AppleTree & Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool

Reviews 4

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Beth Courbier

Appletree Christian Learning Centers - Breton Village As a new mom, I was uneasy and apprehensive about leaving my 12 week old infant in the hands of strangers when I returned to my full-time career. As full-time working professionals, it was necessary for my husband and me to find a trusted child care provider with whom we were comfortable and a place where our child would thrive. I did not have any experience with daycare centers prior to the birth of my son. I went for a tour of AppleTree while pregnant and before the reality of having a child and returning to work after 12 exhausting and wonderful weeks had set in. AppleTree was the first place – and the last place we visited. The Director, Beth, was friendly, welcoming and informative. I was given a tour of the center and spent time in the infant room observing. It was a great first experience. Several months later (and at the end of my pregnancy), my husband and I visited the center for a second time. We went at the end of day. Beth gave us another tour. Since it was the end of the day, we saw parents picking up their children. I heard laughter, children playing and saw how the caretakers interacted with the parents and children alike. Several parents stopped us and provided very positive feedback about AppleTree. We left feeling comfortable with our decision that our son would go to AppleTree. Two weeks before I was scheduled to return to work, I went back to AppleTree to complete paperwork and ensure our son was all set for his first day. Again, my experience was positive. I was feeling sad, anxious and overwhelmed at the thought of returning to work. Beth encouraged me to spend time in the infant room and drop by anytime to observe. I took her advice. I spent some time in the infant room over the course of a week observing and getting to know the care providers. The teachers were welcoming, kind and provided great advice on how best to prepare for our son’s first day. For example, each bottle has to be labeled with certain information and I learned that painter’s tape doesn’t leave a sticky residue and is perfect for labeling. Who knew? Although it was incredibly hard to return to work and leave my son during the day, I never questioned our choice of provider. The best part of my day is picking our son up from AppleTree. I often find him playing happily or relaxing contentedly on the play mat, in the swing or the exer-saucer. I often get down on the floor with my son and visit with the teachers and other parents for a little while. My son is happy playing and I enjoy participating in his fun! He enjoys the “bubble show,” listening to songs the teachers sing and playing with his little buddies on the play mat. The teachers know him well and share how he is growing and learning new “tricks” each day. All the teachers take an interest in our son and in our family. Our son has grown and developed leaps and bounds over the last four months. It is a joy to watch him learn, reach milestones and practice new skills. He is happy, cuddly, social and engaged. Having the support and expertise of the well –trained and caring staff at AppleTree has helped me, as a mother, too! I have learned a great deal about childhood development and ways I can support and encourage my son’s growth. We appreciate the staff at AppleTree and could not be happier with our choice. Thank you, AppleTree!

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James Torrey

The quality of care and curriculum is great, but there are a few large issues Ive had with AppletTree. First and most recent, they failed to pay me back in any sort of reasonable time (currently still havent) after debiting my account when they were not supposed to. Also I had to show them the issue, and it was no small amount. Over $300! Secondly, they just switched to digital record keeping for the childrens daily notes. We used to get an Applegram each day, which made knowing what your child ate for lunch and when they had diaper changes easy. Now the teachers stare at iPads all day filling this information out, then when you get home, you need to log on to see this information. Maybe its me, but as a single dad I dont usually have time for that sort of things in the hour or two before bed while Im making dinner. Just a few thoughts. The teachers are great, but certainly underpaid, and they also have no clue how much parents pay for care. I am leaving Appletree soon for financial reason, and all the teachers were shocked to hear I was paying almost $250 for two children for two days of care a week. Its a good center, but its also a pain sometimes. Ill be finding care elsewhere for now.

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Heidi Iacovoni

Amazing. We loved the staff, the cleanliness of the facility and how they were always receptive if we had a problem. Its not surprising that this facility is hard to get into!

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Bryan Snoeyink

Our experience working with the staff and management at AppleTree and Gilden Woods has been great. Very well run and friendly organization.

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