Gingerbread Learning Center

I really enjoyed sending my son jackson here the teacher was great! The food program is really good! And I liked the environment their hours are perfect and they throw really cute events together for the kids which are fun!

This daycare is okay if you live in the area and are simply looking for a place to send your child. However, I wanted to share my honest experience to help other parents make an informed decision. First, as mentioned in other reviews, there is definitely an odor in the building that I noticed from the start. The most concerning thing about this facility is the security. There is a code for the door but literally anyone and everyone has access to come in and out of the building. Initially, I thought the daycare was fine, but over time my concerns grew, and I ultimately decided to withdraw my daughter due to what I felt was a lack of professionalism. I enrolled her in another facility that was similarly priced but was more organized and professional. While their prices are competitive for the area, as a parent who paid full fee without any subsidies, I expected a certain level of care and communication. At times, some staff caring for younger children seemed unfamiliar with policies or were unable to clearly explain situations when I asked specific questions….especially regarding unexplained marks on my daughter. I fully understand that accidents happen and that staff can’t witness every single moment, but as a parent, I expect transparent communication when I raise a concern. There were also instances where group messages were sent via the parent app with wording I found unprofessional, such as: “I love your kids but I love my own too and would like to see them on time, so please be mindful and pick up your kids on time.” While I understand the sentiment, I believe there are more professional ways to communicate these reminders or that the parents in question need to be spoken to directly. Those types of messages are inappropriate. More concerning to me were some of the photos I received. One showed my daughter eating dirt, literally captioned as such-which raised the obvious question: why take a photo rather than stop her? If my daughter would have gotten sick from that, I’m sure that very smart caretaker and/or gingerbread would have been happy to help cover any medical bills, correct? Another photo showed a group of toddlers eating lunch, with my daughter being the only one not wearing a shirt. When I inquired, I was told they were “about to put her shirt on,” but she was clearly already eating at the time. The final incident that led to my decision to withdraw her was when my daughter was bitten by fire ants while playing outside. When I asked what happened, I was told she had gone into a small playhouse known to have ant issues. My concern was why she wasn’t redirected away from a known hazard before the incident occurred. Separately, in a local online group, I saw a post where GLC was recommended as a place for teenagers to easily get hired and complete their required training hours. While this might work for some, it raised additional concerns for me, as it suggests they may hire individuals with little experience and provide only the basic state-required training. This is my overall sentiment about GLC - They literally hire anybody and that shouldn’t be the case when anyone’s child is involved. In summary, is this the worst daycare? No. If you’re looking for a basic daycare option, you may find them suitable. However, if you value higher standards in professionalism, communication, and attentiveness, I would personally not recommend this facility. I would strongly encourage any parent to thoroughly research a daycare facility and their associated inspection reports through the Florida Department of Children and Families before enrolling your children.

In April 2020 (hey Covid), I had 3 children start here (11wks, 3 & 4). My youngest one still attends and is currently in VPK here. She absolutely loves her school and staff and every single one of them adore her. The school-agers always have fun field trips on school breaks. The center does an adorable fall festival in the fall (including a cute mini pumpkin patch). Those are just a couple of the events on top of their adorable holiday arts & crafts for all the holidays. I feel it is on the higher end of the price side, but the fact I’m comfortable leaving my little one with these ladies with zero doubt in my mind she’s cared well for is worth it. Not to mention, their hours are absolutely superb coming from someone in healthcare who needs to be to work as early as 5:30am sometimes. The staff, for the most part, is more like a tight-knit family and you can definitely tell in their work-flow. No live camera access like some facilities, but they do a great job keeping you in the loop via the app with pictures, videos, meal reports, etc. I can freely communicate with my daughter’s teachers, as well as the management/office staff. We are definitely thankful for our Gingerbread family.

The Smell in there is horrible. The Baby was fed milk all day when I asked the worker about feeding him she was absolutely rude. Her response was he is spitting it all over me and he will be getting a bottle at next feeding time. She was trying to feed him baby food after just giving him a bottle of course he is not going to eat baby food. It was always so cold in there, they expected me to keep him there under those conditions. They kept part of my funds which is disgusting and greedy. I suggest they clean that property, it smells like mildew and old house with water leaking. That cant be good for anyone and their respiratory health. The workers are lazy when it comes to handling babies, if your baby doesn’t hold a bottle prepare for them to cry. Very unsettling when you see your baby in photos with tears. And babies spit when they are little that is not cause not to feed them.

My children has been attending this daycare for over 3 years! The staff is always nice and since COVID-19 they have an app that will allow you to receive updates and pictures of your child. The teachers are nice and understanding. To leave my children with anyone for more than 1 minute can be hard. However, Gingerbread Learning Center has gained my trust. If anything happens out of the normal they will contact me and keep me informed!