Willowdale Childrens Academy

Our son attends Willowdale Children’s Academy in Avondale, Pennsylvania. I want to share what a great experience it has been for him, and how he has blossomed there. When you walk in, the building is beautiful, and you can really tell thought and care was put into its design. There are murals from familiar children’s stories on the walls. Watching our son identify the stories and hearing him sing the songs associated with the murals is so meaningful to me. All the classroom doors are decorated with fun themes that change with the seasons. Inside the classrooms, the kids’ most recent art projects are hanging up for everyone to admire. I love how our son beams with pride when he shows me his latest creation. The staff is friendly, supportive, and caring. Our son loves his teachers, and they truly care about him. He loves to stop to say hello to the Director, Ms. Tacy, every morning. I am always so impressed when she unfailingly puts aside whatever she is doing to return his greeting, and give him her full attention. It also impresses me how the Director and the teachers are always willing to listen to any issue, problem solve, and quickly implement an appropriate solution. For example, our son didn’t want to nap during nap time because he sometimes had accidents while he was napping. We decided a pull-up was appropriate for nap time, and then the teachers discreetly implemented this solution right away. The staff also made sure that I was aware of CCIU’s screening process for developmental delays, when it was apparent that our son was a little behind with his speech, language, and attention skills. With their help, we were able to get him screened at the center, and have an IEP developed to address the issues. They accommodate the CCIU’s staff visits right within the center, during his normal hours there. He has gotten the right help, and is making so much progress! The best review I can give is to say that our son truly enjoys “school” and is eager to go and “play” each morning. The staff does academic work that is right for his age, but I am very glad it is presented in a fun way. I’m so grateful that our son feels that his main activity is play, since play is exactly what he should be doing at age four.

My son has been going to Willowdale for a couple years, and will be returning next year. I can't say enough good things about this place; the staff is amazingly caring and more than capable of basic child care. My son has learned so much and his development has excelled faster than I would have imagined thanks to his wonderful teachers. His social skills have blossomed because of his daily interaction with peers and adults. I am very pleased with how my child has progressed at Willowdale. If you have any questions about whether or not you should have your child attend, I can assure you this is an awesome place and you should definitely enroll. Thank you Willowdale!

I switched my children to Willowdale about two months ago now. I was nervous at first because it's a new place. I was nervous about how my kids would like it and how they would behave. It speaks volumes that my kids don't cry at drop off and they're in good mood when I pick them up. Miss Leia potty trained my son in two months and I've been working on it for a year. I like that the classes (age groups) are smaller.. definitely makes me feel like my child is getting the attention that I want them to have. Miss Tacy and Miss Jackie are always available for me and any questions that I have.

Nothing but great things to say about this home away from home for my daughter. We moved to Maryland almost 4 years ago and decided to start a family. I enrolled my daughter at WCA and was amazed at how much love and care they provide for each child. I appreciate the teachers’ dedication and commitment they display everyday. I highly recommend this facility and I trust the director will continue to make it a great learning environment for each and every child.

My husband and I have trusted Willowdale-Avondale with the care of our two children for three years now. The teachers are wonderful and caring. They have a lot of extra activities always planned (field trips, class parties, pajama days, soft pretzel snack days, etc), and our kids are always smiling when we pick them up and excited to tell us what they did that day!