Stepping Stone School & Child Development Center

We've been with Stepping Stone for almost 6 years now. Our first 4 were great, but that was at the McNeill location. We've since moved south and enrolled at the Brodie location for the before and after school program. Things started great but quickly went downhill when we found out that our daughter had been late to school 4 times within the first two months. We made several requests to correct this, which they did, only 3 months later. By this time we'd stopped using their before school service. I'd say the after school programs are fine except my daughter has gone through 4 teachers in 18 months. All have quit because of management at that location. Consequently, their programs have been thrown off-kilter and instead of organized activities the kids basically do what they want. She's never in the same room when I come to pick her up and I've yet to have learn of any positive activity they used to provide. There have also been incidents of violence between the director and a parent, and I've seen several incidents involving both parents and kids where staff should have stepped in to control. Overall, these situations create a bad environment for our daughter. If there were openings at other facilities we'd have pulled her long ago.

Let me start by saying that my child was at a location up north and NOT the Brodie location. That being said I have dealt w/ the administrative office and can't say they helped.
I have been told by Stepping Stone that they have no formal policy on peer-to-peer violence in it facilities, that they've "never really needed one" WELL... My child has been bitten, punched, pinched. I have been, essentially, chastised for complaining and suggesting that I might need to consult the regulatory board or other authorities about these matters. But I feel a desperate need to bring our family's experience to light so that no one else's child is punched, bitten, poked or touched in any other inappropriate way (all of these have happened to MY child) in Stepping Stone's care.

Please don't use them!!! Please!!! They say they want to,
"Create a truly warm and friendly environment where you and your child will be welcomed and cared for, providing outstanding service above all others!" but your child safety and well being will be in peril!

I absolutely love Stepping Stone School XIV. Everyone is very friendly and my child is learning so much. We were currently enrolled at a center- where even a greeting was too much! My child is enrolled in the 18-24 month classroom with Miss Claudia and is ver happy-it's very evident! Most days she refuses to go home! Peace of mind for me is so important when we live so many busy days. The envirnment is CLEAN, smells good and best of all my child is loved! I challenge all parents to find the best possible care out there, I discovered this at the Brodie site! Visit the center and i guarantee you will be impressed!

My daughter and son both attended the Stepping Stone on Brodie for about 9 months. When my daughter moved up when she turned 18 months I was did not get to see the teacher because she got there in the morning after I would drop off my daughter off and would leave before I was able to pick her up. That I understood because of her schedule, but I called and introduced myself and called her a couple of times a week. I decided to stop in on my daughter and just see how things were going and I did this on 3 difference occasions and felt uncomfortable with what I saw. Her tone, her attitude towards these babies, like she just didn't want to be there. On the last time I popped in it was nap time and I stood outside the door and just watched the teacher interact w/the children. She was yelling at a child to lay down, a bit mean I might add. Then I saw her go across the room and lay the child down and start patting another child's back. As she did this the other child got up and she put her knee on the back of the child who's back she was patting and reached over to the other child. I walked in and asked her if there was problem, but she didn't hear me. This whole time she didn't know I was there until after I started closing the door, she then saw me. I reported this to the director and was very disappointed by the way it was handled. She never said this is not something that is tolerated in any way, but instead was defender the teacher's actions by saying she didn't really put her knee on the babies back that hard, but just reached over her, it may have looked like it, but her knee bearly touched the baby's back. To say the least I pulled my kids out. That was the breaking point for me, before that happened we dealt with little boys in my son's class (the school age) with boys grabbing each others privates, and that was not ever fully dealt with. We also dealt with my daughter coming home with marker all over her body, stomach, legs, arms, her head and her cloths and it was easy to see that it was even attempted to get it off her and when I told one of the ladies up front and showed her all the markers she told me to bring her in cloths that she "could" get dirty. I wasn't worried about her cloths, but instead worried that the teacher left for the day and didn't care to even try to clean her up after allowing her to do this to her entire body. It was not a good experience for us and will not go back.

This is my daughters second year in their summer program. They have a lot of activities and field trips planned each week with different themes. They also have their own pool so for a little extra they can take swimming lessons and swim three times a week.

Their prices are a lot better than some of the other centers in the area.

Cons - higher turnover rate in school age room

PROS: On site swimming pool & instructor
CONS: High turnover in school age room.