Appletree Academy INC.

Parents, Beware! Sharing our experience regarding safety concerns at Appletree Academy. On December 9th, 2025, my 3-year-old fell on icy playground stairs at Appletree Academy. The area appeared visibly dangerous, yet it was open and accessible to children. From their security footage we viewed (which my husband has recorded as well), children were walking and playing around icy areas with no barricades or safety measures preventing access. We also observed that for several minutes before the fall- there was no staff monitoring children near the hazard, and two staff appeared to notice these children multiple times but did not intervene or redirect them away from the hazard. Because of the fall, my daughter suffered a deep cut above her lip and multiple deep bruises inside her mouth. The prompt-care doctor told us she could have a permanent scar on her face. Watching her struggle to eat, cry from the pain, and feel afraid has been absolutely heartbreaking. First of all, we were notified LATE- nearly 20 minutes after the accident. They told me that my daughter had been bleeding non-stop and might need to be rushed to get her wound medically glued. When I arrived—panicked and shaking—I could hear my daughter crying through the walls. She had already been bleeding for over 30 minutes, and all they had done during that time was clean the cut with water and place an ice pack DIRECTLY on her actively bleeding cut. She was also seated in her regular classroom (crying and bleeding) while the other kids were eating lunch— shouldn't an injured child be taken to a calmer space to monitor the injury? That night, I emailed the school expressing our disappointment and concern about the negligence in the playground. I called the next afternoon to follow up. The Co-owner told me they had a “busy day” and couldn’t respond yet. I spoke with her twice after the accident, and both times we felt there was no apology, accountability, and empathy. We felt this was extremely dismissive given that a child was badly injured under their care. What made this even more upsetting was how the administration appeared to shape the narrative rather than address the actual situation. Before we asked to see the video or the icy playground, the Director repeatedly insisted that the fall was “our daughter’s fault” for climbing the icy stairs. But after watching the footage and seeing the playground conditions ourselves, we came away with serious concerns about supervision, access to icy areas, and overall safety and we felt that children's safety was at risk. When my husband questioned their handling of the situation, the Assistant Director said they were "short-staffed", that this was their “first time,” and that they would do “something for next time.” At no point did we feel any genuine apology, accountability, or empathy for what happened—only excuses. The following day, when my husband went to collect our daughter’s belongings, the Assistant Director stood directly in front of him and said absolutely nothing—no greeting, no acknowledgment, no apology, and not even a simple “How is she doing?” It was incredibly disheartening. We immediately withdrew our daughter from this Pre-K. Parents deserve truth, transparency, accountability, compassion, and a safe environment from the schools and staff we place our trust in. No child or parent should go through the unjust trauma we experienced.

We absolutely love AppleTree Academy. We are blessed to have two of our kiddos at ATA and have been so lucky to have them a part of our children’s development. They’re truly the best daycare center in the Peoria Area. Their staff from the moment you walk in to the classroom teachers are positive, welcoming, nurturing and truly care for your kids. We have grown to love and care for the staff and trust our kids with them in their care. The variety of programs and offerings that they provide to our children shine through in their development and we are so happy we chose ATA for our early child development care. Look nowhere else for care, you won’t be disappointed with AppleTree academy!

We absolutely love Apple Tree! We have been attending for over 6 years. All 3 of my children have started in the infant room and gone all the way up to preschool. The center is nice and clean. The outdoor space is wonderful. And the teachers are wonderful! We have had a wonderful experience. My oldest was more than prepared for kindergarten. It's amazing the things my children have picked up on at school.

Would not recommend any child to go here. My child only went here for a few days because he was never properly changed, dried poop was up his back both times and I could tell he did not enjoy himself. When I approached the staff they were pretty cold and when I messaged the team about the issue I received a generic chatgpt response. When we went to collect my son items a teacher did wave but he buried his head into my chest. I can't believe they charge these rates for the "service" they provide. They have a ton of turnover, and always say they are short staffed

We are newer to Apple Tree, but from the first time we toured, to now dropping off our daughter daily, we always feel so welcomed! The facility is not only clean, but feels well organized. They were ready for our daughter the first day, and we were nervous she would be upset starting somewhere new. Now she is excited and runs to her teacher every morning. There are fun activities with a monthly calendar. You can tell the owners and employees/teachers really care. I love the updates on the app as well. So far we are very happy!