Emmy323

Taylor44

Sorry I didn't reply to your post sooner.  Things got a little hectic in February.  I was due on Feb 2nd, but had to wait until Feb 11th to be induced. 

You may have already made some decisions about the daycare centers.  The Learning and Sharing Center seemed to have a good educational setup.  From my tour, I had a good feeling about the teachers and their daily activities.  However, the center felt very cramped, and a little disorganized due to the limited space.  I guess I just had higher expectations going into the tour.  I felt like it just wasn't the right place afterwards.

I also toured Best Friends in New Cumberland.  The center was nice, but I didn't get a good vibe.  I can't remember if they had an outside play area.

I guess what I like most about Kidz Quarterz is the staff.  They made me feel comfortable right from the start.  The facility is always clean and organized.  The teachers do a great job with crafts and education.  I just feel like it is a perfect fit for my son.  That being said, I am not sure if it would work well with your work locations.  Traffic can get tied up in that area in the evenings.

Good luck with your search.

Emmy323

Thank you so much for responding! Since my last post, I have toured several more faciliites. I didn't bother touring Best Friends because I had already heard some negative feedback from some of my friends.

So far, my experience is identical to yours. I went into Learning and Sharing with very high expectations. They are a Star 3 school and I believe are attempting to go for their 4th Star. While I really liked the Director, it seemed very cramped and chaotic. After our first tour, I left several messages for the Director to schedule a follow up tour. I wanted to go at another time of the day. That was several weeks ago and she still hasn't called me back. I don't like that at all!

Kidz Quarterz is currently at the top of my list. I do want to go back again during the day to see how things operate at that time. So far, I have been very impressed with everything I have see and, like you, have a good feel about it. I am a little concerned about the playground location, but it does sound like to they take a lot of safety precautions. While is not in the most convienient location, I'll take DD anywhere if it's what's best for her. Kidz Quarterz is also very close to my step dad's work and my MIL's home. I know they would take the opportunity to see her any chance they could get! I also get off of work at 3:00, so I tend to beat the really bad rush hour traffic.

Congrats on your new arrival! I hope that mommyhood is treating you well! Thank you again for taking the time to respond. As you know, choosing child care has been a nerve racking experience!

Taylor44

Since you are still touring and deciding, I will let you know that I also toured Tender Years in Camp Hill, KinderCare in Enola, and a daycare located in a church in Lemoyne (I can't remember the name).  Tender Years was the first place we toured, and I loved it.  But then as I toured other places, for some reason it fell off of our list.  My husband seems to remember that the cost was a little too high.  At that time, the infant teacher was a young girl which was a plus and a minus at the same time.  KinderCare was plain and simply too much.  They didn't offer anything extra that justified the cost.  However, they did offer the most flexible choices regarding part-time care.  The daycare in the church was ok.  The staff seemed friendly, but I don't think most of them had degrees in childcare.  Oddly, the church daycare worried me the most about security.  The main entrance had a locking door, but I wasn't sure about all of the internal doors. 

When we started at Kidz Quarterz, the center was at another location.  The new location offers much more space and sunlight in the rooms.  I know what you mean about the playground being detached from the building.  It concerned me at first, but the teachers do a good job walking the children across the parking lot.  If you decide on Kidz Quarterz, you will have to let me know.  We should introduce ourselves.

Emmy323

Haha, I've toured most of them! I didn't tour the KinderCare in Enola, but toured the one in Camp Hill in the parking lot of Holy Spirit. The church one...Little Steps....really bothered me. The director was missing her bottom two front teeth. Perhaps I'm being pretentious...but I'd really like my child's caretaker to at least have dentures! Plus it really didn't sound like they had any kind of curriculum.

I do want to go back for a daytime tour of Kidz Quarterz. Right now it is our first choice. We won't need care until the fall, but if I do decide to enroll, I'll let you know and get your information so I can put you down as a referral! I think you'll get some free tuition!

 Thanks again!

Taylor44

Good luck.  I remember the stress of touring and selecting.  It sounds like you have put a lot of time into it too.