Old Town Alexandria Area Day Care

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know of a good daycare provider in the Old Town area (or near Old Town coming from L'Enfant Metro Stop)? This would be for an infant (6-8 weeks).

[Babette70]

I too am researching daycare for infants. The ones I've come up with are Bright Horizons (though it is hard to get into), American Day School (which is new - and I've spoken to them on the phone and was not all that impressed - though a visit is needed), and Flatstone (I think this is the name...I have not contacted them yet.)

[Anonymous]

I also was not impressed over the phone with American Day School.

[Anonymous]

Hi Babette. I am curious as to why you were not impressed with American Day School. I've heard lots of good things about this new place. I am considering to place my 3 year old daughtr here.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

By the way. I forgot to mention that American Day School already has a long waiting list for infants! I also heard from one mom who took her son out from Flagstone in Oldtown and placed him at Amrican Day School since she was very disaponted with Flagstone! Does anyone have any experience with Tiny Tots?

[Anonymous]

I heard that Tiny Tots closed down. It has a bunch of violations.

[Anonymous]

As far as American Day School...I have NO bad experience with them. I just had a really hard time getting someone on the phone to give me information. I was told that the lead infant teacher was a doctor in Guatamala and has 2 or 3 years experience teaching, yet no teaching education. The other infant teachers only have 2-3 years experience too. I don't know about the teacher experience for 3 year olds. Also - experience is NOT everything. I just did not get a good vibe on the phone. Everyone I spoke to had an accent. I have no problems with immigrants. My dad was one. But the accents combined with the difficulty I had in reaching someone combined with the lack of a lot of experience made me wonder. I still need to visit. One cannot form a total opinion based on my phone call. You should still consider them for your 3 yr old.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP who said I was not impressed over the phone with them either and I can echo the PPs post almost exactly. Getting them on the phone was difficult, took several weeks to return phone calls. There was a langauge barrier which while I can work with did make it hard to communicate. I couldn't get clear straight answers on many basic questions. However, as the PP said I also would feel the need to visit still if it were one I was still persuing. There wasn't one particular thing that turned me off as much as I just really was left with an unsettled vibe in my gut. Seeing as how I was looking for a young infant that can't relay anything verbally to me, unsettled guts are difficult to push past.

[Anonymous]

To the mom considering Flagstone. We pulled our child from this center after a few months. Extremely poorly run and I saw teachers in distress multiple times, but the director was NEVER there-but man those checks cashed the second they were due. I am giving ONE example of why we left, I could go on and on. My advice, stay away from this center, get a nanny until you find a good center, it will be worth it. Trust me. The staff is treated poorly and it seemed to us, no one was in charge.

[Anonymous]

I've heard wonderful things from parents who have kids in Flagstone. So - I guess different parents must have different priorities.

[Anonymous]

If you are considering Flagstone or Tiny Tots, please read their DSS inspection reports available on line. My sone was on the waiting list at both and based on what I have heard and read, we did not take the spots when offered.

With Tiny Tots, we were offered a spot the week before they were closed down by being over crowded by 30 kids.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, the daycare situation in Old Town is pretty bleak. The DSS reports are down right depressing. My husband and I visited Flagstone and left with a poor impression because the director kept us waiting 20 minutes while she dealt with an irate parent. American Day School's preschool rooms look great and the curriculum actually sounded quite good during our interview, but the infants are in a big area with nothing to separate them from the toddlers but a low bookcase - you have to see it to understand. We just had visions of the germs passing back and forth. I know Tiny Tots has had overcrowding issues in teh past, but our multiple visits there didn't sound any alarm bells and they did just open a new school. We're on the waiting list there (Bluebird Alexandria) and watching the DSS reports closely. Nanny share is not off the table yet either...which all goes to say that we aren't really satisfied with any of our options thus far.

[Anonymous]

Old Town daycare does seem pretty bleak for the most part. On the other hand, the nanny community is great and there seem to be a fair amount of nanny share opportunities if you're interested in that route.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know anyting about St. Anthony's Day School in Alexandria?

[Anonymous]

I have heard many good things about St. Anthony's Day School, unfortunately the waitlist is EXTREMELY long, like YEARS long. So if you aren't on the waitlist already, get on it now. When I got on in August, there was no fee, you just had to take the tour.