Centers for New Horizons

To be honest, I’m pretty frustrated with how things are going at Centers for New Horizons. It feels like they are constantly understaffed—I'm seeing job postings for support specialists and paraprofessionals all over Indeed, and you can definitely feel that shortage in the classroom. When kids are being shuffled around because there aren't enough teachers, germs just spread like crazy. The communication about illnesses going around the room is hit or miss, and I’ve had to pick my little one up several times for stuff that probably could have been avoided if they were more on top of the cleaning and student-to-staff ratios. It’s great they have some ties to healthy food initiatives, but that doesn't help much when the actual environment feels chaotic and under-resourced.

My toddler has been at New Horizons for a bit now and honestly, I'm pretty impressed with how they handle germs. With it being a daycare in the city, you expect some bugs to go around, but they are super strict about the sick child policy—if a kid has a fever, they are going home, which I appreciate even if it’s a hassle sometimes! The facility on Cottage Grove always smells clean when I walk in, not like old milk or anything. They also do a great job staying in the loop with us about wellness stuff and community resources since they are more than just a daycare. Only downside is the communication can be a little slow during cold and flu season when everyone is out, but overall it's a solid, healthy spot for my little one.