Childtime of Ellicott City

We have had a wonderful experience at Childtime. My two sons have been there for a little over a year (my 4-year-old in the preschool and no pre-K classes, and my 8-year-old in the school age after school program). The teachers have been caring and warm, and both of my boys love going to school/after school. We get regular updates through the app, and we can check in on the classrooms through the camera feed. I have been very impressed with the education and activities: my 4-year old has been making rapid progress learning his ABCs and his days are filled with fun activities like dance parties, circle time, reading stories, and structured arts and crafts. He loves it. My 8-year-old has made a bunch of friendships though the afterschool program, and really enjoys his time there. We've found the leadership extremely easy to work with (and we've had a range of experiences at different daycares over the years). Ms. Bethany has been very responsive to any concerns, and we feel in very good hands with her at the helm. For anyone who is in the market for daycare or afterschool in Ellicott City, I'd recommend checking them out.

We sent our children here for several years now, but our youngest was dismissed here with little warning while promising to work with us. All of this, a week after my wife's surgery, that they knew about. So now my wife's recovery will be extended do to their unwillingness to work with a client of many years. In addition, my youngest got hurt here and we had to pay for the urgent care appointment out of pocket. This is despite promises that they will get claim forms for reburisment. We have also sent more than one written request for these forms, but we are still waiting for a response months later. Like other reviews here very poor communication. One thing corporate should ask of management, why is turnover so consistently high here? I think answering this question with improve the situation here. Everyone should think twice before sending there kids here.

Our experience at Childtime was a rollercoaster of emotions. We enrolled our son there for nearly two years, but sadly, we had to withdraw him during the first few weeks of pre-K. First and foremost, I want to express my appreciation for the wonderful teachers we encountered at that school. They were exceptionally dedicated and caring toward their students. However, their hard work and compassion couldn't compensate for the lack of effective leadership and management. To say that the school was poorly run would be an understatement. We received warnings from multiple parents who had also removed their children from the school due to high teacher turnover and poor communication. Despite these concerns, we initially chose to stay because of the relationships we had built with the teachers and the friendships our son had formed. The breaking point came when the school's Director was disrespectful to my wife. When my wife confronted her in her office, the Director chose to play the victim, raised her voice, and even asked her to leave the office in front of our son. We reported this incident to the district manager, and, honestly, it took every ounce of self-control not to contact the Better Business Bureau and the Maryland Board of Education at that point. We had sincerely hoped for a positive first experience with a school, and I deeply wish our son could have left under better circumstances. Fortunately, our son has found an excellent school now, and even reconnected with some of his old friends who had also noticed the warning signs and left a year ago. I share this experience with a heavy heart, but it is a warning to parents: be diligent in your research and ask the right questions when choosing a school for your child. *replaying to your response* We contacted customer service and spoke with your regional manager, who assured us that they would conduct an investigation. However, to our knowledge, there has been no follow-up or communication from your end. Both teachers and parents have expressed concerns about the school's management. It appears that there haven't been noticeable efforts to address these issues or provide support to parents. While we understand that you have numerous clients, it's essential to remember that these are our children, and we believe the situation could have been handled with more care and attention.

This place has serious problems. High turnover, complete absence of communication, an attitude of blaming children for needing extra support. Developmentally inappropriate activities. Skewed teacher to child ratios. It cannot provide a stable nurturing environment. Multiple times we overheard staff fighting with each other or snapping at our kids. Management doesn’t address these issues and instead makes empty promises. Sure, there are some wonderful teachers here. But not all of them, and it’s not worth playing Russian roulette with your child’s well-being and happiness. My son went in here excited and enthusiastic about school and left with serious panic attacks due to the neglect. Kids shouldn’t have to tell you when they need things. Attentive teachers would pick up on that. Classroom management is near non existent. Kids spend entirely too much time in front of a screen.

My baby started at the infants' room 6 weeks ago. I was nervous as a first-time mom, but everything has gone well so far. Communication with the school management and the teachers is the key reason for my positive review. Bethanie (director) has always been responsive to our requests and concerns, the school updates my son's activities in their app throughout the day. Ms. Quinia and Ms. Shauna are great teachers, and I can see the smile on my son every day when I drop him off. I will update this review later when our experience is long enough to provide more insights.