MY FAVORITE PLACE

This place is FANTASTIC!!! This is the second place my kids have attended outside of being at home with my husband or I. The first one, trust me, horror stories. Seriously. So I in depth researched and checked all kinds of references, we visited the place just to "play" a day or two before they started attend the first week in June, to help adjust them to the change, and the folks at the center were perfectly okay with that knowing we were going to be attending the next week. I feel like that was very helpful for my kids. Everyone I talked to had COMPLETELY wonderful things to say about the place. I did find only one fishy thing- on the facebook page under the reviews, there is one single "negative" review. I tried to look into it, the person who placed it, only gave them a one star rating, but I can't figure out why- they didn't leave any comments regarding it, and I went as far as contacting the person who gave the rating asking them what was their bad experience because I was going to send my children. The person never got back to me, I really believe it was just something personal and someone who didn't like the owner or something along those lines. So we followed through, and other than that one single star review which turned up no merit, EVERYTHING I checked out passed with flying colors.
     I now see why!
THE SET UP;   
      My girls are in different class rooms (the whole building is pretty much open air classes, you can see the other rooms if you're tall enough, but they're all pretty much seperated by bookshelves and cabinets) but the teachers are very understanding if one of them wants to see their sister and walks over to the other classroom. When they go outside to play in the fenced and well shaded area both of their classes tend to go out together, so they can have a healthy dose of being together and also apart when need be.
       There are a great ratio of teachers to kids, and they have several "floaters" -which are mostly helping run kids back and forth to bathroom times and changing diapers in the two year old class. They have projects through the month, and each month or week is a different theme. There are days about once or twice a month that the center provides a lunch, the other days parents pack. They do however provide snacks and make sure each child has water/milk to drink. If you send in breakfast they will serve it. There is a fridge but not a microwave, so if they have anything to eat hot, it needs to be in a thermos. If your kid says they are hungry at breakfast time and you didnt send anything in, they dont just let them starve; they're either given dry cereal from a box they always seem to keep on hand for these cases, or your child can get something out of their lunch to eat early.
     Parents are always asked to keep a change of weather appropriate clothes on hand for each kid because they do actually play, and occasionally get dirty or in case of a bathroom accident, etc. But they even have several totes full of clothes for back ups in case you've already used your own and didnt replace it yet, or end up going through more than one outfit.
COMMUNICATION;
     Any time I have a question or need to talk to the owner or any teachers, I can contact them via facebook message and they reply with in no longer than an hour max. Holly, the owner, makes sure everyone has the center's number, her phone number and another cell that she keeps with her at the center in case of any emergencies. The teachers also have given us a day time and evening phone number that we can even call them after hours if we have any concerns.
     About once a week or so we get a review for each child (not usually on the same days, so its not like its a scheduled thing, just the teachers making an initiative. I've already received two or more thank you notes for being involved with the projects and themes that the center does each day. (They have a calander they put  out montly with a different thing each day; show and tell, wear yellow, bring your favorite sea shell, bring a picture of so-and-so, etc.)
FLEXIBLE;
     My husband and I both work at a restaurant, so our schedules always change from week to week, we don't have a set schedule. So, usually, for three days a week, in the beginning when you start, you discuss what days it would be. typically its Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but doesn't at all have to be. Holly lets us change which three days each child goes to adjust our schedules and its as simple as this; the week before, I get our schedules on Friday, and I fb message/text/call/talk to her at the center that day and let her know the days we'll be attending the next week so that she can be absolutely sure they'll be completely staffed. In fact, we've made it super complicated, and each week, one girl stays home with the other goes to daycare and then they switch the next day so that my husband and I can get one on one time with each child, and Holly said she thinks its just wonderful that we do that and it doesn't cause any issues. Nor do we loose the sibling discount when we do that ( because each kid is still going for 3 days a week)!
SECURE;
       To get in there is a key code entry that you and Holly agree upon before your kids will start. You need a code to unlock the door - Not just anyone can get in. The fencing in the playground area is completely locked, so you can't get in/out of there if they dont want you to. When you are inside, a beeper goes off through the whole center when any door is opened to the outside (play area or front parking, etc) so they know if someone has left - i.e. if you kid does manage to sneak off, those teachers all look up immediately when that beep sounds to make sure! To go out the front to where the parking is, you have to press an exit button to get the door to unlock from the inside as well. Yes, the older kids can reach it if they are tall enough, but it is yet one more thing to slow them down.
POLITE AND ENCOURAGING;
     Every teacher there makes a point to smile and say hello to you and your child by name every time they see them, even if your kid is in their class or not. They are soooo helpful with potty training. One day I arrived and my 25 month old asked to go to the bathroom as soon as we got there, so I was taking her back to help since I wasn't in a rush and because its still really new to her, she is in diapers, but does go if asked to when she needs to. One of the "floaters" was helping with another little group of friends while I was in there. My little one, as proud as could be cheered out "Yay! I did it!" when she peed and when we got out of the stall the teacher who was helping with a button with another girl congratulated her and cheered her on, sang a hand washing song with her while she washed up, and high fived her at the end- my kid just glowing with pride that whole time. 
OVER ALL - WE LOVE IT THERE! There is so much more I could say for details, but I assure you, if you've done the same thing and picked apart every piece of info you can find on this place, you're going to find out too, that everyone is thrilled there!!!