Licensed Child Care Facilities: Complaints, and a request for recommendations

[billtown]

I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal about states that post complaints about licensed child care facilities:

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/05/28/how-to-check-up-on-child-care-centers/

Washington States’s site is:

https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/f2ws03esaappsns/lccis/lccisSearch.aspx

I was wondering what others thought of Bella Mente, the West Seattle YMCA, and All About Kids. Would you recommend another?

We have one daughter in Kids Centre currently (great place) but we want to find something closer to home as my wife and I no longer work downtown. We have two daughters, 2 1/2 and 4 months, and are looking for daycare starting in September. We prefer centers as we want a good caregiver to child ratio in a nurturing and social environment. Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

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[WSB]

Hi – I’ve moved this post to “reader recommendations” since it seems you’re looking for recommendations, and also have edited the title slightly to reflect that – TR

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[katiebee]

I can tell you from experience that not all valid complaints will appear on those sites. We filed a VERY valid complaint on our last daycare provider and it has yet to show up in the online system.

Best thing to do is find something by word of mouth and check references.

Our two boys (2.5 & 8 months) now go to a wonderful daycare called West Seattle Day School (206-932-4626) and she is planning on expanding in January. Our older son has just blossomed there with their “pre-school” activities. Our 8 month old cuddle bug is loved and adored there. We couldn’t be happier. They are near a great park and close to the junction.

I hear Bella Mente is really good, but I’ve never toured. All About Kids seemed nice when I toured, but wasn’t the best fit for our family. We wanted our boys to be together more and they have the kids separated by age. I know lots of people that love it though.

Another place to check out is Fauntleroy Children’s Center.

Good luck!

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[DrPushpa]

We loved Three Tree Montessori, which is not in West Seattle, but in Burien on 160th near Trader Joe’s. Although it was a little bit of a drive (about 15 minutes from our house in Arbor Heights) we loved the program and were so pleased to have found it. It compared favorably in cost with many daycare facilities we checked out.

They have a toddler program for children as young as a year, as long as they are walking, a “primary” program for kids 3-6, and an elementary program.

They are a “true” Montessori school, meaning that the teachers have been through rigorous training in the Montessori philosophy and method. Other Montessori programs I have seen have the Montessori materials, but the teaching methods are sometimes the opposite of Montessori. (I understand that WS Montessori is also a true Montessori school, but I don’t think they have a toddler program.)

Our daughter was at Three Tree from about 17 months through her kindergarden year and was reading, doing simple math, including beginning multiplication and division, writing in cursive, and knew an amazing amount about geography and beginning science when she left. Because my husband was laid off for two years, we made a financial decision to put her in public school starting this past year in 1st grade, but I would put her back at Three Tree in a heartbeat if I could.

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[Huskepup]

Sorry if this is too late of a reply, but our son is at Bella Mente and we love it. He’s 13 months and has been going since he was 5months old. The teachers are all very knowledgeable and loving, and our son truly loves going there. I work across the street from Kids Center but Bella Mente seemed like a better fit for us. Good luck with your decision!

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