Children's Center of Walkersville

We loved CCW! Our son attended CCW for a couple of years before entering school this school year. Our son needed some extra attention and assistance and the staff and teachers were always attentive to his needs and he received great education and care. The staff was communicative, safe and professional. Highly recommend CCW.

Whew this going to be a long one! At first I had a positive experience with this daycare. My daughter started there at 2, she was speech/language delayed - I was transparent about all of this, and Ms. Tonya and the director were so patient and kind, and we all know caregivers have a BIG job, I appreciated this, so this is why I gave any stars. When my daughter transferred to the 3 yr old classroom, within a week the complaints started rolling in about my daughter not wanting to wear shoes, removing clothes, etc. - which were not issues mentioned prior or in the agreement. Even checked with licensing and this was not a requirement set by them or strictly enforced by the daycare until then, at this time I was already working with FCPS and my daughter’s developmental physician on a new treatment plan, and my daughter was attending a special preschool program for 4 hrs twice a week and occupational therapy on Fridays so she came noon- 4p 3 days a week and 9:45a-4p the other 2 days, still I paid full price and did not request any adjustments. Every day it was a struggle to accommodate my daughters needs, and I was unsure of what was going on to trigger these new behaviors, and the new teacher in the 3 yr old classroom seemed to have a cold and strict disposition with all the children who were still trying to grasp the transition and the new expectations. There were other parents who came to me with concerns as well. It had gotten to the point where I was concerned about my child’s well being in the classroom due to being told several times that they could not give my child what she needed (all of this happened within less than 2 months after being there over a year!) - it seemed that they were more concerned about retaining the teacher who was not a good fit vs the concerns from the parents. I am writing this to warn any parents who have children who may not be atypical to keep searching. The director and the owner do their best, but if your child does not conform easily to change, has social, behavioral or dev. Delays and they are 3-4 yoa, if they still have Ms. Sandi, do yourself a favor and find you a corporate center or an ABA Center, at least at a corporate center they are more regulated in a sense where you can voice your concerns to a district manager or corporate and decisions and expectations cannot be made on the fly - these smaller centers are not usually equipped to care for special needs, nor do they have the budget for additional staffing and/or training. As for me, fortunately I could afford to find a center to address her delays with one on one support and extend her days in the fcps program, I already intended on doing this - but this center did not even give me a chance to ensure everything was in place for my little one, I walked in one day and found her asleep on the floor, all alone with a fever - I had enough! Broke my heart. She never returned there. Early childhood education is one of the most important decision's we make for our children. I hope this insight helps someone avoid what I went through, and/or be more prepared. Per the response below - ‘only’ group focused doesn’t make sense for toddlers, this is a systematic issue of course but makes no sense and is not an excuse for how she was treated. She has not had any issues of taking shoes off or clothing at the new facility, she was triggered by the lack of overall experiences she was having at the center, and lack of teachers with the appropriate training to work with toddlers that don’t immediately adjust or conform to sudden strict guidelines. Again, toddlers! But yes, she is happy and thriving now that she is no longer there. And removing her was what was best, I 110% agree, and I’m glad that is admitted.

My three-year-old great-granddaughter attends CCW. She has learned to identify all the letters, can write her name, knows all the colors, can count up to 20, etc. She’s currently learning the sounds associated with letters, so I’m confident she’s going to be an early reader.

My son has been at the Children's Center since he was 2 years old and they have always been very loving and nurturing. The preschool program has provided an excellent foundation for kindergarten. Highly reccomend!

For two years we drove out of our way to be a part of this fabulous preschool! The Director is sincere and has a years of experience with children and a vast knowledge of child behavior. This was helpful to me as a new Mom. Before you know it, they will soon be a part of your family. 😍