-
May 2024 by Jazmine Barber
I have been taking my kids to this daycare for a long time, since my children were infants, and now my son is about to graduate pre-k, and my daughter will be three this year. My kids have experienced so many wonderful teachers, even having some of the same teachers.
Mrs. Gladys is a teacher that has taken care of both of my children. She is such a kind spirited woman, and she informs me of anything that is going on with them that I should know about. She is one of the first teachers that has helped to care for my children.
Ms. T is another teacher that I give recognition to. Working together with Mrs. Gladys for a time, she was my son's Pre-k teacher. I enjoyed her teaching method, including teaching the kids the importance of homework, and rewarding kids, by letting them pick a toy from the treasure box on Fridays, if they have done their homework. This helps teach the kids accountability and responsibility, before starting Kindergarten.
Mrs. Lisa is currently my daughter's teacher for Preschool 1, and every morning she sits down with the kids, and teaches them their letters, shapes, numbers, etc. She is a very kind woman, and my daughter loves her.
Ms. Kely is also a teacher that has been there for a long time, that has cared for both of my children. She treats my kids like they are her own and has shared snacks with my kids. She definitely exhibits positive vibes and provide a positive experience.
Mr. Emmanuel is another teacher, that currently teaches in the Pre-K classroom. He is absolutely great with the kids, and my son enjoys him. Not only does Mr. Emmanuel interacts with the kids, but with the parents as well. With few male teachers involved in the education system, he is a great role model for the kids, and is also an important part of the children's lives as a positive male role model.
Ms. Allie is also currently a Pre-K teacher and brings such a positive attitude to the classroom environment. She is always smiling and helps the kids with different projects.
These teachers and more do a great job in helping the children learn and grow, and I appreciate all of what they do. Thank you!
-
May 2024 by Marie Bogan
Ms. T is one of our favorite teachers here! She truly cares about her students and is a fantastic person all around. My son loved her as his PreK teacher and I cannot wait for my daughter to have her as well. My son learned so much from her and was truly prepared for kindergarten! We love Ms. T!
-
March 2024 by Khamilla M.
I would like to give a BIG KUDOS to the director of the Children of America on the parkway Chevontae Lucas, she has been so amazing to my daughter a family. I have watched her interact with every class an age , a the fact that she is 8 months pregnant has not slowed her down at all. I Love picking my daughter up in the evenings a staying 20 extra minutes for her to say bye to the lovely staff a she always give Mrs. Chevontae the biggest hugs. That truly melts my heart knowing i have nothing to worry about. This lady is on top of her game as I was afraid after the other director left, I can honestly say she had big shoes to fill a she did it. If you have any doubts about putting your babies or love ones in childcare go see her I promise your child will tell you bye. We love you Chevontae keep up the good work .
-
March 2024 by Asia Mcilwain
A year ago I wrote something nice as I was blind. Fast forward to now as a former employee please please please if you care about your kid/kids don’t bring them here. The Director is Very messy. She’ll smile in your face and talk about you and your children. There’s not one single curriculum happening unless it’s Pre 2, Pre k and slightly twos. If you want your kids to learn and grow this isn’t a place for you. They accept anymore without evaluation and some kids need extra assistance do to some behavior issue (no disrespect) but all they’ll do is yell multiple times in your kids face, drag them by the arms and take them to the front just to bribe them then send them back just to do the same thing. It’s not a sanitized daycare. Use a disinfect can and that’s about it if that. I will say a selective few employees will actually do their job to keep things sanitary. Also Employees will leave kids out of ratio to be a follower and chat. This place is gossip city. Your private information WILL be shared. It’s a very very unprofessional place. If you bring any juice, water or snacks for YOUR kids employees will feel entitled to have some. so many more horrible things I can say from an former employee. End date 3/12/24Pros I can say:Despite an unprofessional “ Director” the new assistant Director is the sweetest most professional person for that role. Unproblematic, confrontational, respectful and goes by the book for her job role and those of others. Despite the trash talk she get behind her back by the so called “Director”Despite it could use more sanitation infant classrooms does have wonderful teachers and will do go by your baby or babies.Pre 2 teacher is very professional and really care for the kids and their growth along with Pre K teachers and twos.Daycare subsidySome teachers are actually really nice just questionable work ethics.
-
October 2023 by Takyra P.
Never again. There's a teacher that shouldn't be working there because of how she treated my child and I don't know how many other kids she has done it to. I think it's time for them to do a better job about hiring these young teachers to work there, so I would never bring my child back there anymore until they fix the problem
-
September 2023 by Mya Lee
Children of America is a cool place! For all of you coming for Ms.Chevontae y’all need to relax. She’s a nice person even to people that don’t deserve her kind heart and words. Love staff:)does her best
-
May 2023 by Jamaya Hall
The director Ms Chavonne Lucas is very unprofessional, and disorganized, Doesn’t speak when you drop children off. I was able to pick up my Neice and nephew without an ID verification this did not bother her at all, my nephew has came home with marks and no incident report. Do not send your children to this center!!!!
-
May 2023 by Kassandra Trent
I want to make everybody aware of this so if you see thos post please share it forward it do everything ypu can to spread the awareness please. My 3 year old son went to a day care/ preschool called children of america in woodbridge va on hedgewood dr. I will say this is the worst daycarebi have ever experienced in my life. My poor baby went there beginning in January and I had to take him our in April. Durimg thos time I have been watching a nightmare. He went to the class preschool 1 and I can honestly say I was surprised. The 2 teachers in that classroom act like they don't love their job at all. One of them is always sitting and the other she is always on her phone. One of the teachers has a son who is abusive to the other children including my son and she does not care and she show favoritism. One day I came into the school and the teacher had the audacity to tell me that my child was mentally ill and needed to see a therapist for anger issues. When I asked why she said that he was hitting screaming throwing food etc. I watched the video cameras along with my best friend to see what she was talking about because my son doesn't show thos type of behavior. Well let's start off with my sin was quiet shy and playing by himself the whole entire time. When they transitioned from the classroom to the outside area his teacher pulled his arm so hard and dragged my son accross the floor all the outside....after they went outside she grabbed him inappropriately by the neck to carry him outside. After they got back she did the same thing again....her child the whole entire day was punching kids in their faces like an actual adult and none of the teachers did nothing to stop this they just let it continue. I went to the director personally and told her I watched all of this and I need a report made, so she brought the teacher to talk to me and she got very deffensive. I asked the teacher if she made any reports today for someone hitting on the classroom and of course she said no. BECAUSE SHE WASNT WATCHING ANYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM. The director told me she made a report and they were going to investigate and told me a stilupid excuse that because the teachers are foreign they think it is ok to handle children that way.. The same night i found so many marks and bruises on my son i was in shock. Of course i showed the director and i got no response. They never made a report and I only found that out when I withdrew my son and asked for his full file. And guess what there were no reports on my son hitting kicking biting throwing food nothing. The only reports was that he didn't want to go with the teachers and he was crying. And keep in mind these reports were all after I spoke to the director on what I saw. Needless to say I called CPS to get an investigation started. I also tried calling the headquarters and they won't respond to me. I made the report but they are doing nothing about it. I've asked over the phone over email to speak with someone and I get lies saying they tried calling and leaving a voice-mail and I still have nothing. And sadly the 2 teachers and director are still there and the teacher who abused my son still does it to other children but worse. Please I beg you share this because the parents that have their children go there and especially to this classroom need to be made aware of what is really going on in that classroom. And I'm so tempted to post the evidence of this but I will wait.CPS case number...2786436
-
May 2023 by Kassandra T.
I want to make everybody aware of this so if you see thos post please share it forward it do everything ypu can to spread the awareness please. My 3 year old son went to a day care/ preschool called children of america in woodbridge va on hedgewood dr. I will say this is the worst daycarebi have ever experienced in my life. My poor baby went there beginning in January and I had to take him our in April. Durimg thos time I have been watching a nightmare. He went to the class preschool 1 and I can honestly say I was surprised. The 2 teachers in that classroom act like they don't love their job at all. One of them is always sitting and the other she is always on her phone. One of the teachers has a son who is abusive to the other children including my son and she does not care and she show favoritism. One day I came into the school and the teacher had the audacity to tell me that my child was mentally ill and needed to see a therapist for anger issues. When I asked why she said that he was hitting screaming throwing food etc. I watched the video cameras along with my best friend to see what she was talking about because my son doesn't show thos type of behavior. Well let's start off with my sin was quiet shy and playing by himself the whole entire time. When they transitioned from the classroom to the outside area his teacher pulled his arm so hard and dragged my son accross the floor all the outside....after they went outside she grabbed him inappropriately by the neck to carry him outside. After they got back she did the same thing again....her child the whole entire day was punching kids in their faces like an actual adult and none of the teachers did nothing to stop this they just let it continue. I went to the director personally and told her I watched all of this and I need a report made, so she brought the teacher to talk to me and she got very deffensive. I asked the teacher if she made any reports today for someone hitting on the classroom and of course she said no. BECAUSE SHE WASNT WATCHING ANYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM. The director told me she made a report and they were going to investigate and told me a stilupid excuse that because the teachers are foreign they think it is ok to handle children that way.. The same night i found so many marks and bruises on my son i was in shock. Of course i showed the director and i got no response. They never made a report and I only found that out when I withdrew my son and asked for his full file. And guess what there were no reports on my son hitting kicking biting throwing food nothing. The only reports was that he didn't want to go with the teachers and he was crying. And keep in mind these reports were all after I spoke to the director on what I saw. Needless to say I called CPS to get an investigation started. I also tried calling the headquarters and they won't respond to me. I made the report but they are doing nothing about it. I've asked over the phone over email to speak with someone and I get lies saying they tried calling and leaving a voice-mail and I still have nothing. And sadly the 2 teachers and director are still there and the teacher who abused my son still does it to other children but worse. Please I beg you share this because the parents that have their children go there and especially to this classroom need to be made aware of what is really going on in that classroom. And I'm so tempted to post the evidence of this but I will wait. CPS report number 2786436
-
December 2021 by Katelyn A.
My son has been with Children of America since right before he turned 1 I've been with the location almost 2 years now and I owe all the wonderful ladies a big thank you because my son learns so much without their help I don't think he would be the kid he is today! Great place for your kiddos!!!!
-
July 2021 by Jay A.
We've used COA in Hedgewood multiple times. We pulled our little for COVID because there were very strict guidelines they followed the CDC guidance thoroughly. We could not come past the front security section and our littles temperature was checked at the security area before the teacher took our little to class along and every staff member and parent had to wear mask! They would not budge until the CDC updated the requirements! We decided it would be best to keep our little home. However the play ground is huge and surrounded by a tall iron fence with a water pad sprinkler area. Plus they offer a camera upgrade where you can have access to the cameras on the playgrounds and your littles room! The teachers are great and kept us up to date about our little ones via the app they sent videos and photos and updates about potty and meals! We talked to the teachers and different directors everyday there are teachers who've been there throughout our kids stay and new ones but that's a given with any job. They are always a call away as well! They have a lot of kids all raised differently but we never felt that a situation wasn't rightly addressed and the situations were not out the ordinary with a bunch of kids learning and playing! They also provide print outs of the weekly menu and lesson plans if you ask. Definitely worth a tour after touring so many places we were happy to have worked with them!!
-
June 2020 by John E.
This location should be investigated by everyone and all parents. During COVID-19, they failed to practice social distancing, provide masks or gloves and continued as if no virus existed. They often allow the children to scream and play unwatched near a high volume of traffic. The staff is arrogant and does not care about the welfare and safety of the children. I have reported them to the Department of Social Services, The Health Department and Child Abuse Services. An investigation is pending.
-
March 2020 by Allegra Acuff
My son had been attending since he was 8 months. We are happy with his care and the love he receives from his teachers and staff. There was some change over in directors since we have been here. The new director is making some wonderful changes to the classroom and the trainings the teachers receive. Ms Nicole is doing a great job adding more life to the center.Highs:We love the locking system upon entering and exiting the centerThey have a very clean center. My husband commented on how clean the vents are.( he works in construction)Amazing playgroundGreat priceLows:We are plant based eating and they don’t offer much alternatives in their menu.We have had wonderful lead teachers but the assistant teachers are not as consistent.
-
September 2019 by Melissa Amidon
Our baby girl started 3 weeks ago and we LOVE IT! Amazing staff who all know my baby and she is always exhausted when she comes home. HIGHLY recommend!
-
March 2019 by natasia wilson
Highly disappointed in this facility. I gave a 2 weeks notice the week before christmas and was told that the paper notice was all I needed to relieve me of any financial responsibility by January 2nd. Instead I get multiple attempts to take money out of my account and then a bill for 250.00 (my daughter only attended on Mondays for 83.00). When I called about it, I was told i owed an additional 103.00 for missed attendance. I informed them of the notice given in the proper timeframe and that I paid through the notice timeframe. They said because she missed a Monday, I had to pay an additional 2 weeks.I went on to ask how did I had to pay additional fees when the Monday she normally attends it was christmas so the place was closed and also nothing in the notice nor in conversation when I gave notice and asked what else was needed, stated she had to attend both weeks? They said they will speak with corporate to work on the issue. Never got back. I called again and asked for an update and they said they were still waiting on corporate.I called corporate myself. They tried to redirect me back to the center. After some back and forth about the issue, i was told they would reach out to the center and call me back. No one ever reached out. I called again and was told they would look into it and they are sorry the staff didnt tell me she had to attend during the 2 week notice but it's "in the policy" so technically they dont have to take the charges off. I checked the policy. It doesn't specify the child must in attendance(again I still paid the two weeks out as expected). She never got back.I finally got a response, not from the daycare or the corporate office, but from the collection agency they sent the balance to. Now this is going to hit my credit. Now I have to dispute the collection agency along with the daycare facility. This has been a nightmare. I have always paid on time to this facility. I even had recurring payment setup so it automatically came out of my account every week. They tried to use this to pull money out of my account without permission after she was already removed from the facility. Now I have a bill that I do not owe sent to the collection agency and about to impact my credit negatively. What makes it worse is the corporate office is no help nor do they take accountability when their facilities make mistakes. It is the absolute worst customer service I have ever experienced.FYI, I was recommended by a coworker who shortly removed her child after she watched on camera that her daughter was getting her hair pulled by another child and the teacher did nothing nor did she inform anyone until the mother called the school about it. Then I was told my paperwork with all me and my daughter's personal information was "missing" but another employee stated a previous employee who recently left more than likely stole or hid the paperwork. This definitely did not sit well with me. This plus the fact when I watched my daughter on camera all she did was walk around unless she was eating or napping.Since I've left the facility, I have met three other people who have went to the exact same daycare and have pulled their children out for either lack of care or horrible service. I would not recommend this place to anyone. It's not worth the savings. Plus there are other daycares in the area that charge decent prices and give an entire itinerary for your child where he or she won't be wandering around until lunch time or nighttime. Also other daycares have better procedures in place for violent incidents that happens among the other children. Children of America only redirects the child instead of correcting the situation or reaching out to the parents. I never usually write bad reviews and I tried to be fair but this has been such a ridiculous process that I feel if I can't get corporate to help me or even respond as a decent company should then I can at least try to warn others not to become a victim to this company.
