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OVERALL School Rating: 2.3 Health and Safety: 2.5 Environments: 2.3 Teaching Staff: 2.4 Teacher/Child Ratios: 1.9 Curriculum: 2.1
Disgruntled Parent said, July 20 2008
The curriculum seems to be pretty dummed down. My child was often doing activities that were old news–like she learned them months ago. The art projects were sometimes just coloring book pages or pretty things that the children clearly did not help with.
They stick to state ratios. Don’t hope for better.
The teachers seem unhappy with their boss.
My child will leave this center this year. After a horrible year in a room where one or two children terrorized the rest, and little to no intervention from the “director,” we’re fit to be tied.
This place has a lot of a la carte extras if you’re interested in dropping *more* money (music class, gym, etc), but it is really too expenisve.
this center is …a disappointment. My daughter was pulled out of this center, because of the high teacher turn over; in addition, the teacher/child ratios are unacceptable. While the center meets state requirements, for this much $, you should expect excellence, not just mtg. minimum standards. It does not matter how many teachers you have in a classroom when you have 20 2 yr. olds together…that is not child development, it is simply warehousing children to maximize profit. Look elsewhere!
I worked at this center, and let me tell you.. most of the people that work there are very unhappy about their job. The director is more like a dictator then someone to come to for help. She loves the power that she has and it makes everyone unhappy. The ratios are unbelievable. 1 teacher to 23 5 year olds? thats very tough for someone that has to keep an eye on them and making everyone else happy at the front desk. Don’t take your children here.. it’s not worth it. Spend the extra money and send them to Camp Thunderbird. They will make so many friends and have a great time there!
this center is …getting better now that the “director” will be GONE SOON!!!! The other staff are very friendly, this center just had to WEED out the bad seed(director) Please go and visit this cener and meet the owner and the staff, trust me you will love it! This center is the cleanest center you will find anywhere around! I have three children in this center, I have no problems with it….now that someone is out of there!!!!
this center is …I was so disappointed to read some of the above ratings…I have had two children at the Giving Tree for years. Not only for day care but summer camp and after school care. I have been nothing but extremely pleased with the entire center. I know that the Director was not too highly thought of but she has long since been replaced by the owner. Both owners (a husband/wife team) take extreme pride in the center and go out of their way to accomadate parent and staff requests. A large number of the staff have been with them since they opened six years ago – which is a rarity in the child care world! If you’re considering the Giving Tree please don’t let the old and outdated posts above discourage you. Walk ins are welcome any time and I think you’ll find an extremely well run facility with top notch ammenities, a happy staff and most of all happy children!!
Obviously, this site has been used by employees to vent their frustrations out on. As I read the instructions for posting here, I wonder who the person is that decides what gets posted is thinking about the content of these reviews. I guess pointing out that their personal vendettas about the director is passable. I can tell you that all of what has been presented is biased by the writers, and misrepresented. There’s a lot going on in this center, do your homework in person for this center.
I have three children of which two have gone to this daycare. I was fooled initially by the pretend Christian values of the owners, but it is all an act and there actions are based on greed. This is a child factory and not a development center. Instead of names all the owners see are dollar signs. The daycare is very costly and seems pretty on the outside but has a lot of ugliness on the inside. My child used to come home hungry and was old enough to tell me that food was being shared and there is never enough food. When picking up my children I would see teenagers playing on the internet at the front office, hear gossiping about other parents and staff, and the sad part about is that the owner a lot of the times was right there with them. There are some really nice teachers that work there, but it is true what some of the above posts state- that you can tell they are miserable. I was very pleased with two teachers, but the overall negative atmosphere of the center was just too much. They are noted as the best daycare in Lake Wylie, but that is because they are the only daycare there. If you look around there are other daycares and afterschool programs in the area that are much better and are not just a kid factory.
this center is …My husband and I recently relocated to the area and Giving Tree was recommended to us by multiple neighbors and the local school. We have been extremely happy with the care the children are receiving. In just a short period of time my daughter has progressed in her learning. The transition into a new school has been very easy and the children are loving it. I would highly recommend Giving Tree!!
July 20 2008
The curriculum seems to be pretty dummed down. My child was often doing activities that were old news–like she learned them months ago. The art projects were sometimes just coloring book pages or pretty things that the children clearly did not help with.
They stick to state ratios. Don’t hope for better.
The teachers seem unhappy with their boss.
My child will leave this center this year. After a horrible year in a room where one or two children terrorized the rest, and little to no intervention from the “director,” we’re fit to be tied.
This place has a lot of a la carte extras if you’re interested in dropping *more* money (music class, gym, etc), but it is really too expenisve.
Report this review
January 6 2009
this center is …a disappointment. My daughter was pulled out of this center, because of the high teacher turn over; in addition, the teacher/child ratios are unacceptable. While the center meets state requirements, for this much $, you should expect excellence, not just mtg. minimum standards. It does not matter how many teachers you have in a classroom when you have 20 2 yr. olds together…that is not child development, it is simply warehousing children to maximize profit. Look elsewhere!
Report this review
January 26 2009
I worked at this center, and let me tell you.. most of the people that work there are very unhappy about their job. The director is more like a dictator then someone to come to for help. She loves the power that she has and it makes everyone unhappy. The ratios are unbelievable. 1 teacher to 23 5 year olds? thats very tough for someone that has to keep an eye on them and making everyone else happy at the front desk. Don’t take your children here.. it’s not worth it. Spend the extra money and send them to Camp Thunderbird. They will make so many friends and have a great time there!
Report this review
October 7 2009
this center is …getting better now that the “director” will be GONE SOON!!!! The other staff are very friendly, this center just had to WEED out the bad seed(director) Please go and visit this cener and meet the owner and the staff, trust me you will love it! This center is the cleanest center you will find anywhere around! I have three children in this center, I have no problems with it….now that someone is out of there!!!!
Report this review
September 14 2010
this center is …I was so disappointed to read some of the above ratings…I have had two children at the Giving Tree for years. Not only for day care but summer camp and after school care. I have been nothing but extremely pleased with the entire center. I know that the Director was not too highly thought of but she has long since been replaced by the owner. Both owners (a husband/wife team) take extreme pride in the center and go out of their way to accomadate parent and staff requests. A large number of the staff have been with them since they opened six years ago – which is a rarity in the child care world! If you’re considering the Giving Tree please don’t let the old and outdated posts above discourage you. Walk ins are welcome any time and I think you’ll find an extremely well run facility with top notch ammenities, a happy staff and most of all happy children!!
Report this review
December 4 2010
Obviously, this site has been used by employees to vent their frustrations out on. As I read the instructions for posting here, I wonder who the person is that decides what gets posted is thinking about the content of these reviews. I guess pointing out that their personal vendettas about the director is passable. I can tell you that all of what has been presented is biased by the writers, and misrepresented. There’s a lot going on in this center, do your homework in person for this center.
Report this review
May 25 2011
I have three children of which two have gone to this daycare. I was fooled initially by the pretend Christian values of the owners, but it is all an act and there actions are based on greed. This is a child factory and not a development center. Instead of names all the owners see are dollar signs. The daycare is very costly and seems pretty on the outside but has a lot of ugliness on the inside. My child used to come home hungry and was old enough to tell me that food was being shared and there is never enough food. When picking up my children I would see teenagers playing on the internet at the front office, hear gossiping about other parents and staff, and the sad part about is that the owner a lot of the times was right there with them. There are some really nice teachers that work there, but it is true what some of the above posts state- that you can tell they are miserable. I was very pleased with two teachers, but the overall negative atmosphere of the center was just too much. They are noted as the best daycare in Lake Wylie, but that is because they are the only daycare there. If you look around there are other daycares and afterschool programs in the area that are much better and are not just a kid factory.
Report this review
October 31 2011
this center is …My husband and I recently relocated to the area and Giving Tree was recommended to us by multiple neighbors and the local school. We have been extremely happy with the care the children are receiving. In just a short period of time my daughter has progressed in her learning. The transition into a new school has been very easy and the children are loving it. I would highly recommend Giving Tree!!
Report this review