NOVA Safe Hands Academy Preschool and Daycare Center

NOVA Safe Hands Academy is one of the best preschools in the Fairfax area. My and my family toured this facility about 3 weeks ago and after looking around at many places, we have decided to enroll our 2 year old! So far the experience has been nothing but pleasant. To the admin- Ashley and DeAnna. They are extremely diligent when it comes to the care of the children and has had no issue helping us feel welcome to the new area! Me and my husband feel very safe dropping off our baby in their hands! Everyone always has an amazing attitude and make learning fun. As a scared parent letting their kid out of sight for multiple hours of the day with strangers - at pick up I expressed this and was able to watch the cameras (not even my idea but the idea of admin) and was enthralled by what I saw!! I saw my baby making friends with the kids and DeAnna coming in to help the teachers. That’s another thing! Not only do they care about our children but they care about each other as staff! It really is one big family and me and mine are very excited to be apart of it going forward. Thank you NOVA Safe Hands Academy!!!!

We had a terrible experience with Nova. They have only been open for two years and it is very evident in their lack of experience, inadequate communication with parents, and caretaker turnover. I am surprised by a response by the owner on this review because the owner is never there and we never heard from her from enrollment until now. We enrolled our 18 month old daughter in March and since then (less than a month) it has been wrought with issues. The teacher hired for this new classroom was lovely. She really cared for the children, we could see this in the way she fed them, played, and even sat by them as they napped. She was let go last Friday "due to scheduling issues", which turned out to be a false reason. She didnt "fit in" as the assistant director said when asked about it and its probably because she was not neglectful and full of attitude like the rest of the staff. The assistant director - Ashley - did not advise any of the 3 sets of parents of this change, she provided no notice, no update. We only confirmed it because when we dropped our daughter off, the caretaker was gone. After I spoke with Ashley on the phone and let her know I expected to have at least a text letting us know of this change in the future she was offended I asked for such notice and had a terrible attitude. This demonstrates that any feedback or questions from parents is met with hostility not 'mutual respect' as her response to this review says. While we understand turnover is natural and sometimes it truly isn't a fit, we explained while touring that having open communication about these changes was important to us because our daughter was new to the daycare. Two days later we were notified that our daughter had a fall and that we needed to sign an incident report of the injury. We asked to see a video of the instance so we could verify what happened, seeing as how we need to sign something to confirm their recounted information. My husband reviewed the video and we confirmed she fell on accident, however the report gave a different account of how/why, so he simply asked for it to be changed so we could sign and move forward. The next morning ie today we were asked to remove our daughter from the school as of tomorrow (less then 24 hrs notice) because it was not a good fit. By no means did my husband and I disrespect, use profane language, or insult any of the daycare staff or this director but for the simple fact that we inquired about caretaker changes and reasoning for an injury our daughter was dismissed from this center. We did not even approach or question the new caretaker who was present during the fall. We observed several other concerning behaviors from their caretaker and director staff such as neglecting to watch children on play equipment and instead socializing with eachother. They were not simply "communicating" they were laughing, ignoring kids trying to get their attention, etc We saw the children left alone during times at rest which is against Virginia regulations and no not "out of camera" but actually completely missing from the designated room. I would highly suggest current parents find alternative care and that any parent considering a daycare center stay FAR away from this place. NOVA should be absolutely ashamed of the unprofessional, inconsiderate, and discriminatory practices it employs in the facade of caring for children.

NOVA Safe Hands Academy is truly a gem in Fairfax. The teachers were deeply engaged with both the children and parents, offering regular and valuable feedback while playing a crucial role in fostering my child’s social and emotional growth. I genuinely believe my child flourished in this environment and became an important part of a caring and supportive community. We will always treasure the connections we've made at NSHA. I highly recommend it to any family seeking a nurturing and compassionate place for their child.

Every parent wants to find a nurturing, safe, and educational environment for their child to thrive in. This is not that place. The responses from the owner on my review to insinuate that I and our family in some way made their staff feel disrespected is a ruse to excuse their behavior & inability to provide proper childcare. A place that has violations from inspectors, that has high turnover by staff, and cannot get enough children enrolled for each class speaks for its poor management- not our family.

Our child has been going to this school for almost a year now and we are SO happy with it. Our daughter has blossomed and grown so much since she started here. The teachers are so loving and kind. There's a perfect balance between structure and fun. They follow an age appropriate educational curriculum, as well, which has put her well on her way to being prepared for kindergarten. Communication is great--there's an app for updates and a video stream you can check in on whenever. Teachers are always available and willing to discuss any concerns you have and offer plenty of individual attention and care your child might need. The facility itself is safe, bright, clean, and welcoming. Overall, our child is protected and nurtured here. We don't plan to leave anytime soon!