Tender Care Learning Center (Hampton)

Tender Care Hampton has shown my family and me the utmost kindness, care, understanding, and support. We joined Tender Care in 2024, and transitioning into a new childcare center was a big step for our family. From the very beginning, Tender Care did not disappoint. We have built strong, meaningful relationships with the staff. Every day they consistently show love, patience, and kindness, and it’s clear how deeply they care for the children entrusted to them. Knowing how genuinely they love and support the children gives our family complete peace of mind. We are truly grateful to be part of the Tender Care family.

TenderCare-Hampton has been an extremely nurturing environment for both of our kids, who have attended since they were infants. At every step of the way, the teachers and directors have worked with us with the clear intention that the well-being of our kids was their first priority. One of our kids has special needs, and TenderCare has always been open about communicating with us and trying to find the best approach for him. We are so grateful that the leadership has stuck with us through his challenges and we were all able to work together. I can’t think of a more compassionate, patient, and loving environment! Also, our oldest is now in kindergarten, and the academic prep TenderCare provides has made the transition so easy, and he loves school. Absolutely love this place and the teachers and leadership who always put our kids first. ♥️

We have been taking our kids to this Tender Care location for over 5 years (started in Jan 2020). One of our kids has gone through every class and interacted with every teacher. Throughout the years the entire organization has always put our kids' best interests first. We have worked specifically with Heather (previously assistant director, now director) for all five years. She has displayed excellent communication skills and worked successfully to solve any problems that arose with our kids. About a year ago we briefly moved our kids to a location closer to our house. The negative experience we had at another school was very eye-opening for us. Tender Care warmly welcomed back both of our kids, and they have been thriving ever since. Our relationship with the leadership team, including Heather, her predecessor Rebecca and recently Athena has always been constructive, never adversarial. Their professionalism has always been top-notch. As you can imagine all kids face challenges through their early years and we are very grateful for all the support Tender Care has provided us. I couldn't ask for better partners in early childhood education and give them the highest recommendation possible.

Disappointed by Leadership’s Lack of Support and Rigid Mindset (April–June 2025) While our daughter’s teachers were generally kind and rarely raised concerns about her daily behavior, the director consistently escalated minor incidents—frequently labeling developmentally appropriate actions as psychological or behavioral issues. This approach created stress and distrust instead of a collaborative environment. When a pediatric occupational therapist submitted an evaluation indicating borderline normal behavior, the director refused to provide classroom information that would have helped the therapist support our daughter’s adjustment to the school environment. Shockingly, our daughter's classroom teachers were not even aware that she was being unenrolled. For them, she was a joy to have—described as intelligent, happy, and bubbly. This disconnect between the classroom experience and administrative decisions made the entire process more confusing and disheartening. Most concerning of all, the director removed our daughter’s profile from the check-in/punching system two days before the agreed-upon end date—without informing us. Our child was physically present in the daycare that day, but we were unable to check her out in the system. This was an alarming and unacceptable breach in protocol and safety communication. What became increasingly clear was that the director’s intent seemed to be either to label our child as autistic in order to obtain free external support staff, or, failing that, to pressure us to withdraw her—an action that we believe amounts to discrimination against a child navigating normal developmental transitions. Rather than showing empathy, offering solutions, or honoring our ongoing efforts, we were met with rigid deadlines, assumptions, and the looming threat of unenrollment—all while managing a high-risk pregnancy and multiple professional responsibilities. Our experience from April to June 2025 left us feeling deeply disappointed and concerned. We came to this center expecting care and collaboration. Sadly, we were met with exclusion and pressure.

We have entrusted the care of our children to TLC since 2011 and they are absolutely wonderful. From the directors to the teachers they all throughout the years have shown how much they truly care and love our children. There is a wealth of opportunities for your children to participate and learn. And the teachers show over and over how much they care for your child with conferences, learning plans, and trends they are seeing. My daughter who is going into second grade still says she misses her teachers from tender care and we even have play dates with friends she made years ago at the center. Wonderful staff and just a wonderful center!