Daycare sets the stage for the rest of your child’s educational journey, so it’s important to take the choice seriously.
Daycare helps prepare children for the classroom, keeps them safe, encourages the development of vital life skills and allows parents to return to work with a little less to worry about. Searching for the best program to fit your family’s needs can be a weighty undertaking.
With that in mind, we took a closer look at some of the top daycare programs in the Chesapeake area according to parents’ reviews on Google. Here’s some key things to know about each of them, along with input from parents about their experiences.
The following daycare programs were selected based on the criteria of having at least 20 reviews, being in the Chesapeake area and having high ratings on Google as of Sept. 3, prior to the deadline for this story.
Hana’s Daycare and Education
Rating on Google: 5.0
11431 Odenton Road, Odenton, MD 21113
The curriculum at this child care center guides children from infancy through 4 years of age. For 2-year-olds like Baek’s son (see parent review), that would include play, imagination, science, sensory activities and art. The activities for 2-year-olds include pre-writing, music, colors and identifying animals, flowers and trees.
hanadaycare.com
All in the Family Early Learning Center
Rating on Google: 4.7
921 Andrews Road, Glen Burnie, MD 21060
This daycare offers programming for children from infancy through preschool. The infant care program mimics home routines to make the transition to a new environment less stressful. Parent reviews cite a safe environment, clear communication and potty training assistance.
aitfelc.org
Themba Creative Learning Center
Rating on Google: 4.9
6715 Cipriano Road, Lanham, MD 20706
Themba Creative Learning Center offers programming for children from infancy through pre-kindergarten, with extracurricular classes and camps. The center’s infant curriculum focuses on cognitive development, language and communication, physical development and health and social and emotional development. Parent reviews cite children’s skill gains, an educational focus and staff investment.
thembalc.com
The Learning Express
Rating on Google: 4.8
7231 Ritchie Highway, Suite D, Glen Burnie, MD 21061
This center offers care for children from 6 weeks to
6 years old. The Learning Express uses a play-based creative curriculum. Parent reviews cite peace of mind, strong security measures and improving children’s social skills.
facebook.com/thelearningexpresslearningcenter
Water Babies Child Development Center
Rating on Google: 4.9
14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707
This daycare serves children from 6 weeks through 5 years of age. Water Babies highlights include an app where the teachers can regularly share photos, videos and news with parents. Parent reviews cite positive experiences with staff, a warm environment and children’s skill gains.
waterbabiesdc.com
Parent Review
Chesapeake Family Life reached out to each of the selected daycares for parent comment and received the following response provided by staff of Hana’s Daycare and Education from the parent of a 2-year-old currently enrolled at the center:
“We absolutely love Ms. Hanaa and are so lucky to send our 2-year-old son here. My son suffers from severe eczema and food allergies, so at other daycares, we had negative experiences, but Ms. Hanaa goes out of her way to keep my son comfortable so he can learn and enjoy his time there! He comes home every day with a new arts and craft activity he did, and even when he’s home, he keeps mentioning Ms. Hanaa’s name (He likes her that much!). All the kids greet him when he comes in and leaves, and you can tell they’re a happy bunch. Make sure you get on the waitlist early! Once a family starts, they rarely leave (Give yourself about a year, haha),” says Priscilla Baek.
Note: Hana’s Daycare is the name of the facility, but its owner/operator’s name is Hanaa Hamood.
