-
May 2019 by Angelo S.
DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN HERE!! Worst experience ever. I feel so horrible for even sending my 15 month old here for one week. They were understaffed and had a mass walkout from the teachers recently for the way Alley Cats is run. After a complaint from an ex-staff member the state came and revoked their license for kids under 2 for not complying with the law. Nothing is child-proof and the big door is loose and could fall on the kids. They have enrolled more kids than the law allows them to. Because they are very understaffed, the kids watch videos on the teacher's phones because they are so overwhelmed and don't know how to keep them under control. The kids don't eat enough and they only nap for only 20min max because they are so hungry. The food is horrible, we even heard stories of the owner feeding the kids leftover pasta that was cold and the owner even went to Chick Fil-a to feed the kids nuggets for lunch (1 each). This is hardly organic as the website leads you to believe. After speaking to many parents who have all had similar experiences and complaints I believe this place should be shut down. The owner has no business looking after small children, she is just in it for a quick buck, it seems.
-
May 2019 by Asha D.
I hate to even give this place 1 star because they don't deserve it. We had our son enrolled for one week part time in Feb and pulled him out at the end of that week due to the extremely bad conditions and practices of the daycare, specifically Maureen Rinker the owner. Every time we dropped off and picked up our son he was very distressed and upset. They did not feed him enough, and now we have learned there are numerous parents who share the same complaint. Although the daycare claims they follow a curriculum and have a set menu, this was all false. More recently, a staff member reported Maureen to the state and they came in to shut down part of her business. She was told to send all kids under 2 home immediately. Turns out Maureen was illegally enrolling more toddlers than is allowed by law, and did not have enough teachers on staff to look after them. On some days she left 25 kids with one teacher. The kids were not being fed enough, the nap schedules were all over the place (on the 3 days our son was there he slept at all different times), and even worse was Maureen instructing teachers not to inform parents about kids biting or hitting "unless it left a mark". It is very disturbing to hear that a daycare owner and a mother herself is exhibiting some very unsavory and frankly illegal actions toward very young children. Do yourself a favor, stay far away from Maureen Rinker and Alley Cats. If a staff member had to report the business to the state, this is not someone you want your kids to be around. My husband and I had to call, text, email and confront her multiple times to get half our deposit back. We and other parents are taking up complaints with the state Attorney Generals office this week. EDITED to add: their website and Facebook page has been taken down, and the business number does not work. 2nd EDIT IN RESPONSE TO MAUREEN BELOW: I caution the reader AND Maureen that if she wants to claim "defamation", I find that rather odd. There are multiple parents with similar complaints. And it is not one "disgruntled" employee but several. We have proof. Stop lying! We also have proof that the state DID come in and shut down your license to serve kids under two. You called multiple parents and told them to pick up their kids immediately one day because what you were doing was illegal - that is not conjecture but a fact determined by the state. Furthermore, we have been in communication with the State attorney general office who are looking into ours and other parents' complaints. For a business owner to have numerous parents (not just us - happy to privately speak with any prospective) complain about the exact same things is not defamation but extremely sad.
-
January 2019 by Cassanda C.
it is daycare, not a preschool. run out of a small converted back house in a nice area, but still a residential home and people live in front.
-
April 2018 by Oleg C.
We were satisfied with the school overall, but felt the way our son was dismissed from the school warrants a write up. Our son was on 3-4 day a week schedule and then we were notified by the owner that the part time slots were being eliminated. One of the reasons being that a neighbor had called the city with a noise complaint. We called the city to verify this information and it was confirmed a noise violation was never filed. We felt we were just lied to. The owner also misguided the families by promoting a healthy menu with organic this and gluten free that, and fruit from the farmers market. When all the kids were fed was processed junk from Costco. The events that were organized and the school layout was good compared to what is out there but how much she charges, how poorly our situation was handled and the food situation left a very bitter taste I'm sorry to say
-
November 2017 by Erica P.
Our daughter has been with Alley Cats since she was 4 months old, and thanks to her time here, she is growing into a happy, curious, and VERY social toddler! Miss Maureen and the staff are all super friendly, patient, loving, and encouraging to the kids. I love that it is smaller daycare where each child receives lots of individual attention. The different groups do projects appropriate for their age, but also have plenty of opportunities to interact with older and younger kids. This is a bit of a unique home-based care in that it is completely separated from the house. The kids have a dedicated multi-use classroom/nap room, loft, lunch area, and outdoor playground. Everything is kept very clean, though you definitely want to bring extra clothes as your kid will be doing lots of fun, messy activities! Meals are healthy and served outdoors in a fun picnic table setting unless it's rainy, which is rare in LA! Throughout the year there are extra events like music days, neighborhood walks, the annual petting zoo, festive parties for holidays, show-and-tell, summer water fun, and more. Our daughter has been learning her first words, including some in sign language, through play and educational activities at Alley Cats. She also gets lots of practice with both gross and fine motor skills. Every morning when we arrive, she is super excited to get out of the car and start her day. And at the end of the week, I'm excited to see what art projects I get to take home :) They are great memories to cherish and share with grandparents! Miss Marge and the rest of the teachers have been wonderful caregivers and very accommodating with the extra needs of caring for an infant. As a first time parent I have also been appreciative of their years of experience and patience answering my many questions. Monthly Saturday date nights are an awesome extra perk as well! So nice to be able to enjoy a movie or dinner while we know our daughter is in a safe, familiar environment with friends. We are very thankful to have found Alley Cats and would highly recommend them to other new parents!
-
October 2017 by Stephen P.
Our son has been with Alleycats for almost a year now. He is thriving and we are so relieved to have him in a nurturing and loving environment. The director and staff genuinely care for and love these children. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are healthy. Lots of arts and crafts, as well as learning concepts and etiquette. Maureen the director runs a tight ship and I am glad for it.
-
September 2017 by Lynn M.
We are SO happy we found Alley Cats. Our 20mo son is extremely happy and content there - he absolutely loves it! The teachers are excellent and you can tell that they adore children. My son runs to them with open arms when he arrives. The curriculum and menus are top notch. Maureen is a beautiful person and a pleasure to deal with. We thank our lucky stars that we found Alley Cats and cannot recommend them more highly!
-
March 2017 by Joel W.
Luckily, my child never attended ACP. She is at a nearby preschool that was an all around better choice for our family. However, my review is based on the interaction with the Director/Proprietor up to the enrollment process. Like Ayanna indicated, Maureen is less than candid. She inflates her demand. I only discovered this after she revealed that the school was in a "tough situation". It appears that she will say whatever it takes to get a child enrolled. Evy M. is accurate in stating that there is little diversity and more affordable high quality options nearby. Also as an FYI, on my tour there, a neighbor was blocking the alley with her truck, directly across from ACP, cleaning out an area that had been inhabited for a quite a while unbeknownst to her by a homeless person. I most certainly would not recommend this place.
-
December 2016 by Stacey M.
Alley Cats is by far the best thing to have happened to us. Our daughter was enrolled around 10 months, and we stayed until she was a little over 2 years old. The only reason we left is because we moved to NYC. Our daughter still talks about her teachers, her friends and school. She misses every single person and we do too. The teachers are attentive, kind and loving. There is a wonderful balance and immersion of play and education - they way young children should learn. At our daycare in NYC, our daughter is far more advanced than the other kids - both her age and older. We know this is because of the love, education and experience at Alley Cats. We are forever grateful. If there is an open spot - take it! You will see an immediate joy in your child's eyes.
-
August 2016 by Sheryl U.
This family run school is the only place you want to take your kids. It is immaculate, filled with love, attentive caregivers and just the right amount of structure. Maureen the owner is a ray of light!! You and your kids are in great hands here. My nephew loves this school and the friends he has made. I highly recommend it!
-
July 2016 by Angie H.
Our son LOVES going to Alley Cats. When we drop him off he is so giddy to get inside and start his fun day here. There's always something fun for the kids and parents get a free date night! It's a great community of children and parents and most important... the teachers and directors are incredible! Our son started so many wonderful habits and firsts here, learning to walk, to eat with a fork and spoon, how to blow on his hot food, sit patiently with other students and he has amazing social skills. Every week he learns something new that we accredit to this attentive, baby loving staff.
-
June 2016 by Evy M.
Our child was at this preschool for close to a year. This preschool showed great potential at the beginning but once they started changing their staff we believe the children were not watched as closely. We never received any accident reports when our child was hurt. This school is also not Spanish immersion, at least not by the 90/10 ratios implemented in other places. There is little diversity. Also, the price is relatively high for an in-home based school. There are several more affordable and high quality center-based preschools in the surrounding area. I would not recommend this school.
-
February 2016 by Ayana W.
I would not recommend this daycare center. My children now attend a preschool where they challenged and cared for.
-
January 2016 by Robert R.
Just dropping our son off for the free monthly "date night" at Alley Cats. This has been a great perk of going with Alley Cats. Maureen and her team are amazing and we feel so good having our son at a small, family run day care. I strongly recommend if you are looking for a day care you check out Alley Cats.
-
April 2015 by Miriam L.
Great environment, children look happy and teachers are involved. Clean preschool and nice outdoor play area.
