Big Blue Marble Academy Collegedale

Our son was at Big Blue Marble Academy - Collegedale and all of us were pleased with the experience. He looked forward to going to “school” every day; and as parents, we felt very comfortable with the individuals staffing his classes and the overall culture of the institution. From top down, the staff took pride in the work that they were doing, and it showed in the care and affection that they took for my son. We are very grateful to them. It was also neat to be able to get the updates and pictures throughout the day on the app.

Great daycare. They take really good care of my child. The environment is very welcoming. They keep you up to date on your child daily activities. The staff is nice and respectful. The facility is always clean.

Our son has been going here for 9 months and loves it! The teachers encourage independence and milestones with the kiddos, while giving them all the attention they need and to feel content. Most days my son jumps from my arms to go find his teacher! Would recommend to anyone looking.

It's been about a year and a half since I pulled my child out. But I feel our story should be shared. My child was freshly 2 years old when she started there. I told them we were waiting on our appointment with Siskin for autism assessment which can take FOREVER to get in. She wasn't able to communicate, and still is not able to communicate. She did good for a few months, and then they changed directors. One day they pulled me to the front when I arrived to pick her up, and kind of scolded me for my child having gotten out of the classroom. They just have the swinging doors, no door knob, no real security to keep the children in the rooms. They told me I needed to have a serious talk with Emma about not opening doors, but me emphasizing you realize she just turned 2 years old right? They assured me they were capable of handling a child waiting on a diagnosis for autism. Fast forward- my child becomes very vocal, her teacher that used to adore Emma was pregnant and I picked her up one day, and she was visibly fuming. She said she yelled all day long, she yelled through nap time. She told me it was just non stop. And I could see and feel her frustration, so immediately I just never sent Emma back. Quit working days, that very day. Called out for my shifts, fast forward to being at work and seeing a classmates parents. I asked why they pulled their daughter out because she left before EMMA. And they told me it was because they let a child escape the entire building into the PARKING LOT!!!!! And for all I know it could've been Emma. Not sure why there is no security to contain the children inside, hopefully that has changed. The director was extremely rude at the time. I applied for child care assistance and couldn't get it, so I worked more and worked harder. We had sickness going around our household and at one point Emma had Covid, strep throat, and the flu all within 10 days. I asked them about if we could skip a payment, they said absolutely not. They needed a 4 week notice I think and they only allow one week out of the entire year for you to miss and not make a payment. When I signed her up it was supposed to be $265 a week but I never had a charge for less than $284 a week. The staff was not equipped to handle any type of special needs, so if your child is not entirely neurotypical, I would stay far far far away from this place. We never tried daycare again because our experience was SO TERRIBLE. I'm not mentioning EVERY negative thing in these comments, just the worst. But if you let a child escape into the parking lot they put those babies lives at risk!!!! I've waited this long because I didn't want to comment out of emotion, but. After a year and a half I'd say it's safe to say this is just what it is.

We have been so pleased with our daughter’s experience at BBMA Collegedale. The director and staff are very kind, patient, and caring. Her day is filled with a great mix of playtime and learning. We are so fortunate to have peace in knowing our daughter is happy and thriving while we are at work!