St. Paul'S Lutheran Child Development Center

Our daughter has been at St. Paul since she was 1.5 years old and will soon be leaving for Pre-K 4. Our family has been so happy at St. Paul these past three years including our daughter who gets excited to go to school and see her friends. The teachers truly love their students and go out of their way to create genuine connections. The curriculum at St. Paul prioritizes learning through play, exploration, and emotional intelligence. We feel very grateful that we've found an affordable place that aligns with our parenting values. We will miss our St. Paul family!

Me and my husband were eager for our daughter to start. As the start date approached, there was a lack of communication. The day before her start date a discussion came up about earrings. This discussion did not get brought up in previous conversations nor did I think it was even a concern. The director stated, “if your child wears earrings, she can not come to our daycare”. My response was “you are telling me this the day before admission”. Directors response, “that’s why you should have read our handbook and asked questions”. Their handbook states this Jewelry: the small size of children's jewelry accessories can be a potential choking hazard. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, and any pendants would be considered unsafe if they broke or became separated from your child. We cannot be responsible for broken or lost jewelry that accompanies your child to school. We will not replace them. We use an empty 35 mm film container to determine whether an object can be swallowed. You can do the same at home. We will be glad to check your item for safety. A choke tube will be available in the office to test any object that might be questionable. No where does it state earrings or that my child cannot attend if she wears them. Continuing this conversation I asked if the staff wore earrings and the director stated, “yes but my staff is not crawling on the floor”. That statement makes a lot of sense right? Me and the director ended the conversation with that me and my family would discuss if our child would proceed with enrollment. We never received another phone call again after being on a waitlist for about 3 months. Lack of professionalism and director never was available. Each time I called the director was the only one who could answer questions. If director never seems to be there she should give her responsibilities to others to handle. I’m glad we didn’t proceed with enrollment.