Great Beginnings Preschool And Child Development Center

There are a lot of great daycares in Harlingen, but this is NOT one of them! I completely agree with the other individual who posted that the teachers yell and are rude. I took my kids out of this daycare a while back, and I ran into one of the staff members tonight at the Harlingen Christmas Parade. She started yelling out some very pointed comments, and it was obvious it was directed towards our family as we walked by (my husband and two children were there also). I continued to calmly walk away, but was utterly shocked at her behavior. Our family was actually there with my children's new daycare getting ready to ride the float for the parade, but unfortunately we were stationed right next to Great Beginnings and felt extremely uncomfortable. We ended up leaving before the parade even started. I caution you to think long and hard before you enroll your babies at this center. If this is the way an employee openly acts at a Christmas event for families, imagine what they are capable of when you drop your baby off and no other adults are around. As a daycare employee, it's nothing short of unprofessional, but as a "Christian", all I have to say is that's not a good look.

Last email correspondence I sent before I took my son out of this place: "I am sending this email with a heavy heart. We have grown to love Casey's teacher as she has been nothing less than amazing. She knew my most pressing concerns for my child, and really put us at ease with all the sweet pictures she shared and texts keeping us updated throughout the day. Unfortunately, my husband and I made the difficult decision not to send our children back to daycare due to an incident that occurred while my mother went to the school to pick up the kids. On Wednesday, February 7th, my mother walked to the back where Casey's classroom was and she heard a young man screaming at the students to "go to sleep" and "shut up already". Concerned, my mother peeked through the classroom window and saw a young man dressed in black with a beanie and hoodie on. His eyes were barely visible between the beanie and his face mask. I immediately knew which person this was as she was describing him to me. It was the same one I saw walking into the school that morning with no shoes on his feet, which I found strange, as if he had rolled out of bed 5 minutes before and wasn't done getting dressed. It was the same one, who just several days before was in my son's classroom covering for the teacher when she wasn't there. (The thought makes my blood boil thinking about the possibility of my son being yelled at like that.) In that moment, the young man must have seen the concern on my mom's face as she looked through the window because he proceeded to open up the door and say, "I'm sorry you had to hear that but these kids just don't listen." This person has no business working with children - especially toddlers which require love and patience. I am not a judgmental person and I really don't care what people wear or how they choose to behave, but in a professional setting an employee at a daycare working with toddlers should not be permitted to dress like that or scream at the children in any manner. It's scary for a child - especially a child new to the school or one that is sensitive to loud noises, like my I son, which I indicted in the enrollment paperwork. I am extremely shocked that this is occurring in a daycare setting where parents drop their children off in good faith that they will be taken care of, but more than anything I'm saddened and concerned for these kids. My mom just happened to witness this as she was there at the right time. What else goes on that other parents don't know about throughout the day?! In addition, as part of the enrollment process, I was required to fill out a form regarding disciple. One of the things I shared in the questionnaire is that my son doesn't respond well to being yelled at (what kid does?!) and he needs positive encouragement. No kid deserves to be yelled at unless it's by their OWN parent - if they choose to do so, and in our house we don't yell at our kids. I just do not feel comfortable with my children attending school here anymore. My husband and I made the decision that February 7th was the last day my children would attend Great Beginnings - because there really is nothing great about sending your child to school only to be screamed at by a person who has no experience dealing with children. We spent so much money paying the registration fee, buying supplies for each of their classrooms, and getting necessary sleeping mats for each of them as requested, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. What is most important is that I advocate for my children and do what's best for them. I really hope this is an eye-opener and that changes are made immediately for the other students who will continue to go there. We will swing by this coming week to pick up Casey and Lainey's belongings. I don't think they had much except their mats and maybe a few other things like diapers." Word of advice: be very cautious where you send your kids. It may seem like a loving, "godly" place, but that was not our experience.

My children are thriving here at St. Paul! Staff makes us feel like home and are always friendly. My son loves chapel and even speaks about the Bible verse of the day and songs they have sung at home. Teacher Catie is amazing with my toddler and so hands on. Teacher Patty in the infant room is very caring and has so much experience with my breastfed baby! Thank you St. Paul Great Beginnings! We love you!

Absolutely loved this place! The director and assistant director do very well in keeping the daycare organized and structured. The teachers that are present now, September 2024, are great and are always willing to assist and kept my children safe. Whenever my children were about to run out of supplies, they’d let me know ahead of time, however, I would forget but they’d never give me a hard time. The staff always kept good communication and loved my children as their own. I highly recommend Great Beginnings.

My daughter has been going to Great beginnings since she was 2. If I could give them a hundred Stars I would, they are an excellent child Care facility they support your child not only through education but emotional and mental development as well. I felt when my daughter started she was slightly speech delayed. That was corrected in a matter of months, she thrived there and now as she heads into kindergarten I know she's going to be ready for what's coming. Thank you to all the staff at Great beginnings for making our child care experience so wonderful we cannot thank you enough.