First Steps Kindergarten

First Steps is okay for a local preschool, but it definitely feels a bit old school. The communication from the office about bugs going around isn't always the fastest—I usually find out about a stomach flu from other moms in the group chat before I hear it from the school. They do some cute stuff for the kids like the annual picnic with a clown, but I really wish they'd spend a little more time updating the facility. It's clean enough, I guess, but it feels like it misses that modern focus on wellness and air quality you see at some of the newer centers. It's fine if you just need local care, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Honestly, the staff at First Steps are pretty on top of the whole germ situation, which is a relief with so many toddlers running around! They have a strict '24-hour symptom free' rule before kids can come back, and while it's a pain to miss work, it definitely keeps the classroom plagues to a minimum. My son's room always looks scrubbed down, and they're really good about reminding the kids to wash their hands. Communication is okay—they'll send a quick email if hand-foot-and-mouth or something is going around, though sometimes I wish they'd notify us a little faster. Overall, it’s a clean and safe spot for the little ones.