Pampered Prodigy Early Learning Center

We couldn't be happier with this school! Our daughter started in the 3-year-old class back in August, right when they first opened their doors, and she has been thriving ever since. She absolutely loves going to school and wakes up excited every morning. The staff is truly exceptional—every member we've met is incredibly kind, caring, and attentive. Beyond the wonderful people, the physical space is fantastic. The classrooms are beautifully designed with a great open concept, and we especially appreciate the wide range of enriching activities they provide daily. If your child's happiness is the measure of a great school, this one is a five-star success! My daughter constantly talks about everything she learns.

My daughter is 1.5 years old and started going to Prodigy when it opened. We are having a great experience so far and looking forward to being here until Kindergarten. It only took her 3 days until she would start reaching out for the staff when she first started and excited to be there each day. The activities, structure, organization are top notch. The facility is so nice and the best toys/furniture and play area spaces. The staff is so sweet and understanding. The director answers quickly, has a great attitude and makes you feel so welcomed. We can't say enough great things about this school. They are like an extension to our village now!

I cannot express enough how amazing this daycare is. After two years at another daycare this is a night and day experience. Miss Tammy and Miss Tara are the most wonderful daycare directors. The building and classrooms are set up to encourage learning, fun, and safety. They welcome the parents to be part of the daycare experience. The level of activities and learning that happens is beyond anything experienced in our other daycare experience. They genuinely care, they go above and beyond, and I honestly can’t say enough good things. My daughters love their “new daycare” and their mom does too. It’s the best feeling as a mom to have the staff excited to see your kids in the morning and to hear about the amazing things they learn about all day. It’s an even better feeling to see your kids run to daycare and not have a care in the world you’re leaving them.

I had such high hopes for sending my son to this preschool — it’s close to home, has a beautiful facility, and a friendly administration. Unfortunately, after two months, we’ve decided to withdraw. I’m sharing our experience to help other parents decide if it’s the right fit for their family. It’s clear some families have had great experiences here, but for us, several issues stood out — many of which seem to stem from the “corporate” structure of the Prodigy brand rather than the individual staff. What we loved: The classrooms are beautiful, toys are Montessori-style, and the curriculum outlined in the handbook is excellent in theory. Our concerns: • Parent access: Parents aren’t allowed to walk children to their classrooms, which limits communication and connection with teachers. When I did insist on walking my son back, I was told “I’m not supposed to let you, but okay” and was made to feel awkward and like I was imposing. This is a huge red flag for me. Also, I found out about his teacher being replaced by chance, and wasn’t notified until a week after that. When we toured other preschools, parents walked their children to class and seemed to have personal relationships with the teachers, a vital part of trust and transparency. • TV use: There’s no stated TV policy, and I only learned from other parents that some classes were watching shows like Cocomelon and Ms. Rachel, which we don’t allow at home. (I still haven’t been informed of this by admin, even though both parents raised their concerns after finding out). For a program charging over $1,100/month, I expect consent regarding media use. This also makes me feel like the admin and staff have a “what the parents don’t know won’t hurt them” value system, which doesn’t work for me. • Communication: The app doesn’t allow parents to message teachers, parents weren’t informed if staff were out, and my emails/texts sometimes went unanswered for days making me feel like a nuisance following up to find out if the message was even received. • Illness: My son caught HFM, RSV, and a stomach virus. Families weren’t consistently notified of classroom illnesses. We have the flexibility to stay home and avoid sickness, and I feel like the school needs improved communication strategies related to when a sickness is reported. I always reported when my son was sick, but never saw a notification go out to warn fellow parents. This is ultimately the reason we chose to withdraw our son and not continue to give grace to a new school working out kinks. After the second illness, I felt anxiety every time I sent him wondering what he was being exposed to and how sick he was going to get. Prompt and transparent communication would have alleviated this concern (along with most of my concerns here) or at least made me feel like they were trying their best and it was a team effort between parents and admin. • Corporate structure & fees: Policies and decisions often had to “go through corporate.” It felt like the person making decisions regarding my son’s care wasn’t the person I was communicating with. Also, the tuition difference between part- and full-time care is negligent. I didn’t mind when I thought the experience would be amazing, but I couldn’t overlook the issues listed above for the money I was spending. Enrollment would improve if part-time options more properly corresponded with part-time cost, or at least if fees were reduced for absences due to illness, like at other local preschools. I believe parents who can and choose to prioritize childcare in this price range want three things: 1) excellent communication, 2) full transparency, and 3) flexibility. I truly hope these issues improve over time. And I hope other parents demand improvements in these areas. I suggest welcoming parents into the classrooms (or at least hallway), responding to messages within a few hours vs days, and removing TV altogether from a program of this caliber. The director was always kind and seems to care deeply, but the current structure and values just weren’t the right fit for our family.

Prodigy is the best daycare around Saint Augustine i have worked in many daycare and tour others and prodigy is by far the cleanest most organized and professional daycare i have seen my 2 year old loves it there he would rather go to school then stay home ❤️