Hickory Dickory Tots

HDT has been amazing. Our son began going here for daycare starting when he was 1 year old and still goes here for before and after school care as a kindergartner. The staff here has been wonderful and he adores his teachers. He learned so much in each class and they really help them along with potty training as well. I would highly recommend Hickory Dickory Tots to anyone in the area needing daycare and preschool.

We have been sending our 2 kids here (4 and 1.5) for nearly a year and cannot recommend Hickory Dickory Tots enough. The teachers truly care about our kids and every teacher seems to know every child. Our kids are happy, learning at or above our expectations and have made some great friends.

My youngest child was speech delayed and as a result had some behavioral issues. He entered Help Me Grow with an intervention specialist to work on speech and behavioral concerns that started at the daycare. My son would move into up to 3 classrooms a day, and as a result there is little consistency for him. We had identified that him running from his teachers in the hall was becoming a concern. As a parent, I’m sure you’re aware that when your child has a behavior issue at school or at a daycare there’s little to nothing that you can do if the same behavior is not occurring at home. We offered solutions like holding his hand when transitioning from the classroom to the bathroom, the playground, or to the next classroom (there are a lot of transitions on a daily basis). Hand holding was apparently not a solution, though the most obvious. On one occasion my son managed to exit the building and get into the parking lot and instead of addressing the staff who were clearly incapable of managing the children, they punished the two year-old This occurred several months ago, and yet he was not terminated from the center. When Help Me Grow got involved, a care plan was developed with the interim director’s input to ensure that he had a second person with him when going out into the hallway. This was the interim directors solution that she suggested. This resolved most of his escapism. However, in the time leading up to the date in which he’s been dismissed from the center, there were a few instances in which he attempted to escape and every single time that happened a second party was not present, thus failing to follow the care plan. It is appalling to me that they have no effective recourse to manage a child’s behavior and when given a solution which they brought forth, they decided not to follow. Furthermore, I find it incredibly interesting that when my child was assessed for a learning disability by the school district which included a school psychologist and a speech therapist coming on site to the child care center to assess him they had nothing but good things to say about his behavior and his participation in class. This directly impacted his eligibility for services and yet less than a month later he’s being terminated from the childcare center. The school has become punitive and even after being notified that he was going to be dismissed without having a single sit down meeting with either myself or his father and the director, they began to write on the incident reports that further behaviors would result in dismissal. They have given me incident reports when my son played in the sink in the bathroom and yet failed to report incidents to me when my child was injured. One day he came home with a limp and only after my insistence was I notified that he got his leg stuck in the chair and hyper-extended his knee. Rest assured I never had to sign an incident report for that. The director is frankly an incredibly rude person. A lack of communication or respect is present in nearly every interaction. We were given a 2 week notice, but still we were not ever actually given the specific reason for his dismissal. It has become increasingly apparent that the barely adult teachers that they hire have no means with which to manage or care for children effectively, and ensure their safety. The two teachers, he spends most of his time with seem to be more interested in flirting with each other and socializing than watching the children effectively. I’ve witnessed teachers yelling at kids, they’ve closed the school down for several days at a time for various reasons and no change in payment, they’ve failed to follow the handbook, they fail to notify the parents when children have behavioral concerns to address, they fail to report injuries that my child sustained on site. I also have talked to other parents who report that they witnessed their child being restrained, and they had struggles with the administration and the teachers being willing to find alternative solutions to deal with problems.

Hickory Dickory Tots is truly a special place. Tiffany's dedication to each child is evident in every interaction. The warm and welcoming atmosphere feels more like a home away from home than an institutional setting. The focus on individual needs and interests is refreshing. My child absolutely loves attending and always comes home excited to share their day. The staff are incredibly kind and clearly passionate about early childhood education. Plus, the meals are always delicious and nutritious – a huge plus for any busy parent! Tiffany's commitment to providing a high-quality, affordable preschool experience is truly commendable. I highly recommend Hickory Dickory Tots to any family seeking a loving and nurturing environment for their little ones.

My son has been going to HDT since he was 18 months. He was a delayed walker and they worked with him to help him learn. They modified the transitions to new classes to keep him safe with his developmentally appropriate peers. They supported our potty training journey. The staff is kind and caring. He asks to go to “school” he has loved his teachers and the friends he has made. It’s often hard to leave your babies but knowing they are good care makes it easier.