Zadies Early Childhood Center

I am really surprised to see this place still open. My children went here in 2018-2019 and we did not have a great experience. They kept my son’s pamper on all day until his skin peeled off his genital area.(I still got the pictures to prove it) They had mold in his basement classroom and the area smelled like sewage. (There was an Issue with the pipes) That should have been the last straw for us but unfortunately it wasn’t. The last straw was when he came home with bleach stain on his clothes from the spray that they were using. The next day he started having seizures which he was never diagnosed with before. Then when I tried to get my money back, the Director Chelsey tried to fight me tooth and nails not to return it. It was later resolved by Winifred. My friend had one bad experience with them and immediately removed her son. I should have done the same thing. Knowing what I know now, I would never take a chance like that on my precious children. The place may look clean but remember your children cannot advocate for themselves.

Finding a good daycare is so hard. You’re basically trusting strangers to care for your child the way you would—and that’s never easy. My daughter had a difficult start here, but she eventually got close to her teacher, Ms. Santasia. She truly cared for my daughter and helped put me at ease. I could tell my child felt safe and supported in her care, and that made all the difference. Unfortunately, Ms. Santasia no longer works there, and her replacement just wasn’t the same. The new staff seemed disengaged—often on their phones—and gave the impression that they didn’t really want to be there. That’s not the kind of energy you want around young children. Leadership didn’t seem to enforce professional standards either. Instead of addressing staff behavior, they appeared more focused on being friends with the team, which made accountability feel lacking. At the end of the day, daycare can really be hit or miss. It often depends entirely on your child’s teacher, and that one person can make a huge difference in your child’s experience.

I visited every early childhood center in the area that I live in East Orange Orange West Orange and so on… after one year I am still very happy with my decision to have my daughter be a student at their academy from day one I was offered a peace of mind that my daughter would be loved and cared for at Zadies and I have seen that. I don’t know how to thank these educators for everything they have done for me and my family thank you so much

Upon enrolling into Zadie‘s early childhood development center I was excited. My child was getting introduced to preschool and I was referred to them so I was happy. I informed the school of dietary restrictions for my child and also had given all forms required by them prior to starting from the doctor. Unfortunately this allergy was not taken seriously. On multiple occasions my child was served foods that they were allergic to. After the 1st time I was then told that the allergy chart was not up and that there was a miscommunication and it was understood that there were no restrictions for the child’s diet. (Even though there was doctors notes in place) I was also told I would have to bring food from home or that they can serve the sides of the day excluding the protein. I was also told that the child would be separated from the rest of the class to make sure of the possibility of the child eating someone’s else food wouldnt happen. I thought this would be a good idea but still from then on I was so paranoid that I would remind the staff the day of and call after lunch each time this item was on the menu to assure my child was ok. On the second occasion I spoke to the teacher who ASSURED me that my child did not eat the allergic item. 30 mins later I get a call that my child actually did and was experiencing allergic reactions. I was told that the teacher, yes the teacher was out of the room durning lunchtime and that the aid served lunch and fail to check the chart. With all that being said if you don’t want to micro manage your child’s school just skip this one. The staff is undertrained and the most important things get overlooked.

My daughter was previously going to another school due to convenience for our family, things ended up changing, and we needed to find a new school. After some time and word of mouth from other friends of ours that attend, we decided to try Zadie's out. It was such a great decision; our daughter is excelling so well. We recently had another child, Zadie's, listened to me, my husband, and our concerns for enrolling our newest child. They worked with us to acclimate him to not just the daycare but our family. My children at Zadie's gives me peace of mind. The administration and teachers are incredible!!! I love it here, and I am so glad that we enrolled our children.