Building Blocks Child Care Center

I have 3 boys and have been sending my boys to Building Blocks since 2015- I have nothing but amazing things to say about this loving, nurturing, and educational facility. Yes, there was a change of ownership a few years ago and we’ve stayed along for the ride, and we are so grateful we did. We thought BB was great then, but now- it’s above and beyond. The staff is remarkable- such a loving family of teachers and the owners. Every single person in that building would do anything for my kids. 2 of my 3 boys have been well beyond prepared for Kindergarten, academically and socially, and still continue to grow at BB on remote days (which has also been a blessing). We can’t thank them enough for a wonderful education and for helping raise our amazing boys.

I am writing this review with a very heavy heart. Our family decided to leave Building Blocks at the end of October 2018 after being there since the beginning of 2016 when our oldest was an infant. We thought we would be there until all of our kids started kindergarten; sadly that’s not the case. After the sale of Building Blocks in October 2017 everything seemed comfortable until May 2018 when we noticed some of our favorite teachers were gone. Teachers continued to leave weekly until only a few familiar teachers were in the building. Along with the major lack of communication from the new owners regarding the staff changes we became concerned with the things our trusted teachers were telling us about their treatment by the new owners and their concern for the kids. I want to mention these trusted teachers are not just individuals we knew through Building Blocks, they are after work hour baby sitters, friends and even more importantly part of our family. I am not going to discuss the details in this review but I can say what we were told was corroborated from numerous teachers and other parents as well as some first-hand observation. We noticed behavior changes in our oldest and health changes in our youngest that went away a few weeks after leaving Building Blocks so they were clearly affected by the atmosphere. The teachers were the reason we loved Building Blocks and why we decided to stay after the sale. However, without them we became very concerned for the wellbeing and safety of our kids, it was obvious to us this is not the place for our family.

My daughter was at Building Blocks for just over three months, and it did not go well. During the initial interview process, I shared that my daughter has autism and is mostly non-verbal. I was assured that the center was equipped to deal with this, but they were not. The kids play in the water all summer long and I sent a bathing suit and towel but it never got used. The directors posted photos of my daughter's class playing in the water and doing yoga on the parent FB page, but my kid was noticeably absent each time. I sent underwear daily but they made no attempt to participate in her potty training. I frequently picked up my daughter and found her barefoot and wandering around without any engagement from the teacher who was in the room/area. To me, this indicates that they were not watching her as closely as they should. CDS informed me that the center never returned their calls and emails and I had to intervene and beg for follow-up each time there was an IEP meeting or a speech therapist, occupational therapist, etc. looking to set up services. The owner was rude to me for asking her to follow up, and then the daycare director participated in the Zoom meeting and spoke about my child like she is some kind of parasite. She is completely insensitive and should not be working with children, especially not ones with special needs. One day I heard her mutter a sarcastic comment about a little boy under her breath when she didn't realize I had come in behind her. That is the day I began my search for a new school for my kiddo. With that said, there are a few staff members who truly seemed to care about the children and want to see them succeed. I don't know how that will be possible under terrible leadership. The last straw was when they demoted my daughter into the next classroom down from her original class, without even having a conversation with me! They didn't send home a letter or anything. One day they just told me to hang her bag in a different room and that was that. This center may be fine for neurotypical children, but if your child has any kind of special need, delay, IEP or can't speak up and tell you what goes on, you should think twice before sending them to Building Blocks.

This review is mostly aimed at the owner of this daycare and her husband. They are extremely unprofessional people. Turnover of teachers at this place is less than a year, for good reason, as they only pay their teachers $13 an hour and refuse to give their staff a raise. They do not train new teachers well at all, despite the owners giving every assurance to parents that their children will be treated well. There is no one there who can adequately assist autistic children and they are frequently neglected or handled incorrectly, and this is a direct result of a complete lack of training. Kids are quite often moved into rooms that they are not ready for due to frequent staffing shortage, which has persisted for years. Ultimately, the irresponsible practices of this daycare stem from decisions made by management and ownership. The owner’s husband is a total creep and other staff have complained about him, but he is still involved in the operations of the daycare. My advice to any parent looking to send their children to a safe, nurturing environment is to stay away from this place. It is neither safe nor nurturing. They also are lying about wearing masks, despite, once again, every assurance being given to the parents regarding mask-wearing. In short, the owner is a liar and the teachers are leaving in droves. Avoid this place!

I really feel it is necessary to counter some of the negative reviews, by no means negating other people's experiences. My experience with this daycare has been nothing short of wonderful. My 2 year old son is thriving and loving every day he goes to "new school". I feel extremely confident in the staff who have shown nothing but care and attention. During pick up, I have quietly watched how they interact and show patience with the toddler group. There is structured activities, and everyday I receive a summary of his day including the lunch menu, overall napping amount, and what he learned throughout the day. I have seen my child develop new skills, vocabulary, and good manners in the last few months since we joined this center. It has been a great environment, and I hope the business continues to do well.