First Step Day Care & Learning Center: Baton Rouge, LA

I am giving this daycare a BAD rating because my child attended this daycare from 3 months to 13 months old and I have had three bad incidents so far and he is only 1 year old. They picked him up by his arm when he was 6 months old, clipped his fingernails until they blead when he was 10 months old, and pulled his arm out of socket at the elbow when he was 13 months old. I am scared to bring him back to this daycare, so I am switching daycares. Also, they will not let me view the film when they pulled his arm out of socket, someting sounds fishy here! That’s ok, they will never touch him again.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 1
•  Health and Safety: 1
•  Environments: 4
•  Teaching Staff: 1
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 1
•  Curriculum: 4

We love this place. My son loves this place. The teachers treat him like a rock star when he arrives. They seem to really care about the children and they really try hard to work with the parents through whatever issues we may have. They do all sorts of really neat crafts with him and have creative ways to encourage public speaking through show-n-tell days. I think he’s getting a quality education and I drive to work without a care in the world that he’s being taken care of as well as if he were at my own home.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 5
•  Health and Safety: 5
•  Environments: 5
•  Teaching Staff: 5
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 5
•  Curriculum: 5

My husband and I have our son there and have been very happy with the high level of care that has been provided for our little boy. The staff has always been very kind and compassionate and they have always gone out of their way to ensure that every need is taken care of and every concern addressed. There has never been an instance where I have felt that his needs were not being met. We know several other families who have their children there as well and have never heard any dissatisfaction voiced from them in regards to their experience with First Step.

Ms. Viola will always have a very special place in my heart, as will Courtney (in the Wobblers classroom).

•  OVERALL School Rating: 5
•  Health and Safety: 5
•  Environments: 5
•  Teaching Staff: 5
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 4
•  Curriculum: 4

My child attended this day care for approximately 18 months. During that time, staff turnover was horrible and it seemed as though they were hiring anyone they could just to keep the day care open. The owners and Directors did not seem to care about the parents’ concerns.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 3
•  Health and Safety: 3
•  Environments: 3
•  Teaching Staff: 2
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 2
•  Curriculum: 2

I have two kids at First Step Daycare and I have recommended several people who are still there. My son has been there since he was 1 and now he is 3 1/2 and already in PreK. My daughter started when she was almost 3 months and is now almost 16 months old. I love the curriculum that is taught and I love the friendly environment. I do however feel that the staff is underpaid. They have our priceless in their care and yet there are not compensated fully. This is why when I can afford it, I will bring those special added tokens of my appreciation to them. Whether it’s celebrating a teacher’s birthday with a cake or bringing a lunch to the classroom. After all, they have my babies and I want to make sure they are happy.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 5
•  Health and Safety: 5
•  Environments: 5
•  Teaching Staff: 5
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 5
•  Curriculum: 5

This center is …hit or miss at best. There are some really great teachers and some really not-so-great teachers. They are always pushing the maximum allowable teacher/child ratio. They do have a genuine interest in the children that is sincere. However, with so many children to each care giver it is more commonplace for accidents to happen. I have to assume that it is comparable to most of the other day care centers in the area.
I have interacted with 3 other families with children here that love this center, so it is really just how you feel your child is being taken care of and how many phone calls you get that begin with “…..your baby is alright, but so and so bit them, hit them, hurt their arm, got a rash, etc. etc.”
With more teachers (more good ones not just warm bodies) I think the environment would be 100% better and my ratings would skyrocket. A 1:3 ratio seems rational to me, but hey, I’m not the State of Louisiana putting out the guidelines. In the end, like most things, it all comes down to money unfortunately.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 3
•  Health and Safety: 2
•  Environments: 3
•  Teaching Staff: 3
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 2
•  Curriculum: 3

We’ve had our son at First Steps Day Care since he was 2 months old and it’s over a year and a half later. We couldn’t be happier with them. Everyone who I’ve dealt with has been outstanding and have gone out of their way to provide loving attention to our son and anything which needs to be addressed. The director, Miss Viola, and the assistant director, Miss Barbara, has always been readily available when we’ve needed to speak to them and I can honestly say that they feel like a part of our family. The facility has always been clean, well kept and feels very secure. I have seen the relationship that my son has formed with his teachers over the past 16 months and I can truly tell that he feels secure and loved in this environment. When I had to return to work after I had exhausted my maternity leave, I was very uneasy with the thought of having to leave my precious and helpless infant in the hands of strangers. I trusted them with the most precious person in my life and today I am very thankful that I was able to find such a wonderful place with wonderful people to leave him with.

I can truly say that I will be really sad when he gets older and is no longer at this facility.

•  OVERALL School Rating: 5
•  Health and Safety: 5
•  Environments: 5
•  Teaching Staff: 4
•  Teacher/Child Ratios: 4
•  Curriculum: 4