Friends Center For Children is a child daycare & preschools daycare located at 227 E Grand Ave, New Haven, Connecticut CT. Find contact info, location details, and similar daycares nearby.
What Parents Say
Parents consistently praise Friends Center for Children as a high-quality, loving environment that prioritizes emotional intelligence and child development. Teachers are described as dedicated and caring, and the center is noted for its emergent curriculum, Quaker values, and strong sense of community. Multiple parents highlight the center's commitment to the whole child and family support.
Friends Center has had such a remarkable impact on my son’s life. He began the program at 3 months and had the opportunity to be in the Pod 5 space with an incredible teacher. She taught the children sign language (which he still uses till this day) and had such a patient and gentle way of speaking with the children. I never questioned if he would be cared for when he was dropped off. In fact, I knew he would be treated like family. He is now almost two and cannot wait to see his friends and teachers every day. Thank you Friends Center for your dedication to children and families.
Friends Center for children was on our wish list for years. After a tour in 2018 we were confident that it was the place for our child. Because IT slots are few and far between, we had to keep our child home. Fast forward to child number 2 and we got in- Our collective experience has affirmed that it was worth the wait! Our daughter’s teachers meet her with kindness and curiosity everyday. Our family is able to eat at least one meal a week from food rescue. The community has held us in times when we were most in need and we are so thankful. Holistically we feel our child is seen, safe and supported.
As a first time parent I was very worried about where I would send my 5 month old while I went back to work. From the moment we visited their facility they made us feel welcomed. They have an incredible administration team who continuously answers any questions that I have. My son's teacher is truly one of a kind. Everyday when I drop my son off I know that not only he is safe, but he is well taken care of and loved. As a mother that is invaluable. I highly recommend this center to anyone who is looking for a place to send their child!
This place seems more focused on expanding their business than ensuring quality in their open centers. The teachers are overworked, and staff turnover is high. Sometimes the center closes because of short staffing or closes early due to a lack of staff. Teachers are under a lot of stress, and it's affecting the children. My niece attended Friends Center for a year, but we didn't return because of the constant miscommunication and disorganization among the staff. Her mother even told me about a child being left unattended in the bathroom once. It feels like half the reviews here are from current employees.
My son has been enrolled at Friends Center for Children since he was 3 months old. I cannot say enough great things about this establishment. If you are looking for a high-quality early childhood education for your child, this is your place. The emergent curriculum means they are learning about things are are truly interested in. I did not want him to go to daycare that would force him to learn about things he was not interested in. They also focus on teaching emotional intelligence. I think this is why I see my child having less tantrums because so early on he has learned about his emotions and how to communicate his needs to us. He was using sign language by 6 months old! Highly recommend