Little Sunshine'S Playhouse & Preschool

Our daughter is enrolled in the pre-K program at Little Sunshine's and we have been so happy with her experience. The teachers are loving, kind, and invested. We love our Neverland teachers Ashlee, Hannah, and Mia, as well as all the other teachers and staff. The school is very organized and the communication from the teachers and staff is excellent.

We have had a great experience at Little Sunshine in U City. The staff is caring and passionate and ensures the little ones are safe and having a great day full of play and learning. They are very accommodating and communicative. I appreciate that they are supportive of my decisions and understand their role in my child's life. Ms. Tracy and Ms. Ra'Niya specifically have far exceeded my expectations and I can't thank them enough. I would definitely recommend.

I am the father of a child previously enrolled at Little Sunshine preschool program in University City. My son, who is just over three years old, is in a critical stage of emotional and physical development—one that requires consistency, empathy, and intentional support. During his enrollment, my son experienced frequent changes in classroom staffing. This lack of continuity appeared to impact his sense of security, adjustment to routines, and ability to thrive within the learning environment. Early in the program, concerns were raised about our son’s behavior, with descriptions that characterized him as “angry” and framed his emotional responses as intentional. Following this, we engaged a licensed child therapist to observe and work with our son. After several one-on-one sessions, the therapist shared that his responses to transitions and redirection were within the expected range for his age. In her sessions, our son did not exhibit behaviors that would have required dismissal. Her ability to calmly redirect and support him underscored the importance of trained, responsive approaches to emotional challenges. Despite this insight, disciplinary actions continued in ways that felt inconsistent and difficult to predict. At times we were asked to support him through discussions; other times, similar incidents resulted in dismissal without prior notice. Our therapist noted concerns about how behavior was being addressed in the classroom and offered tailored strategies to help. Unfortunately, many of these suggestions were not implemented, and communication about next steps remained limited. We also came to understand that key classroom staff may not have held formal credentials in early childhood education or behavior management, raising concerns about readiness to address complex needs. These patterns had a real impact on our family. Sudden dismissals, with no clear or predictable process, disrupted our schedules and created emotional stress as we tried to partner with the school. Our goal was never special treatment—only a consistent, informed, and fair approach to behavior. Every child, particularly in the early years, deserves a learning space where their emotional development is supported—not penalized. As of June 24, 2025, we saw no meaningful shift in how behavioral strategies were applied. Under new leadership, we observed what felt like a firmer stance on dismissal, rather than a reassessment of current practices. We made the decision to withdraw our son and requested flexibility regarding the 30-day notice requirement, to help secure placement elsewhere. In response, we were informed that such flexibility could be granted under certain conditions—including the removal of a prior review and signing of an NDA. We declined. At that point, we felt our concerns were not being genuinely considered. Update approx 3 months post 9/24/25: Our son remains curious, strong willed and adventurous. He is currently into nature and bugs; his new teachers encourage and explore his interest alongside him with enthusiasm each day. The classroom ratio is 3 to 20 or less most days. When the ratio is 2 to 20, the teachers state no differences in their ability to manage the classroom dynamics. More teachers seem to just mean more hands for making fun. His primary teachers all have over 20+ years experience. This experience shows in how they manage the many big emotions in the classroom. Our son has not had one behavior related write up or dismissal to date. He has had misbehaviors of course but nothing of which his teachers find reason for concern. I should also note the classroom has had no kids sent home this year, nor is this the schools practices except for on extreme cases. To all that continue to reach out with kind words and questions, our family greatly appreciates your support and remain open to dialogue. We will share this with our sons when they are older. Our hope is that they learn to cherish the most important lesson this has taught us... The power of free speech.

Little Sunshine Playhouse and Preschool has an incredible curriculum led by inspiring teachers, aides and leadership staff. I have two children enrolled at the University City location and I could not be more confident in the safety of my littles and am truly so proud in the growth and development I see everyday. Ms. Emily and Ms. Mia in the infant class are incredible caregivers to the smallest students—giving parents peace of mind to try to find a life routine as baby grows. Ms. Tracy, Ms. Yo, Ms. Shakeila and Ms Kaylie and Ms Nabila find such ways to care and inspire confidence and bravery with my toddler as she learns the world and navigates new challenges everyday. Hands down the best school caring for our kids in such a way that is creating an unmatched foundation of knowledge and success. I LOVE this school so much!!

We started our 2 year old at LSP in University City about a month ago and so far it’s been a great experience. The lead teacher in our son’s class is exceptional. The assistant teachers have also all been great. The director and assistant director are kind, friendly, and it’s clear that it is a well run facility. I am a big fan of the app where we receive daily updates and photos. The learning, activities, and monthly themes are all so fun and interesting. So far, 5 out of 5 stars!