U.S. Kids DC Daycare reviews?

[Anonymous]

This daycare is close to my work and I would like to put my son there but I have been getting really weird responses (or lack thereof) from the director. When I first called they emailed me that there was a good probability that there would be a spot for my son. I visited and the director acted like I walked into her Thankgiving dinner uninvited (although I had an appointment). After that they gave me the run around for two or three weeks until I finally got a hold of the director. She told me that there were no spots. I called back again this past week and they said that they might have spots. What is the deal here? Is it worth it? Anyone use this place?

[Anonymous]

We are there and we absolutely love it. The center is amazing, and although the director can be rather non-commital, we got over that. I think she is often confident that she has a spot but cant commit to the parents, so it gets weird. She kept telling me she had a spot but circumstances kept changing bc unless you have priority (sibling, sponsoring agency, gov employee), its hard to know what will happen a few months down the road.

If you get a spot, I say grab it. The teachers are loving and fun, the center is well-run and all the parents I know are super happy.

[Anonymous]

We are are U.S. Kids and think it is amazing. We love director, and the more we have gotten to know her the more we like her and the center. I would absolutely take a spot here.
Just to be clear, that we are talking about US Kids and not Just US Kids as sometimes confused.

We are at US Kids and have been there for about 2 years. Recently we were offered at spot at another accredited center whose list we were on for almost 4 years, we turned it down because we cannot imagine being anywhere but US Kids.

They have dance, tumbling, Spanish lessons and go to the MLK library every week when the weather is nice. I feel like my son will be more than ready for Kindergarten when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

I have a child there too who absolutely loves the school. I was unsure at first, but because of its proximity to my office and because of the tuition, I thought I'd give it a try until an opening came available at my first choice school which is also nearby. Although, my first choice school was unavailable when I needed it, I asked the director there what she may have heard about US Kids and she said she had always heard good things about US Kids and the director. I figured if positive comments come from a competitor, then it shouldn't be as bad as I may have thought.

So in the end, the schools I really liked, my child didn't necessarily warm up to, but at US Kids, which I didn't warm up to at first, my child loves! We've been there less than a year and love it. HTH.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me the website or contact number for U.S. Kids? I've tried googling them without any luck! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

202-233-4623

[Anonymous]

www.uskidsdc.org

[MCDSR6]

Negative experience with administration, OK daycare if you live in DC since it's convenient, but don’t give up your $50 unless you work for one of the sponsoring agencies!

Got my son on the waitlist and paid the application fee of $50. They said I had to wait a few months since I was not working for any of the gov't agencies, which get top priority. I told my coworker about the school for her daughter. They accepted her the day she applied! How this school chooses its students (my coworker is a white European; we are Asian...hmmm), I will never know, but it was downright unfair. I asked for my $50 back (that’s a lot of money, especially these days!) since it was obvious they never intended to take my son in the first place, but they still made off with that fee.

My conclusion: US Kids is basically focused on making money and they do not give all applicants a fair shot. Unless you work for one of the sponsoring agencies, put your $50 elsewhere!

Yes, this all happened when the old director was there and now they have a new one beginning August 15. But the Board members are still the same, so very little change can be expected to happen.

My son has been attending Children's International School, North Scott branch, in Arlington, VA since September 2010 (the only reason we thought of moving him is that US Kids is a 10-minute walk from my office). He's one of their favorite kids, and he just loves it there. It is a picturesque schoolhouse (red brick, white shutters… it looks like the school in Wonder Pets!) unlike US Kids which is at basement level. Yes, US Kids has a "great room" but it's still indoors so the kids are exposed to fluorescent/artificial lighting all day long. They do take the kids to walk around outside, but Franklin Park and 14th St.? There are just too many homeless people loitering around and I wouldn't feel safe having my son walk around there.

In retrospect, I have to be thankful that my son didn't get into US Kids. They should have just done what was fair and right, and given me back my $50.

[Anonymous]

MCDSR6 wrote:Negative experience with administration, OK daycare if you live in DC since it's convenient, but don’t give up your $50 unless you work for one of the sponsoring agencies!

Got my son on the waitlist and paid the application fee of $50. They said I had to wait a few months since I was not working for any of the gov't agencies, which get top priority. I told my coworker about the school for her daughter. They accepted her the day she applied! How this school chooses its students (my coworker is a white European; we are Asian...hmmm), I will never know, but it was downright unfair. I asked for my $50 back (that’s a lot of money, especially these days!) since it was obvious they never intended to take my son in the first place, but they still made off with that fee.

My conclusion: US Kids is basically focused on making money and they do not give all applicants a fair shot. Unless you work for one of the sponsoring agencies, put your $50 elsewhere!

Yes, this all happened when the old director was there and now they have a new one beginning August 15. But the Board members are still the same, so very little change can be expected to happen.

My son has been attending Children's International School, North Scott branch, in Arlington, VA since September 2010 (the only reason we thought of moving him is that US Kids is a 10-minute walk from my office). He's one of their favorite kids, and he just loves it there. It is a picturesque schoolhouse (red brick, white shutters… it looks like the school in Wonder Pets!) unlike US Kids which is at basement level. Yes, US Kids has a "great room" but it's still indoors so the kids are exposed to fluorescent/artificial lighting all day long. They do take the kids to walk around outside, but Franklin Park and 14th St.? There are just too many homeless people loitering around and I wouldn't feel safe having my son walk around there.

In retrospect, I have to be thankful that my son didn't get into US Kids. They should have just done what was fair and right, and given me back my $50.

Deposits are non-refundable at any daycare not just US Kids. My son has been there for 3 1/2 years and it is an amazing place. Sorry that the pp had a problem with the previous director. As a parent whose child actually goes there I have full confidence in the board and also know that he will be more than prepared educationally and emotionally for kindergarten this fall.

[Anonymous]

just curious about the PP's negative experience with administration----is your son and your coworker's daughter the same age group?

[Anonymous]

I have to echo the PP's comments. I was put on the waitlist in my first trimester over 18 months ago. I called last week and I am still at #140 of the list of 260. Unless you are from a sponsoring agency or a sibling, you will NEVER get in.

[MCDSR6]

Thanks for your reply; I respect your opinion. My close friend is the director of a daycare in Bethesda, plus it says so on every daycare website, so I'm well-aware that deposits are non-refundable. This is the only school that I requested for the deposit back, because of the EXTREMELY UNFAIR SITUATION stated above.

It escapes me how the school can take my deposit and put my child on the waitlist, then turn around and accept my coworker's child, same age, on the spot during her tour of the school! My coworker agrees that it was wrong for her child to have been accepted immediately while I had to pay $50 to get my child on the waitlist. I was the one who recommended her to the school, even without my child being there, so I certainly have a good opinion about the teachers.

My main complaint is towards the Board, specifically Mr. DB for washing his hands of the situation. The acting director, the admin assistant, and the accounts receivables person were genuinely sorry for the situation I had been placed in, agreed that what had happened was very unfair and stated that they wished they had the authority to return the application fee to me.

After all is said and done, it's not about the money; it's the PRINCIPLE of it all, which Mr. DB of the Board does not care about. All he said was this happened during the time of the former director so he now has no responsibility over her decisions. This, coming from the Board?! This is no way to run any kind of business.

To answer your questions, my child and my coworker's are only 3 weeks apart, so they're basically the same age. So this is really a case of either disorganization, discrimination, or both.

For Mom #140 on the WL: they offered my son a spot in the school once I demanded my deposit back because I'd been treated so unfairly. If you are so inclined, go ahead and show this thread to the administrators and see what they say, since obviously they make space for us "outsiders" when they have to. I chose not to have my child attend US Kids, though it is an OK school. But it would be really nice if your child who's been on the non-sponsor WL for so long was accepted into US Kids, if you still want her/him there. Only then would I probably feel like my $50 didn't go to waste!

[Anonymous]

I don't know if your chances would be that much better if you're employed at a sponsoring agency. I am, and we've still been on the waiting list for almost 2 years, despite touring twice, calling and emailing countless times, knowing someone on the board (not Mr. DB), etc., etc. I would have given up a long time ago, except it's so close to my office and much cheaper than our current day care.

Incidentally, I'm also Asian.

[MCDSR6]

As I offered to Mom at #140 on the WL, you're welcome to bring this post up to someone in administration or make someone you know aware that I am speaking out about some unfair events going on at US Kids.

I have written Mr. DB that I respect that he stands by the school's policy of application fees being non-refundable. However, one cannot help but suspect that it resembles more of a SCAM when
- the waitlist far exceeds the number of children in the daycare itself,
- there is no movement at all in the waitlist for nearly 2 years and
- a non-sponsoring agency child is given a spot immediately in spite of the extremely long waitlist (which contains top-priority sponsoring agency families as well!)

Makes me wonder on what basis the Board accepts children, and why they don't just stop accepting children on their waitlist since they obviously cannot manage it at all! 260 waitlisted children X $50 = $13000. Very lucrative, indeed.

I'm sorry you've been waiting so long. In this day and age, and in this city, I would think skin color could not be an issue. I sincerely hope that you eventually get your child into the school you want for him/her.

[Anonymous]

To the poster who continues to state that US Kids discriminates based on race - other than your own opinion, you have no proof of this. I'm a past parent, and based on my experience and looking at the kids enrolled, your continued statements that there is rampant racial discrimination going on at US Kids is baseless. There are white kids, chinese kids, korean kids, indian kids, biracial kids, african american kids, etc. In my opinion, you're using this forum to air a personal grievance. All daycares charge non-refundable deposits. All downtown daycares have ridiculous waitlists. All daycares have preference for siblings and sponsoring agencies that can lead to you NEVER getting a spot.