R & B Tiny Tykes Daycare

There were genuine strengths in this daycare program, and I want to acknowledge those first. The outdoor space is wonderful, the curriculum is engaging, and my daughter learned a great deal during her time there. The children spent time outdoors, participated in frequent crafts and creative play, and were introduced to things like sign language. We also appreciated the large number of photos and daily journal updates, which helped us feel connected to our daughter’s day. The hired staff were warm and caring, and my daughter especially adored Robert’s gentle and goofy personality. We truly felt that staff members loved the children and wanted the best for them. I also believe Bobbi-Sue genuinely cares deeply about the children in her program and puts tremendous energy into creating an engaging environment. Unfortunately, communication and professionalism became increasingly difficult for our family over time. Concerns we raised as parents were often met with defensive or emotionally reactive responses rather than calm collaboration. Conversations could escalate quickly, even when the original concern was relatively small. Communication through text and Brightwheel often felt emotionally charged, and at times, I was told I communicated poorly. One recurring issue was that our parenting decisions were not always respected when they differed from the daycare’s preferences. There were occasions when our daughter was fed daycare food instead of the food we had packed and sent ourselves. While I believe this likely came from a place of wanting to care for the children, it became frustrating when our requests were not consistently followed. When we requested that only the food we packed be given to our daughter, we were told our 7-month-old “felt sad” watching the other children eat something different, which did not feel developmentally appropriate. Communication became especially difficult toward the end of our time there. After concerns surrounding an injury where we were not informed at all until I discovered the marks at home and reached out myself, our relationship with the daycare deteriorated significantly. During the day, multiple updates and photos were uploaded, indicating she was happy and having a great day, yet no one informed us she had been injured. We reported the lack of communication through the appropriate channels, and Bobbi-Sue retaliated. We also experienced concerns related to confidentiality, professionalism, and boundaries. After attending an open house at another daycare, we were confronted the following day by Bobbie-Sue about it. The interaction left us feeling uncomfortable and closely monitored. We also became aware of private communication being screenshot and shared with other families, which we found concerning from a confidentiality standpoint. Lastly, she shared the details about the child who attacked our daughter, gender, age, and a photo of his hair and clothing, so we knew who it was. Another challenge was that the parent handbook appeared vague and outdated in several areas. Portions had not been updated since 2022 and did not always reflect actual pricing, policies, or practices, which contributed to confusion and inconsistency around expectations and procedures. Reliability was also difficult for our family. During our daughter’s 118 enrolled days, she was sent home 16 times for relatively minor symptoms such as a runny nose, in addition to numerous scheduled closure days, vacation days, emergency closures, and staffing shortages. Out of 118 paid days, she missed 26 days, not including our planned vacation. Overall, I think this program has real strengths in its creativity, outdoor environment, and caring staff members. At the same time, strong communication, professionalism, consistency, confidentiality, and respectful collaboration with parents are essential in childcare settings, and those ultimately became significant concerns for our family. We are genuinely heartbroken that it did not work out because there were aspects of the program and staff our daughter truly loved.