New Horizon vs Children's World-Eagan (From Knowledge Learning Corporation)

DO NOT PUT YOUR CHILD IN NEW HORIZON!!!!!!!!!!! I would not recommend any of the chain daycare centers, I have heard bad things about childrens world too, but have only worked at new horizon. IT IS HORRIBLE!!! I couldn't stand the way the children were treated, so found a job as a nanny intstead. The directors (or whoever gives tours) are trained to "sell" the daycare, and are very good at making it look good. But it is not at all the way they say it is. In the infant area, young babies are left laying on the floor unattended with the older walking babies, which I consider very dangerous. I have seen it done with the 2 month old babies! If a 1 yr old decided to wrestle with them... they could be hurt pretty badly! In the toddler room... i was with the younger toddlers, and there was another teacher for the older toddlers. she couldn't stand most of the kids, or their parents. she was very mean to the kids, but nice to the parents so they liked her. she would dissapear to talk on the phone for an hour... and leave me with 14 toddlers alone. The legal limit for 1 teacher is 7 toddlers. They also had teachers that were not quailified teachers, the director made fake school transcripts for licensing. I saw many things happen there. My son went there when I worked there... he was in the infant room, and the infants were almost always completely separate from the teachers. they left them alone, not even in view most of the time. I have heard similar stories from friends I know that worked for children's world. the chains are usually not run very well, but everyone thinks they are good because they are popular. I have heard that the intergenerational learning center on pilot knob is good. Especially for Children on Yankee doodle seemed ok too. I toured it for my son, but ended up choosing one in burnsville. I babysit for a family with a baby there, and they like it. I am sure you have already chosen one... i just now saw your post... but i wanted to make sure you know what goes on in new horizon when the parents aren't watching. Good luck to you and your baby!

J.

Hi, I had my son enrolled at the New Horizons on Federal Drive (off of Yankee Doodle/Pilot Knob) for about a year...then I had my 2nd baby and stayed home full-time. We'd checked out a bunch of other centers and in-home daycares, and this was the place we felt most comfortable. For a couple of reasons...the director (Shannon) really seemed on top of things, and was really nice. I liked that they had video cameras in every room that fed into the director's office so that she could see what was going on at all times. When my son first started, they had a bunch of turnover of staff, which was h*** o* my son, but eventually, got some great teachers in!

My son had recently entered the preschool program when my other son was born, and actually I was glad that I was able to keep him home...there were some kids who would say things, act out things, etc, that my son would repeat, but that kind of thing happends everywhere. You wouldn't have that issue with a 4-month-old however.

My dh and I had debated a long time about in-home daycare vs. a center and in the end we decided a center would be better. Both have advantages and disadvantages. However, with the center, and with the cameras, the director knows what's going on at all times. Everyone is background checked. Plus, whenever you hear of tragedies happening on the news, it's always at an in-home daycare...I think just cause there are so many other people around to relieve someone if they're feeling stressed, etc. That was a huge comfort to me (I had a friend whose toddler was shaken at an in-home daycare...he's now almost 3, and has issues with communicating.

Hope I didn't scare you!! Tour everywhere, ask LOTS of questions! (I think you can find a list of questions on the internet.) This is YOUR baby--you need to send him somewhere you feel comfortable. Get references (I know that's what you're doing now). :) It's SO hard bringing your baby to daycare!! Good luck!!!
~S.

Check out www.craigslist.com, click on Minneapolis and then childcare. There were a lot of posts today with infant openings.
Or try mnchildcare.org you can find local providers there as well.
I haven't heard too many good things about the new horizon off of Cliff road.
Good luck

My daughter was in the New Horizon off of Cliff Rd. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE... I have Nothing but complaints! The director was a jerk, snoopy-nosey, and created many problems for me. I worked at the Proex in front of the New Horizon the parking lots touch so I could easily walk over whenever I wanted and I did just that. I found my toddler left unattended with the other toddlers on SEVERAL occasions. Noone in the room, nooone noticed I was there for atleast 3-5min. My daughter was bit so hard (I know those things happen) that it drew blood and looked like a gigantic hickey with clear as day teeth impressions. I could count how many teeth the biter had. Noone told me about this, at dinner time I noticed when I took her long sleaved shirt off. I immediately ran her to Proex took professional pictures and tried to ask the director the next day what happened. "Oh it didn't happen here" Ok my daughter is a ONLY child and I sure the heck didn't bite her. She ended up calling child protection on me. Yah good thing I had those professional pictures two weeks later. I was interrogated by the police and everything. But those pictures saved my butt. That is just insane that I would bite my own child. Anyways I hate that place. The infant room teachers would have pop cans sitting on the toddler eating table clear reach of children. They were really bad about breakfast too. I would show up well before breakfast started but they must have just not felt like feeding her. I yanked my daughter out of that center and put her in Especially for Children it's in Eagan and it was wonderful. I hate to be so biased at New Horizon but I want to get the word out there. Did I mention I left Proex to be a traveling photographer for preschools and daycares and every New Horizon I went into was bad. Especially the Mall of America one I saw a 3 yr.old get loose and escaped out of the daycare and noone cared. I have a friend that worked at a New Horizon too and she will back me up on how bad they are. I did have my daughter at a Children's World in Bloomington before we moved when she was a infant and didn't have any major problems but wasn't all that thrilled. KinderKare, Especially for Children and Montessori's are pretty good. I hope this helps.

I haven't really heard anything good about new horizon...I have heard some bad things about that place. Only as overall...not very detailed

Hi,

I don't have any advice on either center, but have you considered an in-home daycare? You can get a list of all licensed in-home daycare providers from the county. Just contact Dakota County Community Services and they'll send you a list off all licensed providers within a specified radius of your home or work. From there you can do your research to see who has openings, you can talk to the provider to get a general feel for them to see if you two mesh, you can interview the provider, and also do a background check and see if there has been any license violations or complaints. I just put my 15 month old girl in daycare so the anxiety, fear, and stress of finding someone you can trust with the most important thing in your life is very fresh. From my research, I was much more relaxed sending her to a loving home with just a few kids as opposed to a comercial center where you don't know who is coming and going (what I mean by that is delivery drivers and other people who may have the opportunity to come in contact with the kids). I hope this can be of some help to you!

Good luck,

R.

I used to work at the Childrens World Eagan North. If you want more information email me I am willing to tell you more. ____@____.com