Stepping Stones Kids Academy — Local services in Redmond

Our family has had an incredible experience at Stepping Stones Academy. We enrolled at their new location in June 2021, at the height of COVID, and both our kids have thrived ever since. Our elder child (5) has been attending for over 3 years, and our younger one (3) has been there for 2 years.

Dharitri and Latika, the school’s directors, have treated us like extended family, ensuring our kids feel loved and cared for. They’ve always been open to feedback, adjusting classes when needed, such as moving our older child to an advanced class to better match her learning needs.

From a learning perspective, I can’t say I have a comparative benchmark against other Montessori schools. Some parents have mentioned switching to traditional Montessori programs for more structured learning. For our family, though, Stepping Stones has been perfect for our needs as two full-time working parents. Knowing that we can drop off the kids early in the morning and pick them up later in the evening without worry has been a game-changer for us.The teachers are warm and gentle, many of whom have been with the school since it opened. The kids enjoy fresh meals daily, including soups, lentils, and fruits. In general, junk food like Pizza cakes has been eliminated for the most part. For us as working parents, knowing our kids are well-cared for during long days has been a huge relief.

While the school doesn’t have camera monitoring and the latest gizmo, communication is excellent—Dharitri or Latika are always just a text away. Our 3+ years here reflect our trust in the care and environment provided. We couldn’t be happier with...

This is by far the absolute worst place to send your child. If you care about your child's safety and well-being, stay far, far away. For starters, their kitchen is absolutely disgusting—filthy beyond belief. It’s appalling to think they prepare meals for children in such unhygienic conditions.

On top of that, I strongly believe they have undocumented workers employed there, which raises serious safety and legal concerns. Speaking of illegal activities, let me highlight another shady practice: they openly take cash payments, give you a discount, and then don’t report it in their books. This is blatant tax fraud—under-the-table money to dodge taxes. And here’s the kicker: I’m convinced they’re overcrowding the facility with more children than they’re legally allowed to have, all because of their underhanded cash dealings.

If that wasn’t bad enough, one of the owners is incredibly nosy and unprofessional. She intruded into my personal life, involving herself in my divorce case and even made false accusations against me, all to support my ex-partner. This is beyond inappropriate and completely unacceptable.

In short, this place is terrible for children, toxic for parents, and a legal disaster waiting to happen. Avoid this place...

This is the most AMAZING childcare I have ever came across with. The teachers are so loving/positive/gentle and treat each child as their own and always go above and beyond to care for each child. The directors are not only kind/caring and thoughtful but always supportive and do what’s best for each child’s needs! My first impression of the school was sanitation, education, organization and structure was important to them. I was impressed with how children were being educated along with the amount of exposure to many different holidays and many fun events especially during the summer. My daughter has a rare syndrome and requires lots of help and everyone at the daycare helps with any challenges she comes across, helps her to learn and makes sure she keeps up with other kids her age which is more helpful than her therapist at times since it’s a daily routine. This daycare isn’t just a daycare but a learning center where my daughter is thriving! With her syndrome, I haven’t felt any stress watching her so excited to go to school, being educated, having many different experiences with cultures and food and the positive consistent experiences. We have been there for 4 years now and plan on staying as long...