Crystal City Children's Center

When researching child care facilities for our daughter we realized the importance of following our gut intuition. When we spoke to the staff at CCCC and saw the school we immediately felt at ease. The school is extremely clean, well-lit with natural light in all the class rooms and with rooms stocked with plenty of toys that encourage imaginative play. The security (unfortunately at the forefront of our minds these days) was the best we had seen and we felt reassured that our child would be safe and cared for- and we were right! Our daughter has been at the school for almost 2 years now and has learned so much not only academically but socially as well. All the teachers know her name and greet her with a warm smile every day. She now skips into class without looking back because she is excited for the day. The school provides multiple stimulating planned activities for the children including music class, movement class, Spanish lessons, and field trips in the summer. The teachers are professional and seem to truly care for the kids, keeping us updating throughout the day via a convenient app. We are so grateful to the staff for providing our daughter with such a positive experience of going to school. Highly highly recommend CCCC!

Absolutely exceptional childcare - the teachers and assistants are phenomenal in helping children to learn and grow from a holistic perspective from reading to walking to social development. In comparison with a lot of other local centers the caretakers make sure the children get plenty of time outside, going on daily nature walks, and have room to play and grow. They are also excellent at communicating and let you know immediately if your child is not eating well or if there’s anything going on behaviorally. Could not ask for better childcare. My child learned so much in their time there - 1,000 times better even than nanny care.

We’re so grateful for this preschool. We’ve had 3 kids come here and can’t speak more highly of the breadth of activities and experiences they receive- from splash day Fridays in the summer to weekly Spanish and music classes to learning to read and write and generally having fun. We also love their location - access to 3 playgrounds, open outdoor space, and walks by the river for older ones. The teachers also genuinely love the kids, and all 3 kids loved their teachers and friends here.

We've had a wonderful experience at CCCC for the better part of a decade. The teachers, many of whom have been there since we started, have given my children so much loving care and attention. Their curriculum and programming are fantastic -- in addition to the standard early childhood curriculum, they offer Spanish, music, "funtastic fitness," and in the past have even had yoga! My kids come home happy every day and eager to talk about the books they read, their classroom "jobs," and the fun things that happened on the playground with their friends. I have to say that I'm confused by the two negative reviews below because the issues they mention don't sound at all like the Center I know. I've never seen a toy out of place and the amount of communication we receive throughout the day is terrific. I've dropped by in the middle of the day before and the energy is always positive and calm. And based on conversations with friends at other daycares it sounds like the staff turnover at CCCC is actually quite low. As I said, some teachers have been there since before we joined, and I've always been appreciative of how engaged the they are towards the kids.

We are thrilled with our experience at CCCC! We started in the infant room, where we immediately felt comfortable leaving our first, 6-month-old, baby in the capable and caring hands of the staff. They not only nurtured our baby but also worked on sensory and fine motor skills with art projects and activities, eating solid food, crawling, even let me know it was time for our son to start practicing wearing real shoes in preparation for walking! Transitioning to the toddler room has been smooth. Our son has learned so much - from practical skills like hanging up his coat and tidying up toys to fun activities like making animal noises. They go on walks, go to the playground, make art projects, have music class, and have lots of special activities. We have been very pleased with the level of communication with the teachers and directors - just the right amount to keep us informed without being overwhelming. They are great about letting me know when he needs something or has had an off day. Whenever I need a break in my workday, I love taking a look at the app to see what he has been up to that day. The center itself is bright, cheerful, clean, professional, and spotless. Things always seem to be going smoothly. But above all, the biggest testament to CCCC is that our son has a smile on his face every day I pick him up.