Headstart ProgramsCharleston, WV

Zion Child Development Center

3.2(10 reviews)

About

Zion Child Development Center is a headstart programs daycare located at 1720 Fifth Ave, Charleston, West Virginia WV. Find contact info, location details, and similar daycares nearby.

What Parents Say

Zion Child Development Center receives mixed reviews with stark contrasts between experiences. Positive reviews praise staff care, flexible hours, and child development, while negative reviews cite serious concerns including frequent closures, inadequate supervision, safety incidents, staff disrespect, and mishandling of special needs and infant care.

Staff friendlinessflexible evening hourspay-by-day optionlate hours accommodating work schedulesoutdoor learn

Recent Reviews

10 months ago

This daycare has been a major disappointment for the following reasons: 1. Unreliable Service: If you have a steady job, strongly advise against using Zion as your daycare provider. Frequent, unexpected closures will force you to call out of work regularly, even though you're paying for their services. 2. Constant Closures: The daycare frequently shuts down for various reasons ~ ranging from utility issues to viral outbreaks, weather-related excuses (too much rain, snow, heat, etc.). There always seems to be a reason not to operate. 3. Lack of Supervision: Children are often left unsupervised, leading to chaotic behavior like swearing, fighting, or general misconduct. This lack of oversight results in kids getting hurt, into trouble, or worse. Be prepared for anything. 4. Poor Support for Special Needs: If your child has a disability, this is not the place for them. The staff is not trained or willing to provide the necessary care and attention, often neglecting the needs of these children entirely. 5. Inaccurate Reporting: Reports written about your child often feel inaccurate or exaggerated. As a parent, it’s upsetting to see false narratives being documented when you know your child’s capabilities and behavior. 6. Blame Shifting: If a child gets hurt, the staff is quick to deflect responsibility, sometimes even claiming the child arrived that way. When questioned, they often get caught in contradictory explanations and don’t respond well to being challenged. 7. High Turnover & Staff Shortages: While there are a few genuinely caring and competent workers (the only reason I gave two stars), many staff members leave for better opportunities. This results in understaffing, which can lead to entire classrooms or age groups being shut down unexpectedly.

Edited a year ago

Was getting some major weird vibes from this place so I changed daycares. Didn't want to make a big deal about it so I told them we had a family member who was going to start watching our kid. A few weeks later one of the 'teachers' messages my boyfriend on fb asking why we lied about changing daycares (wonder where the weird vibes were coming from??...). We both blocked her. I called the daycare to talk to the director. The receptionist asked who I was. I told her who I was and then she said the director was busy and asked what I wanted. I went off. Other issue we had while being there are that one day my daughters diaper was never changed. I picked her up and could tell right away that her diaper was FULL. I could also tell because I always kept 10 diapers in her bag, they hadn't been touched. She had the worst rash she has ever had. I had also been sending in breast milk for my daughter. One day I bring it up to the main teacher in the infant room who isn't normally there at drop off and she tells me that they've been giving my daughter formula and didn't know she was supposed to get breast milk. They had a few great teachers but not many.

2 years ago

Worst place ever. If there was a button for ZERO STARTS that’s what I would give this place. My son who’s 3 was a sweet boy till he started here and in the 7 months he was going there he developed behavioral issues so bad they would call me at least once a week and not only send him home but SUSPEND him for 3 days at a time causing me to miss work and fail school because I had to miss so much. Then the last day he was there and they called me to have me come get him and suspend him they never said anything about him needing clothes (which he had a bag at daycare with him with clean clothes that I put on him when I got there) but when I got there he my SON was wearing a dress and girl underwear (they have several lockers of both boy and girl clothes they put on kids if they have accidents and don’t have clothes) which they’ve used in the past plus Ive donated several bags of his clothes to them and when I was upset about the issue they had several excuses from they couldn’t find his bag, he didn’t have a bag, all the clothes in his bag were dirty, that’s ALL they had to put on him, they just put the first thing on the child at the top of the locker, to we don’t teach gender roles here. A lot of my sons clothes would come up missing and them not being able to find them or they were sent home with another kid and never returned. Along with blankets. They would somehow be misplaced or missing also. The don’t have any routine, the kids were just running around in chaos when I come get my son from his classroom and the staff turnover in this place is unbelievable. They don’t supervise the kids at all I got several calls telling me my son ran out of the building and crawled under the fence from the playground and ran off. They left a little boy out on the playground for who knows how long unsupervised till a parent came to get their child and found that boy. I walked in the front door once and found a child in the front lobby alone unsupervised screaming and crying. my advice DO NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THIS DAYCARE. Took my son to a new daycare and within 1 week he was a brand new boy with zero issues with his behavior and aggression.

4 years ago

My child only spent 2 hours here on his first day. I stayed to watch playground time and I witnessed child neglect and unresponsive staff. They kept a 1yr old child with a 100.3 fever in 100 degree heat. I watched as this child lay limp in a staff members arms while they did nothing to cool him or help alleviate his illness. I called the owner but nothing has been done. If you love your kid at all, stay far away from this place.

9 years ago

My son attended here from 4 months to 10 months and I absolutely loved everyone I came in contact with! They took very good care of my son. If I hadn't decided to be a stay at home mom than he would still be going here.

Frequently asked questions

Zion Child Development Center is a headstart programs childcare facility located in Charleston, West Virginia. The facility has a capacity of 114 children.
Zion Child Development Center has a Google rating of 3.2 out of 5 based on 10 parent reviews. Read the full reviews on this page to see what parents appreciate about this facility and any areas for improvement.
To enroll your child at Zion Child Development Center, contact the facility directly to inquire about availability, schedule a tour, and learn about their enrollment process. Be prepared to provide your child's age, any special needs or allergies, and your preferred schedule. Many facilities have waitlists, so it's best to inquire early.
You can verify the licensing status of Zion Child Development Center through West Virginia's childcare licensing agency. Licensed facilities in West Virginia must meet state standards for safety, health, staff qualifications, and staff-to-child ratios.

Contact Information

Address
1720 Fifth Ave, Charleston, West Virginia 25387
County
KANAWHA

Details

Daycare Type
Headstart Programs
Capacity
114 children
Status
OPEN
Coordinates
38.3716, -81.66673