and asked if I needed any help... Now just about all of the teachers (even the ones that are not in my son's class) know me and him and go out of their way to tell us goodmorning or goodnight. I really like it! I visited Open Arms about a year ago when I was searching and I went in in the morning so I could get a feel for how transitions went - I was never once asked if I needed any help - people actually said hello to me as I wandered the halls (no kid in tow mind you). I was very unimpressed. I know they are busy in the mornings and afternoons, but to me that would be the time where your security would need to be the highest. I have heard some good things and some bad things about Cleveland Child Care - I've heard their staff is not much for critisim and their playground floods - I've also heard that they will not allow any type of diaper creams or sunscreen to be put on a child even if they have a signed mediciation slip from the parent because it's not a Rx. There are good and bad about every place - it's a hard decision I know - I went from one on one in home care to daycare - it was tough for me and I know it was hard for my son. But - I wouldn't trade it - he loves it, he loves his friends, his teachers, and has to tell the directors goodbye every night. Good luck in your search!
