Horizon Daycare

My child attended this daycare from January 2023 through October 2024. While we had positive experiences with some of the teachers who genuinely cared for the kids, there were far too many concerning incidents and a clear lack of accountability from leadership. On one occasion, I arrived to find my 17-month-old daughter strapped into a seat similar to a Bumbo, crying while the class watched a movie. The teacher casually said, “She’s not having it today.” My child doesn’t watch movies, and I don’t send her to daycare to be restrained and pacified in front of a screen. When I addressed it with Brandy, the owner, I was told it was because “everything was cleaned up” for the day—an unacceptable reason to confine a toddler. Another time, I witnessed a teacher yelling at a one-year-old who had bitten another child—again, strapped in a seat as punishment. On a separate day, I walked up to hear teenage staff yelling at a child for not sharing, rather than redirecting or teaching them appropriately. I brought these incidents to Brandy’s attention, and nothing was ever done. Communication was another major issue. Any time I emailed Brandy, it took days to get a response—if I got one at all. The typical excuse was, “I didn’t see your email.” Meanwhile, multiple staff members shared that my husband and I were being talked about by leadership for being “too uppity,” simply because we expected basic standards of care and communication. The food situation was also disappointing. The menu sent to parents was rarely followed, and there was no communication about substitutions, which violates Michigan childcare guidelines. Meals listed as “pasta and sauce” turned out to be ramen noodles, and Pop-Tarts were a regular snack—zero nutritional value for growing toddlers. Overall, while there were moments of good care, the lack of professionalism, poor communication, and concerning behavior from both staff and leadership made us ultimately decide to leave. While I am not leaving this review to bash the business, and I realize everyone has their own experiences, I am posting this as an honest review of OUR experience and why we ultimately decided to pull our toddler and not send our newest baby. I waited months after leaving to write this because I just wasn’t ready to post it until now. I hope this feedback encourages improvements for the sake of the children in their care.

Although we only spent a couple months here, those two months were absolutely wonderful. My toddlers loved "going to school" every week and were so well cared for! Not only was there ample play time, but significant outdoor time, intentional activities, thorough learning lessons, and great teachers. I really noticed my kids flourish while at Horizon Daycare. The only reason we had to depart is due to relocation of our family. We are hoping that with a second location in the pipeline, we can come back to this facility because it was truly wonderful!

This is not just a daycare. It is a learning center. The staff is kind and caring. They are responsive to the kids needs and interaction with them is positive. There is a strong sense of community. They are welcoming at pick up and drop off. The activities and projects keep the kids engaged. The outdoor space fantastic and gives the kids time to burn energy to help focus on education. They have secure entry and exit procedures and the staff is vigilant in keeping the kids safe. The center is clean and it obvious that cleanliness is a priority. Since starting at Horizon my grandkids motor skills and language skills have improved. They are learning something new everyday. My grandkids have become more confident and they have learned how to make friends and interact socially. My family would not consider another daycare/learning center.

So happy with my experience at Horizon Daycare. The staff all genuinely care about my child - they keep him clean, safe, and happy! I love the arts and crafts they do (even with the littles!) and am so happy they get the children outside when it is nice out as well. They are always willing to work with you and accommodate to what your child needs. Would recommend to anyone in need of childcare in the Ionia area!

So grateful for this amazing daycare! They provide such great care for kiddos. Kids have fun learning things. They are safe and communicate well if anything happens with kiddos. Love all the cute projects they do with kids! Kids have their blankets and mats for nap time! Wonderful daycare!