Kid Academy

We’ve had nothing but a great experience at Kid Academy. My daughter has been there for a while now, and the staff has always been attentive, communicative, and professional. Like any daycare with active toddlers, accidents do happen. In our case, my daughter once ran into another child while playing and got a bloody nose. I was immediately contacted and sent a photo so I knew exactly what was going on. Another time she was bitten, and again, the staff called me right away and kept me informed. What mattered most to me was how the situation was handled — and every time, Kid Academy was transparent, responsive, and took it seriously. That’s what you want in a childcare center: not perfection, but accountability and communication when something happens. I’ve read some of the extreme reviews, and they honestly don’t match what we’ve experienced. Matt and his team don’t run some reckless or careless operation. They run a real daycare with real kids — and sometimes kids fall, bump into each other, or have issues just like they would anywhere else. In my opinion, Kid Academy is a solid, caring place for children, and I trust them with mine.

This school was such a blessing to have my daughter join and be apart of. Prior to attending Kid Academy, my 12 month old daughter was struggling at a home daycare where the provider wasn’t well versed on early childhood education and just wanted her to “be obedient” and follow rules like the 3-4 year olds she was accustomed to watching. My daughter started kid academy and within 4 days of meeting her teacher, we had our first tearless drop off for day care because of the love and care that was shown to her by the staff. She knew she’d have predictability in routine and that calmed her. She knew that she would get hugs and love each morning to start her day, and that made her feel safe, comforted, and helped her adjust much quicker! My daughter really thrived here. Grateful Kid Academy was recommended and truly happy with the customer service from all staff, quality of care for my kid as well as the price point (it was super affordable for me compared to other states I’ve lived in).

I was initially excited when my son was accepted into Kid Academy.During enrollment, I was assured that he would be nurtured and cared for in a safe environment. Unfortunately, my experience has been very different.However, I then began receiving incident reports regarding serious safety concerns. The first was a biting incident that broke my son’s skin. The daycare worker explained that some children go through this stage, so I gave the center the benefit of the doubt. Shortly afterward, another biting incident occurred. I requested to review the video footage and observed a much older and larger child biting my son’s arm, looking at the worker, and then biting him again, followed by hitting him repeatedly. I was deeply concerned both by the severity of the incident and the lack of intervention.I received multiple calls while at work regarding my son being injured. The owner told me that if my son were bitten again, he would terminate the worker responsible and instructed staff to keep the children separated. Despite this promise, another biting incident occurred, and the worker was not terminated. Instead, the owner stated that she was one of his best employees and he did not want to let her go. While I can understand valuing good employees, I believe this points to inadequate training and supervision rather than protecting the children in his care.The owner also stated I could not terminate the contract unless my son left on the same day of the incident, which was extremely inconvenient. Meanwhile, my son’s distress at drop-off was heartbreaking, and I knew I had to find an alternative. I applied for numerous work-from-home jobs and contacted multiple daycare centers in search of a better solution.I also filed a complaint through the Mississippi Department of Human Services website, believing it would be confidential. I am grateful the complaint was addressed, but I was not aware that the daycare would be notified of my identity. Shortly after DHS visited Kids Academy, they called me at work to inform me they were canceling my son’s contract. My father had to leave work to pick him up immediately, which I believe was a retaliatory act.This type of retaliation creates a chilling effect, discouraging parents from reporting legitimate safety concerns for fear of losing their childcare. To make matters worse, the last biting incident was not recorded because, according to the owner, the camera in that room was “broken” and he did not want to pay $600 to replace it. This raises the troubling question: is the safety of children in that room worth less than the cost of a camera? “When my child was injured, the response wasn’t concern or accountability, it was a shrug and a price tag. The owner claimed the camera in that room hadn’t been repaired because it would cost $600. That’s not just negligence it’s a declaration that the safety of children in their care isn’t worth $600. What does that say about their values? About their priorities? About the trust parents place in them every day?” are the kids safety his priority or his pockets... Because of these repeated incidents and the center’s retaliation, I have been forced to quit my job, resulting in financial hardship. No parent should be placed in this position simply for advocating for their child’s safety. Following a recent injury incident, it became clear that Kid Academy not only failed to maintain basic surveillance equipment, but also lacked adequate staffing to safely supervise the number of children in its care. These are not isolated oversights they are systemic failures.When staff are stretched thin, children are left vulnerable. Injuries become more likely, and response times suffer. The safety of every child depends on having enough trained, attentive adults present not just in theory, but in practice. We urge Kid Academy to immediately review and disclose its staff-to-child ratios, implement corrective measures, and commit to maintaining safe supervision standards. Anything less is a risk the community cannot afford.

10/10 I would definitely recommend. I’ve been bringing my 4 y/o here for almost a year now & she has learned SO MUCH! She loves all of her teachers & they are so thoughtful & attentive; some mornings, my daughter may feel anxious when I’m dropping her off needing to get to work & her teachers always offer her that extra bit of emotional support that she may need. Which makes you feel secure in knowing your child is safe & taken care of. Every time I pick her up, she is having the best time & is excited to show & tell me all about what she has learned that day. We love it here & couldn’t have asked for a better environment.

Kid Academy is by far the BEST child development/daycare on the Coast!! I have two bys that attend Kid Academy (one in Pre-K5 and one in the infant room). The teachers and staff have gone above and beyond to prepare my oldest boy to be ahead of the game when he starts kindergarten (Ms Gale you are awesome and Cameron is sad that he won't be in your class next year)!! I am sad that he will be moving to elementary school but happy to say he will still be attending Kid Academy after school and during the summer months. Just like every mother, I was nervous about sending my newborn off to daycare when it was time for me to return to work. The teachers in the infant room have taken excellent care of my little man and always give us a detailed report at the end of the day when we pick up. They have made my transition back to work very smooth. They ensure each infant get special attention and ensure that your child gets tummy/floor time to help with their development. My son just turned 8 months old and is crawling already! Mr. Matt and Mrs. Holly are wonderful and are quick to address and issues/concerns that you may have. I cannot wait for the new state of the art kid Academy to open in July! I recommend Kid Academy to any parent hat wants more than just a daycare for their child, they are wonderful!