Gateway Academy - Mckee

We have been with The Nest since it was Gateway Academy, and my daughters have always loved the teachers and the environment. Especially over the past few months. As a parent, this experience has been a whirlwind. When The Nest took over, they made many promises; however, the only visible improvements have been to the playgrounds and the building itself. It quickly became clear that the focus shifted to marketing and pushing directors to enroll more families, rather than supporting the staff already in place. It is unacceptable to continue testing the limits of state-required ratios. New families should not be encouraged to join unless the building is fully staffed, adequately resourced to meet the needs of active students, and employees are properly trained. Staff members are overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated by upper management. We have seen so many directors, assistant directors, educational coordinators, kitchen staff, and teachers come and go that I’ve lost count. Then, last spring, The Nest hired an incredible new director, Kate, who truly began transforming the entire environment. She was fully committed to the school and always had the best interests of the children and families at heart. Kate was never afraid to step in and help wherever she was needed. She went above and beyond cleaning, organizing, or covering classrooms when staff were out. She worked tirelessly to ensure the school was a safe and nurturing environment for our kids. Despite her dedication, she received little recognition or appreciation from leadership. For the first time in a long while, parents felt hopeful. Yet, as with many organizations, financial priorities seemed to outweigh quality and care. Families pay significant tuition for what should be a high-quality, supportive learning environment—not one compromised by poor leadership decisions and misplaced priorities. Unfortunately, Kate was let go last week, and communication from leadership regarding this change has been minimal. Staff morale is extremely low, and both teachers and parents are understandably upset. Kate consistently advocated for the families, staff, and students. It seems leadership does not take kindly to being questioned. At this time, I cannot in good conscience recommend The Nest to other families. Until leadership changes and begins prioritizing the well-being of the children and the people who care for them, The Nest will continue to fall short of its potential. No more excuses! Do better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We are beyond grateful for the incredible care and education our children have received here! Our toddler transitioned from a daycare with no real curriculum to this center, where learning is hands-on and engaging through all senses—touch, sight, sound, creativity, and play. In just one month, we saw a 100% improvement in development and engagement. The staff strikes a perfect balance between love and structure, helping our child catch up to and even surpass their peers. Potty training had been a real struggle, but the team here played a huge role in that transition—approaching it with patience, consistency, and encouragement. We also started our infant at this daycare at just six weeks old, and the level of care, attention, and professionalism from the staff has been outstanding. They’re able to meet the demanding needs of an infant while still creating a nurturing environment. We truly feel like our children are safe, loved, and thriving here. Highly recommend!

I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. As someone who’s worked in childcare for over a decade- this place cannot get it together for anything. Staff turnover rate is so high. My child came home with bumps & bruises and no one could tell me why and there was no report on file. They aren’t trained correctly- I could go on for days but honestly all you have to do is go to the DCDEE website for yourself and look at their violations. Don’t make the same mistake. Edit: my son attended here briefly back in December- January 2025. I found out he was never fully enrolled and pulled him that day. They had a director at the time that either was fired or she quit right around the time my child started. We had zero paperwork on file. That’s probably why you can’t find me in your system. He wasn’t entered into the App, I didn’t have a door code. I called and reported you to DCDEE and ever since you continue to get violations after violations. Your staff members are literally biting kids. (Recent October 2025) This company is so unprofessional.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the infant care provided at Cadence Academy at McKee. The staff have been caring, attentive and loving towards our child. Even the directors know him by name and care for him. After just a few months, I feel like they know him as well as I do and they care for him that way too. The app they use is great and they post pictures throughout the day. We get lots of information about how he’s eating and diapers too! Highly recommend this daycare!

I would not recommend this daycare if you have an infant. The employees in that room are clueless. 1. They never use any cream you bring in. When I pulled my son out of the daycare they had no idea where they even stored the cream I brought to be applied. 2. On several occasions they have sent my son home with another kids bottle. As well as another kids bottle piece in my son’s bottle. NOT SANITARY. 3. I’ve witnessed an infant using another kids pacifier and the employee telling the baby that she’s knows better than to pick up another kids pacifier. The baby couldn’t be no older than 8 months!! 4. They don’t use the app. I rarely received pictures of my son while he attended this daycare. They do not respond to messages you send on the app. 5. They don’t give you enough notice when they decide to have a “teacher day” and close the daycare. 6. They will turn parents away on numerous occasions because they don’t have enough staff for that day so then you have to miss a lot of work. 7. I’ve been called to pick up my son when he was fussy and when I get there he was asleep. 8. My son was on the floor with a pillow in his face, crying. None of the employees was paying him any attention. I could go on and on about this daycare. If you have an infant do yourself a favor and find another daycare.