Kiddie Academy of Staten Island - Great Kills - Permanently Closed

My son has been attending KA for just over a year and he absolutely loves it there, as do I. He started when he was 1 and while he transitioned to being in daycare, the teachers were loving and warm. It was a relief to me that he felt safe and cared for. During thunderstorms, I would see him cuddled up in the teachers lap. As he got more comfortable, his language exploded and we are amazed by the things he says at 2 years old. He comes home with cute crafts and will often tell me "I had fun!" when I pick him up. All of the teachers say hello to us when they see me at drop off or pick up and are overall very welcoming. Pat, the assistant director, is an absolute gem of a person. I was a nervous wreck as a first time mom sending my son to daycare but she comforted me and never made me felt overbearing or annoying with my questions. Kathi, the director, started a few months after my son and you can see how much she really loves the kids and also cares about their family. We are moving next month and we are SO sad to have to pull our son out of KA into a new daycare. I truly feel comfortable with my son in their care and more importantly, he feels safe, cared for, and is having a ton of fun while learning.

Kiddie Academy in Great Kills is a place where the kids are happy. The environment is healthy and transparent, all parents have access to cameras, and can see their children any time. The curriculum is great, and kids are learning a ton of new skills. During playtime, kids are able to develop their pretend and functional play under the supervision and participation of teachers. Two times a day, kids play outside on day care' s playground with slides, monkey bars, balls, and sprinklers on hot days. Besides all regular activities, there are often different activities like puppet shows and singing with musicians who also play different musical instruments. Actually, one of the puppet shows was today. Kids were participating as well. I was with that amazing daycare for the year , the kids are happy and well cared, the place all ages kiddos would be happy and safe

I sent my daughter here for “ camp”. It wasn’t camp. It was their regular day care program. My child came home with no artwork, no crafts, literally 0 stimulation and direction. They’re napping these kids for 2 hours!! In addition the camera is not beneficial, no one is held accountable and the staff from teacher to administration is unprofessional. My daughter was struggling and the teacher said “ will you ever stop, is this all you know how to say.” The administration didn’t do much about it. I asked for a refund being my child was unhappy they didn’t even offer my partial $ back. There is no sense of nurturing to the students in my daughters class, this experience was a nightmare. They let me , I have 2 more daughters and would have given plenty of recommendations… this is the last week and I won’t even bother sending her.

If I would give this place 0 stars I would. I took my son to this place for few days, and didn't like the fact that the staff were not friendly towards the students. One child was picked up by the bookbag and placed in a corner, then when my son was taken outside, he had no jacket on in a winter time. When I addressed these issues with a director and asked for a refund she told me that there are no refunds and pulled out her contract even though it was few days after the program has started. I wouldn't be so upset if it was just about money however, the treatment that we received was horrible. I would never write anything that's negative unless I truly feel in my heart it deserves this rating. I also felt disappointed that neither director nor anyone else reached out after to check in with us, but yet they were super quick to take the money I guess like a true corporation. I feel there are way better places on the Island than this place one may keep that in mind. Response to the owner's response: the place that I am actually referring to is Kiddie Academy of Staten Island-Great Kills Preschool in Staten Island, New York Address: 125 Greaves Ln, Staten Island, NY 10308 not any other place unfortunately.

My daughter is currently in the 3 year old program and I couldn’t be happier. Her teachers and the staff here are amazing!! She has found a love for school, made great friends and is learning so much. I love that their curriculum is play based...so learning is always fun! They also take them outside to the playground often and go on nature walks! I would definitely recommend this program.