A Step Ahead Day School

I would not recommend this place at all!!!! My son went here for 6months. We loved the daycare before this one so we didnt know the issues a daycare could have. I picked up my son multiple times and he had marks. (Blood bitten out of him, entire bottom lip busted, swollen nose like someone hit him, scratches all over his face, bug bites all down the left side of his body, 2 nail marks dug in his neck from someone grabbing him by the neck, etc). He only went 3 days a week and this was basically weekly. Every time I would ask what happened, I always got the answer "I dont know". Then my little boy pinched another little boys neck. I asked if he had marks and the director said yes. I asked if she seen them she said no..i asked if she seen pics and she said no. She and the owner claimed my son choked the little boy (thats what the mom called and said). So I asked if they had spoken with their staff because their staff said he pinched the side of the kids neck. They both said no they hadnt spoken to the staff & was just going on what the other mom said. Wow. If that doesnt tell you how unprofessional this place is. So we had a meeting. At the meeting the 2 staff had written statements of what they saw. 1 said they saw my son pinch the side of the little boys neck. And 1 said they saw my son squeeze the side of the little boys neck..(nothing at all about choking, this is also the day my son had the nail marks in the side of his neck that no1 knows where they came from. They even tried to lie and say he did it to himself which isnt at all possible because I just filed his nails all the way down the night before so he couldnt even scratch if he tried) so then at the meeting with the director and owner they told me that this has been going on the last 4 months (my little boy doing things to other kids). Well I told them about and showed them all the pictures I had, which the director & owner were already aware of because I already mentioned most of this to them at different times but they always shrugged it off and said "toddlers do things", which is true except when my boy did things apparently. They both admitted their problem with him is because he is delayed. The director never remembers anything, she should be drug tested because she seems highly medicated, she is all over the place and can't remember one convo to the next. Then they tell me my son has been "shadowed" by an employee the last 4 months because he is delayed and they didn't want him to "hurt" anyone else because he has tried. So I asked Kathy, owner "if he has had a shadow watching him all the time like you say, then how come yall never know where any of his marks come from when I ask and why wasnt I told the numerous of times I have asked how he is doing instead of getting "he does great" from everyone, the owner Kathy says "you are told what you need to know and thats it!".. what! She also said "my gag order with my employees is if a parent has any questions they need to come to me, not the employees". Kathys exact words at our meeting. Which she is never with my child so why doesn't she want you to be able to ask their specific care giver how they are doing?? Also his therapists (3 of them) have all said they have never seen him being "shadowed" until the last 2 weeks when his class moved up and the little ones moved up to his class. At one point I asked why he couldn't move up? The owner Kathy says because he is "special needs". When I told my sons Dr this, he laughed and said "where is her medical degree to diagnose a 2 year old". So just beware of this place. I didnt have another option for daycare and I got to the point where I was about to shut down my business and become a SAHM just because I didnt feel comfortable leaving my boy there! But God is great all the time and now we have a new place for my boy! His last day here was Aug 22. Also, I have the conversation recorded & pics of my boys boo boos.