Soulshine

My daughter has been at SoulShine since she was 4 months old, and now she is 4 years old. The Kirkwood location is homey and loving, and my daughter has thrived there. She will eat just about any vegetable thanks to the delicious, organic, vegetarian food. She loves books, art and yoga and has a tight bond with the children in her class, many of which have been there as long as we have. I never feel bad dropping her off at SoulShine, and that is such a blessing for this working mama.

I adore SoulShine!! My son has been there for the last year (since he was 18 months) and we've loved every minute. He loves going to school every day! When I was looking for a daycare, I envisioned a sanctuary that would love, entertain and teach him like I would and I found it all at SoulShine! ::big sign of relief:: The staff is incredibly open and caring and the management is always transparent and available to answer all my millions of questions. It's more than just a daycare - it's a community! They really care! Their focus on nature and the environment is awesome! They buy all local food (when they don't grow it themselves) and teach the kids about gardening, composting, cooking, nutrition, etc. My son has learned so much since starting there! They have a well thought out curriculum and they make it so fun for the kids. The families that send their kids to SoulShine are an added plus - a group of loving people that are raising awesome kids! My son has made so many friends!! 5 very enthusastic stars *****

We have been at Soulshine Kirkwood for over two years. Both of my children are thriving there. The environment, teachers and staff are nurturing and loving. The food is amazing - if only I could eat so well every day! Soulshine promotes outdoor play, embracing your free spirit and also provides the structure that my little ones need. We could not be happier. I know that my babies are in good hands and that is a very comforting feeling.

SoulShine has a great philosophy, but unfortunately, it ends up being mostly lipservice. They have had some great teachers, but do not retain them. Their management is the root of the problem, as they have little regard and respect for their parents or teachers. The Kirkwood facility is in need of major upgrades. What initially felt charming and homey about the houses, we quickly realized was actually dangerous, in disrepair, and was not maintained properly. When kids have been seriously hurt (burns from chemicals being used inappropriately, large falls off of unsafe structures), management has not been forthcoming with what actually happened and have tried to assign blame to others or deny the occurrence. Lack of communication and apathy have been consistent with the management throughout our years there. The additional learning features (yoga, Spanish, music, etc) are not consistent and schedules aren't maintained. It's such a disappointment because it has the ideas to be great, but consistently cannot follow through.

Ownership does not live locally and isn't involved, so don't buy into the idea that she cares about your children. When issues arise, she makes it clear she isn't involved and leaves management up to her those were due to justified concerns. Sanitary & safety issues plague both locations. They have had major turnover in families during 2017 at both locations, specifically due to parental concern around safety & trust in management. They have abysmal teacher turnover, particularly in younger classrooms, and it is clear the high tuition isn't being invested in quality & happy staff. As far as I have seen, those reviews that are positive of their company are either from families whose children attended a while ago, or have older children. Most of their issues seem to be with the three & under classes, but what does it say about a company that they are the least responsible with the most vulnerable. We took our child out after trying to work with management to feel more secure about out child's attendance, but despite saying all the right things, nothing was done. Please consider the very honest reviews provided about Soulshine before entrusting them with your precious little one.