Your Kids Our Kids

There is no such thing as a perfect childcare arrangement. People don't choose daycare because it's cheaper, people choose daycare because they want their child care providers supervised in a way that you simply can't supervise a nanny. Plus, daycare has social advantages that a single caregiver set up just doesn't have.

My child attended YKOK for about a year. Some of his teachers were great, but overall I found the management disappointing. Besides yearly curriculum meetings there is little regular communication with parents, and asking some of the teachers for an update on my child's day was sometimes like pulling teeth.

I regularly had to notify the director that the state mandated teacher to child ratios were not being adhered to in my child's class. There should be 1 teacher to every 3 kids at his age--I routinely found one teacher for every six kids and once or twice found one teacher with 12 kids. I realize that teachers work an 8 hour day, and the center is open for longer than that so some shuffling around in the morning and evening is necessary. However, it is inappropriate for a parent to have to bring overcrowded situations to the attention of the director.

When my child was about 8 months old he was bitten by another child. The incident itself wasn't so disturbing (this must be a frequent occurrence in day care) but I wasn't happy with the way YKOK handled this. I wasn't notified until I called to check on my child. His teacher told me what happened. I followed up with the director, asking what the protocol was in such situation. She said that there is no protocol. Seems to me that such a common occurrence should have a set procedure of informing parents, telling them how to monitor for infection, etc. This also bothered me because at 8 months, my kid was no yet mobile. I felt he was a bit of a sitting duck with the older kids in his class. There seemed to be a large spread of ages, and at the beginning and end of each day classes are combined. Although I was assured otherwise by the teachers at YKOK, I always felt this was kind of a dangerous situation for the little guys.

Kids are fed toast and waffles as snacks in the morning. This was helpful for me, especially when my child was going through some separation anxiety. He arrived at about 9:30, a couple hours after breakfast and was pretty easily distracted by a snack. What I disagree with is that kids are allowed to walk around with food, which is a choking hazard. This is a good example of the general lack of discipline at YKOK. Why not just sit kids at the table to eat?

For logistical reasons babies don't go outside. I was really happy when my child was promoted to the one-year-old classroom for a number of reasons. One was that they start going outside, although I didn't feel they went outside as often as they could have. On days that I thought were perfectly beautiful weather I was told it was too cold. I tend to bundle my kid up and take him out no matter what the weather, so I found this a little disappointing.

In general, the teachers in the one year old room are great, though. They are incredibly loving and caring and organize educational and fun activities.

The final straw for me was seeing three of the teachers regularly taking cigarette breaks outside of the school. I realize that you can't really control what people do on their breaks, but I found it wholly inappropriate for preschool teachers to be smoking.

We ultimately got off of the waiting list at a school which is much better suited to our needs. The school provides regular communication with parents, has a narrower age spread in each class, defines the curriculum much more clearly, has rules about no running and eating while seated. When I asked the head teacher if any teachers smoked, she looked at me like I was crazy. It's also a much cleaner facility.

There aren't a lot of daycare options in this neighborhood, and I don't think I could admit to myself how disappointed I was until we found an alternative. So, I guess I'd say YKOK is ok, but I found an option that is much better for my family.

Both my kids go to this school. They started when they were just three months old. My 3 year old has made such amazing progress he loves school he is interested in everything art, books numbers and especially other kids. He's such a social guy and its really thanks to the school. My daughter is just a few months old and as hard as its been to leave her I feel confident knowing she will be well taken care of and happy. It might not be the most beautiful school in the world or the most quiet place. But its warm and safe and filled with love. This school is a good fit for our family and a really good school.

As a parent, I think this is one of the best preschools in NYC. I was specially impressed with the caliber and professionalism of the management. The staff is loving and caring and very devoted to the children. The school uses the Bank Street Method, which ensures the children have a wonderful experience of learning through playing.

I was a parent on a recent tour as well and I had a total opposite opinion about this school along with many other parents with me. If you were listening, the teacher had said they were doing a supermarket theme and the items were all in boxes for this very reason. The reason there are no walls as the director had said the school is a community based school so the classrooms work well together and the noise is not an issue to anyone there. The community based schools also let children have much easier transitions becaue they know who their teachers are. This is something my husband and I really liked. I'm looking forward to enroll my child at this school.

I love, love, love this school. This is a great school. If you can get in, you'll have a great expereince there. I just saw another posters comments and wanted to respond. I can't believe someone would give a review like that after a tour. How ridiculuous. But figured I'd respond to their obsurd comments. One, there is great security at the school. You just can't walk up, open the door and enter like in a middle school or high school. You have to identify yourself and be buzzed in. Two, the director and the teachers are very hands on. Very responsive and very involved in the kids life. Safety and the welfare of the kids are their highest priorities. Now that I've gotten that off my chest let me tell you why I love this school. My little girl goes there. Since she was a little, little baby. And she couldn't be happier. The teachers know everything there is to know about her. About her interests and her wants. What makes her tick. I am very, very impressed by the director of the school. She's a Doctor. An expert in early childhood education. And did I mention that she's a Dr? You simply won't find that at other day cares and preschools in the city. She has lots of creative, open minded ideas about how to help my child. She a really creative and immaginative thinker. The best thing about the school if you ask me! Anyway that's it. You will love this school. My family does too!

I recently toured this school for my infant, only to be so appalled by the conditions here, that I would rather pay extra for a nanny than send my child here. The place was filthy, messy and overrun with empty boxes, overwhelmingly loud, the infant staff seemed listless. I witnessed a baby sitting in a highchair in the corner being completely ignored and then eventually dragged by the leg of the highchair into the middle of the room to be fed. The baby could easily have fallen out. There was no soundproofing in the infant room, so how these babies sleep is beyond me - as the school is all open plan, with no separated rooms and the noise travels. Though its true the infant room is separate with a glass partition, it does not seal off floor to ceiling. There were very few toys in the infant room, if any. It was a dull unstimulating place. Security also seemed non-existent as people walked in and out with little or no interaction from the director. I would never normally take the time to write such a review, but I was so distressed by my visit here, that I felt compelled to warn other parents. The only draw was that it was cheaper than the other daycares, but my child's safety and well-being is worth the extra $200!

I love this place. My son goes there and he loves it too. The teachers really care about him and he really cares about them. It's wonderful to hear you son say that he loves his teachers. He actually looks forward to going there in the AM. He really has a great time at the school. And the place is a school. It's not a mindless day care where they just try to get your child through the day. They really try to teach your children. One day a week there's a French teacher, another day there's a special art teacher (in addition to the regular art they do in class) a movement/yoga teacher and friendly fun lady who comes and sings songs. But that's just the speciality teachers. The regular teachers that are there day in and day out do a great job. Really teaching him. And not just his ABCs. He'll learn that. Never met an adult who didn't know how to count to ten. But the school also really wants him to like being in school - start socializing him for elementary school. They're all about making him feel comfy in a school environment. Getting him comfy with other kids. And if you have special issues/needs, the principal will help you out. They recently invited the parents to a lecture on how to get your kid into a good elementary school. (We don't need that quite yet I'm happy to say but it's good to know it's there when I do.) They also sing a clean up song in class when it's time for them to go onto the next activity. "Clean up, clean up...everybody clean up." Now, when we want him to clean up at home, we sing the song too. The teachers also help get your children through potty training. They are very nurturing and caring. The teachers there are also always inviting me to sit in on a class or come along to a special trip. They took the kids to a farm where they could pet and feed animals. They're not trying to be parents to your children. Just good teachers. And they are. I can't say enough nice things about this school.

My son has a very high level of energy and is always into everything. I used a nanny for the first two years and when the terrible 2's hit I decided to try a daycare. It is a good match up. They can handle all that little boy energy. He's busy and even tired at the end of the day. I can finally relax a little too.

My son is what people call "high energy" and has what some call "special needs". In other words, he requires a lot of attention. Other "experts" told me that he had all sorts of problems. So, after going to a few schools, we transfered him into Your Kids. I'm so glad we did. Everyone there couldn't have been nicer or warmer. The director and all his teachers always paid attention to my concerns. The director always had time for me and always had creative, compasionate solutions to complicated problems. My son is now in a very good elementary school and is thriving there. They did a very good job of preparing him for school and making him feel comfortable around other kids. Whenever a new parent asks me where they should send there little one, I always say they should go to Your Kids. They really care about the children there.

I don't know whats up with these reviews. Never had any of the troubles listed here? I go back and see my kid all the time. The management has been really great and responsive. I'm really happy with the place. Are they talking about the same school?

As the Director of YKOK I would like to respond to these anonymous attacks on our school. Our policy is that parents are always allowed to see their children. We do however ask that they do not come during naptime 12:30-2:30 as the lights are out and it can be dangerous (i.e., disturbing sleeping children). We try as a team to respond to all needs and troubles concerning the families in our school as best we can. We take the concerns of our parents very seriously. Also we have no set drop off pick up policy. Parents are welcome to go into classrooms only when it is extremely busy do we ask parents to wait in the front. To the women who wrote about broken toys we make sure that in the baby room batteries are not installed to prevent shocks but still allow them to play with play telephone and toys that can be used with or without batteries. We have two custodians on staff to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, which we take very seriously in our school. I encourage the people who wrote these reviews to contact me. We are in this business because we love children. That is the purpose of our school and the reason I became a director.

I was misled by the director (who said I'd be able to visit my child whenever I wanted and then said I couldn't); crying children were left unattended; the management couldn't have been less helpful or responsive about problems; I hated the drop-off and pick-up policy (you couldn't go into your child's classroom). I can't recommend it.

As a parent, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children are safe and happy in a child care environment that is fun, educational, and nurturing. Your Kids Our Kids keep well-run, orderly classrooms that encourage children to participate in and enjoy learning. The teachers use many creative ways to help children learn language and the director has always been welcoming, caring and informative. I am so glad my daughter has a protective environment to spend her days in while I am at work!

I went to look at Your Kids Our Kids when I was researching centers for my now 8 month old daughter. The school is run down and unsanitary. They wouldn;t even let me in to the nursery to look at where my daughter would have been cared for. It was the dead of winter and there was a toddler without pants or socks playing in a dingy room with broken toys...the teacher explained he had had "an accident" and therefore had no pants? I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

This place is not a good choice. I took my child out. The management is poor, the facility unsanitary and the quality of care is weak overall. And I know a lot of other unhappy parents, so I am skeptical of all these 'positive' comments.

My baby goes here and I have always felt included and informed. They offer lots of classes French, art, music and yoga. The school is well run and they offer lots of particulars like organic milk and extended days. I couldnt hope for a better program for my 5 month old.

Although the teachers are very caring for the kids, I would not recommend this center for a newborn. There is little interaction with the parents and it does not seem to have a clear curriculum.

...Kids Our Kids to any parent. It is a wonderful and nurturing learning environment for my child. The entire staff is caring and warm with children and parents alike.

My child has been going to Your Kids since she was very little. I've always been impressed by the teachers there. They seem to really care for the children they look after. Sending your child to school can be a bit nerve racking. But everyone went out of there way to make me feel comfortable about the experience. My little girl is very happy there. And if she's happy, so are we! The teachers also have great, fun, interesting ways of teaching the children.

I love the school my child has been going there since he was three months old. The teachers are warm and caring. And the children thrive under their care. I highly recommend this school.

I wouldn't recommend choosing this place if you have a choice. Not very well managed, high turn over of kids and staff.