PolkMoms.com

I am just putting my 2 1/2 year old in full time daycare starting on the 18th, I have been researching many daycares and this is what I have found....Excel (N.side) very good, goes from young up to 5th grade. Small Wonders (S.Side) many of my friends are pleased with this facility. My son will be attending Scott Lake Christian (S.side), I was very pleased with what I observed at this facility. Now I can say that I went to La Petite on Tuesday afternoon...I wanted out of this facility as fast as I walked in. It was very small the 3 and 4 year olds were in one big room not separate classrooms, The 1 and 2 year olds share a playground that was horrible!!! NO slide, 2-3 swings!!! the 2 year old class room was very small for 16 kids and 2 teachers. I personally also witnessed the teacher walk over and attempt to wake a child that was sound asleep by shaking him and making loud noises (like she was taking pictures at Penny's!!!) the kid never aroused so she picked him up, took his cot away then sat him back on the dirty floor...well of course he passed back out on the dirty floor with NO cot and she just left them there and walked away. I would never refer anyone to that daycare especially for $135 a week. If you need part time Lakeside Baptist off New Jersey and Edgewood is great also.(2 thumbs up) Hope this helps

I have heard many good things about Small Wonders on the southside. My daughter used to attend Excel and I wasn't thrilled. The 2 year old room was handled more like a "classroom" and there was no coloring or cutting, etc. As I thought the A-beka curriculum was good for her, I also thought those things were important too. We ended up taking her out because she wasn't thriving and she was throwing a fit every morning, begging not to go and at that time they stopped taking babies (and we knew we wanted another soon). A lot of my husband's family still uses it but is considering removing their children due to the cost and they recently found out that the school will no longer be providing lunch (they had a cafeteria) and the upped the price to go along with it!!
Not so sure about that!

I worked at lapetite a few years back and the staff was hateful expecially to the twos, I also had my sun in the church at the mall where he was hit by a caregiver at age 4 months because he wouldnt stop crying fast enough for her

I had an incredibly unfortunate experience w/Best Academy in Bartow 6 yrs ago. I think they may be under new ownership now, never the less it certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. To make an incredibly long story as short as possible, my son was under a year old (somewhere around 10 mths) and was allowed to be bitten by another child 6 times. By allowed I mean that I assume that he and the other child were left alone rather than a teacher witnessing it and allowing it. The owners/teachers tried to say that it was either sunpoisoning?!(sunpoisoning doesn't leave teeth marks) or that my 5 yr old did it. These were baby teeth marks. Never the less, they denied, denied, denied, tried to blame it on me and called me neglectful and treated the whole situation very poorly. It was evident to Bartow police department and dcf that it was covered up but the most that they could do was to fine them. My now 7 yr old still has a scar on his ear where the other child nearly bit through his earlobe.

My nephew goes to Bright Imaginations on the s. side behind mugs and movies. He has been going there since he was one and is now three. From everything I see they are great. My sister loves them and my nephew has learned so much. He is talking and can count and say his alphabets. They also have the secure camera thing that is an extra $5 a week, but well worth it in my opinion. I think that she pays $125 a week and it includes 2 snacks and lunch. I think it goes down to $75 once he is potty trained. They also offer computer classes for an extra fee for the older kids.

I have been working in preschool (daycare) off and on for about 12 years now. The best one I worked for was First Baptist Church Childcare - however, we were closed by the church in August - after being open for 17 years . Anyways - that's a whole different story. I currently work at a place called Early Childhood Learning Center, and I think that is a great center. I work with the two year olds !! I almost went to Bright Imaginations (mentioned above) - but went to ECLC instead. They have 3 centers in all; two in Lakeland and one in Bartow. I would recommend any of their centers to anyone looking.

Amyphotog - you're experience is just terrible, as I'm sure you know. That is a shame that something like that was even allowed to go on!

Jessica

Jessica - Just an FYI, the ECLC in Bartow (Highways to Tomorrow) is actually a contract daycare for the Department of Transportation and only open to children or grandchildren of government employees.

It is a FABULOUS daycare though if you have the option of using them. Our daughter (2 1/2) has gone there since she was 6 wks and our son will be going there as well. We've had a couple issues here and there over the years (you're going to have that at ANY daycare really) but in recent months Karina (the owner) has made some changes and taken it to an even higher level.

Our 2 1/2 year old is fully potty trained (the majority of the kids in her class are ~ they're great with working with them), knows all of her ABCs, can count to 12, knows her colors and three or four shapes. They also work with them on their 'I Care Rules' and take a great personal interest in each child.

I haven't been in either of the Lakeland ECLC facilities, but Bartow is wonderful. One more thing is their safety...they have quite a few safety measures in place including key codes to get in the front door, an employee (who seems to know EVERYONE) at the front desk who monitors visitors and strict sign-in/out rules. They also video all of the classes which parents can request to view if desired.

Oh, and for just at $100 a week (for the 2 year old) they provide HOT breakfast and lunch as well as snacks each day.

Oh - I did not not that about Highways To Tomorrow. No one has ever mentioned that, so thanks! But I've only been at the ECLC Airside here in Lakeland for about 5 weeks. I do know the director (Melissa) at HTT - but haven't seen her in quite sometime. The way you're describing the center sounds a lot like the one where I work. We provide breakfast, lunch & 2 snacks, have strict sign in/out rules, & have access codes for all employees & parents, but we don't have the monitor system. I'm not sure if they plan on implementing that or not. I know that the center is also in the process of getting nationally accredited too, which holds it to a higher standard. I know that each center run by Karina has a great group of ladies working at it, and she strives for excellence. My youngest daughter went to their other Lakeland center (Skinner street) for about 2 1/2 years.

Jessica

If you live on the north side of town Kathleen Baptist Child enrichment center is wonderful. My 5 year old attended for 3 years and just started kindergarten and is doing well above average at McKeel. My 2 1/2 year old just started she loves it and we never struggle to get her there. They are so loving to the kids. All the teachers have been there 10+ years. They love the kids and make extra time for them, when my 5 year old comes in to pick up her sister they sit down and ask her about school. If she has a hard day they talk to her about the choices she has to make. They do teach in the morning but still give the kids time to be a kid. Very important in todays world, we force and push kids to excell when they need time to develop who they are. I work for the school system and know how important it is for kids to be ahead. Kathleen has a great balance. I to looked around at all the places, Kathleen is a true gem.

Pozee Playzle located in Winter Haven is a must see!!! I am new to the Winter Haven area from Atlanta & was very impressed with this preschool. I was amazed at the type of safety/security measures they have in place. Parents sign in with the receptionist & are give a special key to be allowed in. Too many security features to list.
The director & all the staff are very friendly. Pozee Playzle has an indoor playtrium that my kids love they don't want to leave! They provide a hot lunch & snacks; before & after school pick up.
Begining in November they will be offering martial arts and dance after school. Talk about one stop shopping!!!!
I highly recommend Pozee Playzle to all the moms & dads looking for a preschool whose priorites are safety/security and the well care of their kids mentally & physically.

Hi all! I don't really post on here much, but I just wanted to say that my son attends PCH (Pres. Church in the Highlands). It's on the corner of Lake Miriam and Cleveland Heights (which might be Scott Lake at that point). Anyway, they have been open for a year now. He started there their first week. There were some kinks in the process when they first opened, but now they have all been worked out. The "kinks" weren't anything big or even worrysome. I Love it there and feel very lucky to have found them when I did.

We chose Bright Imaginations for our 4 year old daughter's preschool. We love that they participate in the VPK program.
As far as the cameras go, they are not working right now or so we thought? The cameras were a main reason we choose the school.
We ask weekly about it and get the same response. "We are working on it" They said it would cost $6,000 to fix. Well my opinion .. fix them!
We put our daughter in their school knowing they had cameras. Now, they do not have them.
Besides the camera issue we LOVE the school and our daughter does too.
Katie

Hi Everyone! This is my first Mom Post on here but I just had to chime in on this one.
When my son turned two I placed him at Small World Preschool here in Auburndale since it was close to work, I live on the other side of town and this made me feel better.
Well everything was wonderful, I liked most of the teachers and workers even though they changed employees alot through out the time he was there.
Well he only had a month left until he started kindergarden and thats when things when down hill big time!
On a Tuesday I dropped him off with his normal morning granola bar that he would eat at the tables before going to play with the other kids. Well he shared it with another child and this child KNEW he was allergic to nuts and chocolate because he tried to pick them both out. Well the teachers yelled at my son for it and informed me in the evening that he wasn't allowed to bring it any more. This didn't seem fare to me but whatever right?
Wed comes and when I pick him up they informed me he dropped his pants and urinated in the bushes outside and got in trouble, this seemed odd to me.
Thurs I drop off and they are having water play day, noone informed me he needed towel and clothing so I tell them I'll get some from my office. I am back within 10 minutes and they say I need to take him home that he wet himself. I look over to see my poor child crying, standing alone in the bushes and wet! I asked what happend and she had told him to wait and he couldn't.
Then I put two and two together. He was told before to wait and urinated outside, got in trouble for that and was scared to do it again so wet himseld! I WAS FURIOUS at this new woman and in a loud voice while refraining from using other words in front of the kids I let her have it. You DO NOT tell a child constantly to wait to go to the restroom!
I walked over to him, picked him up in my arms (yes wet and all) and carried him right out of there saying as I left to not expect a check but maybe a call from the state!
When a daycare goes through teachers faster then you can keep track of them there is something wrong. Parents just keep an eye on the people, places and surroundings you leave your children with. Once they get comfortable with that weekly payment they may begin to neglect that certain child.
DO NOT GO TO SMALL WORLD PRESCHOOL IN AURBURNDALE! Ms. Inez needs to see this and know that all of her emplyees speak ill behind her back! If you can't keep your employees happy how do you expect them to keep our children happy!
On a side note last week he was the first student in his kindergarden class to read, so they did teach them well!