Three day care options in Silver Spring

[Anonymous]

I could use some input for decision making!

We are considering three day care programs for our 2 year old. It looks like we may get in to all three and actually have to make a decision. Can anyone offer input on the following:

1. Karasik Center -- How is it for typically developing peers? Do they get enough challenge/stimulation? I love the idea of the inclusion but also want to ensure my kid gets what she needs

2. NOAA Bright Horizons -- This seemed very together, but maybe a little corporate/ institutional? Are kids nurtured or is it more regimented?

3. MCCA Forest Glen / Kensington -- We are thinking forward to a possible sibling. Is the lack of infant care worth it? The other two locations we would get sibling priority for infants.


We are looking for somewhere developmentally appropriate, play-based that will challenge kids without forcing academics.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

[Anonymous]

I toured Karasik last year for my typically-developing toddler and was very impressed with the director and teachers I met. The center had a nice neighborhood feel, and even though it was an older building, the facilities inside seemed great. That said, we paid our deposit and 18 months later still haven't heard anything.

We ended up sending our kid (currently almost 3) to Kensington Forest Glen. We were on the wait list since before he was born (it's walking distance from our house) but the center opened up an additional 2-year-old classroom this year, so there are now three 2's classes and most folks on the wait list got spots. We LOVE this center. Our son has totally thrived---his teachers are fantastic, particularly the lead teachers (one of whom has like 3 different degrees in child development), they get outdoor time twice a day (very important to me), and I'm constantly impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of the activities they do. It's a play-based center but they work in things like science, math readiness, etc., plus tons of music and movement, sensory play, etc. My kid adores it and doesn't want to leave at the end of the day. The prices, while not cheap, are very reasonable for this area. I would DEFINITELY get on the wait list if you're interested--most families we know used in-home care/family members/nannies when their kids were infants and switched to KFG at age 2 or 3.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback. We are on the wait lists for all 3 centers, so we are trying to figure out which is our first choice!

[Anonymous]

We love Karasik--as does our three year old son. He is typically developing, in fact a bit more verbal than most kids his age (their words not mine). They hold parent teacher conferences twice a year for every child and set developmenral goals and discuss physical, emotional, and social milestones your kid has met. Just lots of attention and the expertise involved in caring for special needs kids is applied to typical kids too.

It is also just a fun, warm caring place. The parents are on the whole friendly and down to earth. The teachers and nurses are great, the directors know everybody and keep us well informed.

We have been at two other daycares and karasik is by far the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I toured Karasik last year for my typically-developing toddler and was very impressed with the director and teachers I met. The center had a nice neighborhood feel, and even though it was an older building, the facilities inside seemed great. That said, we paid our deposit and 18 months later still haven't heard anything.

We ended up sending our kid (currently almost 3) to Kensington Forest Glen. We were on the wait list since before he was born (it's walking distance from our house) but the center opened up an additional 2-year-old classroom this year, so there are now three 2's classes and most folks on the wait list got spots. We LOVE this center. Our son has totally thrived---his teachers are fantastic, particularly the lead teachers (one of whom has like 3 different degrees in child development), they get outdoor time twice a day (very important to me), and I'm constantly impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of the activities they do. It's a play-based center but they work in things like science, math readiness, etc., plus tons of music and movement, sensory play, etc. My kid adores it and doesn't want to leave at the end of the day. The prices, while not cheap, are very reasonable for this area. I would DEFINITELY get on the wait list if you're interested--most families we know used in-home care/family members/nannies when their kids were infants and switched to KFG at age 2 or 3.

Hope this helps!

My kids are teens now, but our experience at KFG was the same as what PP describes. It is a fantastic center.

[Anonymous]

If you have a typically developing child and no sibling preference I would not hold your breath waiting for a spot at Karasik. KFG is awesome, but if you actually get a spot at Karasik I'd take that due to sibling infant care.

[Anonymous]

Op here. My daughter has reactive airway disease which does give her preference at karasik, but we won't know until July. Meanwhile we got an offer from mcca today. It's so frustrating to have to make decisions without all the information! I think we are going to enroll her at mcca for now and possibly move her to karasik in August if we get in.

[Anonymous]

One thing to consider is whether your kids will be attending public school and if you want a program that offers after care for school-age children. KFG does for Flora Singer ES and Krasik does as well--I think for Forrest Knolls. This will come in handy if you have more than one child and want to drop off/pick up your school-age kids at the same place your younger kids attend preschool.

[Anonymous]

I toured Karasik recently and was impressed by the caregivers and the director. I love the inclusion practices and I had no misgivings (based on the tour) about the school being able to handle the needs of my typically developing son.

Karasik's prices are going up quite a bit for incoming families (to about $1200 a month; I think families already enrolled have a little grace period) and so between that and the fact that it doesn't serve lunch, it may not be at the top of my list any more -- just thought it'd be worth mentioning, if those are concerns for you.

(FWIW, I think their new fee is not out-of-line compared to other daycares in the area. I don't believe they should cheap out on their services; it's really the lunch thing and some other logistical issues that are a concern for me.)

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure you'll get into NOAA unless you're a Fed, but if you do get in, snap it up. We sent both our boys through the center and they did a fantastic job with them. We just went back to visit on Bring Your Child to Work Day and most of his teachers are still there. The office is also still Ms. Kerry and Ms. Holly who have been there for years together. They run a tight ship, but you won't find a more caring office staff. Ms. Josefa is the Twos Supervisor and she's been there years as well. I'm struggling to remember the older Twos teacher's name, but she's still there too. We also saw Ms. Noel and trust me, I could write a whole post on the wonders of Ms. Noel. Bright Horizons is a big company and so there are a lot of stupid policies (like you need a dr's note for sunscreen) but the center is well run and the teachers couldn't be better.

[Anonymous]

Update for future readers of this thread: I'm the PP who was on the waitlist for Karasik and ended up sending her kid to KFG. Last week, we got a call from Karasik that we had a spot if we wanted it. We declined, but just for future information: We were on the waitlist around 18 to 19 months for a spot in a Karasik preschool classroom with a typically developing child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Update for future readers of this thread: I'm the PP who was on the waitlist for Karasik and ended up sending her kid to KFG. Last week, we got a call from Karasik that we had a spot if we wanted it. We declined, but just for future information: We were on the waitlist around 18 to 19 months for a spot in a Karasik preschool classroom with a typically developing child.

Just a caveat that this might not be a typical experience. Karasik is opening a new preschool classroom that resulted in there being more new openings than usual this year.

[Anonymous]

A lunch program is now being offered at Karasik; it started in fall 2015.

[Anonymous]

Any more recent feedback on KFG?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone give me the cost of KFG for 2s and 3s?