Feedback on Great beginnings in Alexandria, VA

[Anonymous]

What’s SADS daycare? Never heard of them

[Anonymous]

I would not recommend this facility. In January 2025, multiple teachers were reported for mishandling children and abusing/neglecting them. While they were terminated, it’s concerning that this happened under the current director’s watch, especially considering she claims to run a “perfect” establishment. Be cautious of her “Christian woman” approach—it’s misleading. There are too many flaws in this facility to overlook, despite the director’s used car salesman pitch during tours. Much of what she initially promises is not true.

If you’re looking for quality care and a trustworthy environment, this is not the place. The director’s “holier-than-thou” attitude and fear-driven management style create an environment where staff are too afraid to report incidents. Most communication is handled by the director, even though she doesn’t spend nearly as much time with the children as the teachers do. The app used for updates to parents often lacks real-time logs and offers some photos and videos that don’t reflect the full reality of this childcare establishment. .

The app is poorly managed by staff and often lacking updates for hours and sometimes even after pickup. Mostly everything is logged during nap time which means that there will be hours and hours of nothing logged. The excuse is “safety of the kids”, but why have the app if nothing is logged for 3 hours? It’s a selling point for the Director during the tour but nothing she says is true so don’t be fooled by her pitch.

When bringing up concerns, the director is dismissive and defensive. She claims to run the best facility in town, but there are no verifications or accolades to back that up. If it truly is the best, why are there no awards or certifications to prove it?

Another issue is the strict door policy: doors lock at 9 a.m., and if you’re one minute late, you have to call and wait outside for 5–10 minutes. The director tries to “teach” paying parents a lesson in structure, which feels unnecessary and inconvenient. She will say “just call me” but there’s no point as the wait time is still the same.

The lunches are basic and catered, nothing special or anything to float about.

Lastly, don’t be swayed by the glowing 5-star reviews. The director offers incentives for those who leave reviews, which is a red flag. If you want consistent communication, quality care, and a reliable facility, this is not the place.

[Anonymous]

There are better options.