Kid'S Castle Child Care Center

The only reason I trusted this school with my daughter was because of history. I was in the very first graduating class over 30 years ago and even skipped 1st grade after leaving here. Back then, Kids Castle had excellent teachers, professionalism, and real care for its students. Today, that is no longer the case. Here are the exact reasons why I moved my daughter out of Kids Castle: 1. You never know what kind of reception you'll get at drop-off or pick-up. Sometimes, they don't even acknowledge parents. They'll just glance at you to confirm who you're there for, then shout your child's name across the room. Recently, I arrived to find a man I had never seen before sitting behind the desk. He clearly didn't know what he was doing, and because of that, I sat unnoticed in the lobby long enough to see the reality: chaos. A woman (also someone I had never seen before) was painting shapes on the floor right as the children were getting up nap time. As they lined up for the bathroom, she was yelling at the children to not move a chair she had placed to deter them from "messing it up." Why this was being done while kids were awake and active, makes no sense. On top of that, what authority do you have to raise your voice at these children if you're NOT A TEACHER??? Even as I sat there, admin made no effort to greet or acknowledge me. They simply called my daughter to the front, no hello, no eye contact, no professionalism. 2. Within two days of starting in her new class, my daughter's teacher thought it was appropriate to give her "pretend birthday swats" in front of the whole class during her birthday party. No matter how playful Ms. Bead believed it was, it is unacceptable to promote "keep your hands to yourself" to children and then publicly model the opposite. That alone was a major red flag about judgment and boundaries in the classroom. 3. The problems go beyond the classroom. My co-parent personally witnessed a teacher nearly coming to blows in the parking lot with a parent over a parking spot. As a parent, I should never have to question whether the adults around my child can maintain self-control and professionalism. 4. The administration carries a "dark cloud" energy that sets the tone. Instead of a warm, supportive atmosphere for children and families, there is indifference, disorganization, and at times outright hostility. When I made a complaint to the director about staff behavior, her solution was to have that same staff member call me directly and argue with me about it. That is not accountability, it's avoidance. 5. This is NOT the school I graduated from. The quality of staff, the leadership, and the culture have all declined tremendously. Kids Castle is running on its name alone, not on actual quality or care for children. The breaking point for me to even write this deserving review was hearing from my own mother that the principal claimed she was "glad I took her advice in finding a better school." That conversation never happened. My decision had nothing to do with her "guidance" and everything to do with my daughter's safety, well-being, and growth. I absolutely found a better school but only because this one failed. I realized I was holding onto nostalgia. I wanted my daughter to have the same foundation I did, but this is no longer the same school. As a parent, I put history aside and prioritized my child. Don't be fooled by the name, the convenience of location, or the "reputation". What you'll actually find today is dismissive administration, untrained staff, leadership that avoids accountability, and a culture that fails to put children first. If you want the best for your child, make your choice based on the reality of this school now, not the memory of what it once was.

My niece had to be removed because of the lack of professionalism from the Director Miss Lynn. For some reason no matter what reason she called for she always had a strong attitude and it would always escalate unnecessarily. If that is the way she talks to the parents/family I can only imagine how she speaks to her staff. I hope Lynn learns how to respectfully talk to people before someone ends up waiting outside for her. I won’t be but like I said the way she talks to people I’m pretty sure she will meet the right one one day.

Worst possible school ever to put your child in. They have been around for years and are an Inglewood staple, which is why people think they are good/conveniently located. However, the school changed drastically and went completely downhill once their original director left, years ago. 1- the entire front staff is rude and unprofessional. They are angry everyday and don’t have an ounce of customer service. They talk to you like youre a child and have no respect for parents. It’s like you’re in jail/the army when you walk in or ask a question. 2. The rules are different for parents they know outside of school. The ones they know get away with everything. If you’re late a couple of minutes and they don’t like you or know you, they won’t let you in. But someone they know can come 15 minutes late and be greeted with a laugh. 3. My daughter was not potty trained (which the teacher was irritated about) and Ms Charlotte put her in a bathroom by herself alone with no supervision for multiple days, as a punishment. This happened while all the other kids were outside playing. I only knew because I popped up earlier than normal and when I questioned it, the front staff denied it, and said they would have the director (who wasn’t there) contact me. When the director contacted me, she never addressed what happened or the serious allegations, and blamed it on my daughter. Then proceeded to threaten me by text, telling me to “be careful”. A “DIRECTOR!” - this is who is the head of the poorly operated school, which explains why it is the way it is. They also punished her (a 2 year old) by not letting her play outside because we didn’t turn her homework in, due to a family emergency the night before. Imagine a 2 year old being told they can’t play and have to sit out because the PARENTS weren’t able to do their homework with them. 4. The teachers there don’t have degrees and most of them shouldn’t even be working. When you have parent teacher conferences, it’s like talking to a high school student. If you give any pushback or have thorough questions, they don’t have a comprehensive response. The teachers have their daughters working as assistants, which normally is a conflict of interest anywhere else. So when you have an issue with one, it’s useless bringing it up to them. They are sadly underpaid and the directors defend their teachers because they know they wouldn’t be able to find a replacement for the amount they pay. Bottom line, children are not safe here and do no get proper education. So if you don’t know anyone working there, RUN! Please don’t make the same mistake we did by putting your defenseless toddler here.

Kids' Castle has been a safe haven for this community for 30 years. I've had 3 generations go through this school and all of them have excelled tremendously academically. What I love about this school is nothing is taught by memory. My children and grandchild started reading at the age of 3 because they teach the vowel rules, not just flash carding the students all day. My children knew what they were reading and why it made those specific sounds. I was in aww. They came home teaching me how to mark the vowels. Don't get me started on the math, when I say my kids were adding, subtracting, counting by 2's, telling time and even hit fractions. I couldn't stop bragging. By age 4 my grandchild had beautiful hand writing. This school is consistent, the teachers have their plans ready and they work hard to reach their goals daily. I would personally like to thank Ms. Lynett, Ms. Nietra and Mrs. Noemi for molding my children into the successful young adults and youth that they are today. We can't wait to come visit again. Much love to the Bingham family.

My God daughter attended this school and I wouldn’t recommend it for any parent, and especially one with a toddler that cannot fully articulate what’s going on in your absence. Her parents’ experience was dreadful, so I urge you to do your full research and not take these other comments lightly. To add, their front office staff is extremely unprofessional and rude. I’ve personally overheard them talking about other staff members and parents in front of visitors that were in the waiting area.