Lightbridge Academy

When my son started at Lightbridge, 18months old I truly loved his environment and working with Ms. Jen on his developmental journey. She is a wonderful teacher and extremely supportive and talented person, I wish the best for Ms. Jen. As my son moved out of her classroom what I witnessed was just horrific. It saddens me to write this review however I feel the need to warn other parents who are considering this daycare. After moving Into the new classroom, my son was bitten by another child, and since then his behavior changed dramatically. He became withdrawn, more sensitive, and began biting other children himself—something he had never done before. I wasn’t notified of these changes until one day at pickup, I was suddenly told he had bitten six kids. No earlier heads-up, no opportunity to help work on it—just surprise and blame. This is what pushed me to start watching the classroom cameras more closely. What I saw broke my trust even further. I watched my son get pulled out from under a desk by one arm, lifted and dragged in front of other kids. Another time, I saw him sitting with an ice pack on his head and no one ever contacted me to explain what happened. On top of that, a pink eye incident was mismanaged—his father was called, but was told we “shouldn’t have brought him” because pink eye was going around, even though I was never told that. When I confronted them, they scrambled to find an email that was non existent, eventually just said, “Oops, we’ll work on our communication.” But nothing changed. Most recently, I was called into a meeting where ownership told me another parent disenrolled because of my son’s biting. Instead of partnering with me or offering support, it felt like I was being shamed for something that’s happening under their supervision. They later called my son’s father in acting clueless, like the conversation never happened. My last and final call with this daycare was what you see in the pictures I have provided. Yes, that is my son that you see, with another young toddler playing with a spray bottle of cleaner, no teacher around, no supervision and no locks on the door where the cleaning supplies are. I have already disenrolled my son from this daycare, shared my disappointment with staff but there was no remorse. I have already paid for a full month’s worth of daycare ($2200) though he had only been there from June 1st- June 13th. In no way imaginable can I describe how much I do not recommend anyone enrolling their children into this daycare.

This place was horrible for my 18 month old. Ownership lacks accountability. Management has little to no communication. My son would spend 10 hours a day at this place, receive 4-6 oz of fluids, maybe eat one meal, and would sometimes only have two diaper changes. This was brought to the attention of the owners and an action plan was promised but never provided. I also witnessed an incident where the old lady “teacher” yanked my son’s legs out from under him and shoved his back into a cot so he would lay back down for a nap. Most of the “teachers” in this place are glorified babysitters, and don’t teach your children anything. The sole bright spot in this place is Ms. Jaela. She was wonderful to my son and from what I saw, all the other children too. I hope she is able to find employment somewhere else that has a better reputation. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. For $2k a month, you should be getting exceptional care for your child, not subpar to no care. You’re better off sending your child to an in-home daycare for 3/4 the price.

I hesitated to write this review, but I felt it was important to share my experience to help other parents. I was very concerned about the care my children received at Lightbridge Academy of Frederick. My two sons initially enjoyed attending, but recent incidents made me uneasy. On two separate occasions, when I picked them up at an unusual time, both children came to me in tears and said that a staff member had hit them. One even had redness under his arm. This was the first time they ever mentioned anyone hitting them, so it was very upsetting. When I asked the school about this, I was told that the classroom cameras don’t record, which was very concerning since I hoped to see what happened. I also noticed my children were wearing other students' pull-ups and often wet at pickup time, even though I had talked to the staff about supporting their potty training. This lack of follow-through, along with the safety concerns, made me feel that my children weren’t being properly cared for. I hope this feedback helps improve communication and care at the school.

Everyone at Lightbridge has been professional and friendly. We have the utmost confidence in our daughter’s teachers and it really gives us peace of mind to leave her in their care.

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. I regret the day that I enrolled my L.O in the care of these people, only for him to be physically abused by them. Do not be fooled by the new facility and fake smiles given by admin during the tours. We sure were and paid for it. Firstly the administration including the directors do not listen at all to anything parents say or suggest in relation to the care of their children. Any discussion with administration will feel like you're talking to a brick wall and you will get nowhere. If your L.O needs extra help in any area do not count on any of the staff to help, even where a professional gives them the shortest possible plan of assistance for the child. Additionally and most importantly the teachers will YELL and push and pull the kids aggressively, for no reason whatsoever, even while knowing they can be seen by parents on the live cameras. It's horrific to see the way the kids are treated. Believe the bad reviews, they are the truth, do not make the mistake of enrolling your child or you will be filled with regret.