Cobble Hill KinderCare — Local services in New York

I cannot say enough great things about KinderCare/Cobble Hill! As immigrants from Colombia and first time parents, we were very nervous about finding the right care in Brooklyn for our daughter. When she was admitted in 3K at this location, I was worried as my child is a native Spanish speaker. I was afraid she might feel isolated, lost in translation, discriminated against or not understood when expressing herself fluently in Spanish. However, since the first day the teachers were respectful, kind and curious about our culture, family values, and my daughter’s language and communication skills. We felt comfortable leaving her there that day. I felt that they truly cared about my daughter’s experience and went above and beyond to make sure she felt seen, heard, celebrated and safe. Knowing that her teachers were taking the time to figure out what she was trying to communicate in Spanish made me feel so relieved. Teachers at KinderCare Cobble Hill are emotionally present and available and these allow for the co-creation of safety and secure attachments for the children. This is priceless! I very was impressed when I found my daughter speaking in English with her teachers and classmates the first week. Taking my daughter to KinderCare every morning brings me peace and joy! It feels like leaving her with family members. The entire staff is so friendly, compassionate, warm and welcoming. Every day, parents receive updates (photos, videos, meals, and other information) on the app and it's really lovely getting those updates. The space is very clean and provides great activities and toys. There is a sense of feeling at home; this is what me and my husband felt at KinderCare Cobble Hill from the get-go. We have met my daughter’s classmates and their parents in the activities they arranged for Halloween and Christmas and now we are connected with other parents from the 3k class. Ms. Brenda, Ms. Samantha and Ms. Halima and the whole staff including Christina and Yigah greet you and your child at pick up and drop off so you can ask questions about your child process and they always give you verbal updates so you have an opportunity to also get to know the teachers and staff personally. The kids are always learning and involved in awesome activities. In my opinion, the most important aspects of preschool for children are learning social skills, emotional regulation skills and socialization with peers and with other loving and caring adults. I don’t have a doubt that my daughter is having an enriching experience at KinderCare/ Cobble Hill. They have created a space and a community where children, parents and families can thrive! Gracias KinderCare/Cobble Hill’s staff, you...

Our daughter attended this place for about 5 months in 2023, and it took me a very long time to write this review. This was the worst childcare experience we ever had, across 3 countries and 5 years. I would not recommend this place to my worst ennemy. While the welcome tour was promising, the reality is that most toddlers seemed very unhappy in this place. The staff sounded pressured and some of them were totally unfit for the job. First issue was the management: The place was closed several times during the year, including for 1) missing background check for the staff 2) bomb alert 3) safety concerns in the building. Communication was very poor about these issues, which led to even more anxiety. From parents who are still there, I also heard that some former / laid off staff members recently shared disturbing/intimate pictures of other colleagues via the Kindercare app. The list goes on and on and tells you a lot about the toxic environment it must be. Second issue was our first-hand experience with the staff. I witnessed several times toddlers being reluctant to enter the room, or sobbing in the classroom, unattended. Some parents told me their toddlers were afraid of one carer in particular. And we had several incidents involving our daughter, including one that led us to leave this place. From an unopened lunch box (not notified to us, but it meant our daughter did not eat that day and no one noticed), to a red mark on our daughter's cheek that was not notified until we asked (she told us "Miss A. hit me"), to an actual concern for our daughter's safety ("Miss A. hurts me when she is changing my diaper"). When confronted, the staff never acknowledged anything or apologized for what could have been an "honest mistake"/misunderstanding. I regretted that I did not share this info sooner with other parents cause when we did, several of them shared very similar concerns. Anyway, hope this can be helpful for other parents now: Don't go there. And please if you don't have a choice (cf. 3K program, etc), just ask for the background checks, and be extra vigilant about what your child is...

I’m giving my five stars to my personal experience with the teachers, not so much the school itself. I have to say I wasn’t sure how my child’s experience would be here because I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about KinderCare in other states. BUT, I must say my child’s pre-K teacher Ms. Christina was/is the absolute best!! She is very caring, very kind and loving towards her students. Communication between her and the parents was always great and still is after my child graduated. Ms. Christina checks in every now and then to see how my child is doing, how her summer is going or even how I am doing, and I love that about her. She was always very mindful of each child’s needs and learning capabilities. All the lessons and projects she would incorporate with her students were very informative for their little minds. She made learning fun in her classroom. I saw it personally, and I knew it because my child would be excited to tell me what they did in class everyday. I thought it was a shame that Ms. Christina‘s pre-K class didn’t remain in their original classroom and was combined with the 3K class. I personally felt like that took away from Ms. Christina teaching her class, her lessons and giving her students that one on one attention. But even though the classes were combined and there were way more students, she was still able attend to her pre-K kids. I don’t feel like she got the recognition or appreciation that she deserved from the staff, so I am here as a parent to give it to her! I want to thank Ms. Christina for everything she has done and all she continues to do. She has made a lasting impression on my child & I and we miss her dearly. I wish her nothing but the best in anything and everything she does in the future. Also, I would like to thank the other teachers and assistants who were so caring and loving towards my child, Ms.Lashay & Ms. Raquel. Both ladies were always wonderful with the kids and parents, very patient, great communication and also deserve some recognition for what they have done...