VASAIO ATELIER

This is our family’s second review now that we have two children at Vasaio Atelier. Our oldest started in August 2023, and our youngest joined in March 2026. Our oldest is thriving. Vasaio has been the perfect fit for our outdoor-loving, creative boy, and we continue to be amazed by how much he learns and grows there. The kids spend a significant amount of time outdoors—during drop-off, pick-up, and throughout the day—even when the weather isn’t perfect, which we absolutely love. Our daughter had a more challenging transition due to some feeding issues, but the staff was supportive and committed to helping her adjust. She is thriving there now as well. What stands out most is how much the teachers genuinely care for our kids. We can truly feel the love and support every day. We can’t say enough wonderful things about Vasaio and its staff.

I took my child there for a few months in 2023. At first they treat your child like royalty. They praise the child and the parent. Then if your child does anything remotely “bad” they get written up. Who writes up 2 year olds? lol. My child had just turned 2 and had taken a sticker from someone, he got written up. He got upset his spot got taken, written up. Got upset for dad leaving and throwing a fit…The owner will call you and say “your child is unleashed and she can’t loose her employees because they don’t want to deal with children’s tantrums”. I picked him up and we kept him home the rest of the week. Not a single teacher or owner reached out to make sure we were all ok. I bring him back the next Monday and the teachers walked away and refused to take my child who was sleepy and wanted to lay on someone. I then pulled him because no parent should have to deal with that. It looks nice with all the toys and stuff but once your child acts their age they don’t want to deal with it and they write your 2 year old up like they are the worst children they have ever had. That place was the only place to complain about normal 2 year old tendencies. I remember all this like it was yesterday and it’s been over 2 years. I try to tell everyone to stay away from this place but I forgot to leave a review so other parents know to never bring your child here unless you want to deal with that behavior.

I am sharing my gratitude to a group who dedicate their day to provide outstanding care to my child . I always feel included in my child’s day with shared pictures and updates . It is exciting to observe my child developing friendships , engaging in thoughtfully curated educational activities (some that I truly wish I could experience myself ) , and gaining a sense of autonomy. I appreciate the authenticity of the staff who I truly belief make magic happen in the classroom!

Although we did not have any overwhelmingly negative experiences with this daycare, I would not recommend it. Our son was enrolled in May 2024 at 15 months old and attended until August 2025, when he was two and a half. During his time there, the director and owner, Kathy, expressed concern that our son might be autistic. She shared that a worker from the State of Missouri had been present for an inspection and observed what she described as “stimming” behaviors. While we recognized that our son was developing somewhat differently than some of his peers, we did not believe his behaviors warranted that conclusion. Out of an abundance of caution, we had him evaluated by several professionals to ensure he received any necessary support. Ultimately, he was diagnosed only with a speech delay and began speech therapy. Every doctor and specialist we consulted confirmed that he was not on the autism spectrum and expressed surprise that this had been suggested. Kathy had mentioned that her staff would record instances of these behaviors to share with us for medical consultations, but we never received any videos or follow-up documentation. At daily drop-off and pick-up, we consistently received comments such as, “He was great, he had a good day,” which seemed inconsistent with the earlier concerns that had been expressed. When he first started, our son struggled with morning drop-offs, which we attributed to normal separation anxiety. However, we frequently received messages that he had cried for extended periods or was inconsolable—behaviors we did not observe at home or in other environments. We also became concerned to learn that, because of his speech delay, he was spending much of his time in a classroom with younger children. This arrangement seemed counterproductive, as interacting with peers who speak more fluently would have been more beneficial for his language development. Another ongoing concern was the number of mosquito bites he came home with daily, despite our providing bug spray as requested. The number and frequency of bites were troubling, and while we thankfully never had to deal with any related illnesses, the situation raised significant safety and hygiene concerns. I intentionally waited over a month after leaving this daycare before writing a review to ensure I could offer a fair perspective. In the six weeks since transitioning to a new facility, our son has absolutely flourished. He is now in a larger setting with more peers, which has been wonderful for his social and language growth. His vocabulary has expanded rapidly—he is learning two to three new words each day—and drop-offs are now tear-free. At home, his sleep, eating habits, and overall temperament have improved dramatically. Seeing him so happy and thriving now brings us great joy but also makes us reflect on what may have been contributing to his earlier struggles. Every parent wants their child to be safe, happy, and loved. While I am grateful that our current situation provides that, I cannot overlook our past experience. Although I recognize that other families have had positive experiences here, based on our own, I would not personally recommend this daycare.

2 years ago we enrolled our first daughter. As all parents we searched high and low. Visited center after center. Nothing felt great… until we visited Vasaio. It felt comfortable, safe and oh my goodness so much love. Now here we are dropping off our second daughter for her first day of daycare. Unlike the first time there were know scary visits to other centers where you wonder how your child will adapt and if the staff will love them as much as they need. NO! None of that. I knew our second was going to thrive and be loved, cuddled, cared for! There is no greater peace of mind than knowing your children are safe! Kathy and all of the teachers have given us something we can never thank them enough for! Caring for our children and did I mention peace of mind! I never thought it was possible but it is. Anything that has ever given me pause has always been addressed before I can even bring it up. Kathy asks for feedback regularly and you can tell the teachers LOVE their jobs. Like what!!! It makes me want to stay and hang out too! They truly value learning through play and imagination. I am always impressed by what my 3 year old can do and how independent she can be. They value outside time. You can tell there has been so much research done by leaders and teachers on how to foster a fantastic environment for children and how they learn best. I wish I could give 10 stars. They all deserve it! ❤️❤️