The Cottage Childcare And Learning Center

It gives me no pleasure but I have to agree with the statements of others regarding the quality of the administration versus the quality of the teaching staff. The teachers are there because they love the kids and love what they do - I'm sure of this because they certainly aren't there because they're being paid or treated well! They do what they can with NO SUPPORT from the administration. This is a for-profit center, and there's no doubt that that is exactly what the owners are focused on. It's not about the kids for them, it's about running a business and turning a profit. Now they just sold the business to the highest bidders, a couple that has NO experience in early childhood education, NO background in child development, etc. And the very first thing that was done is that the outgoing owners promised the parents that the center's very popular and capable director would be staying on, and then like a day later the new owners FIRED her! I'm not going to mention this director by name because I don't know if that's allowed on here, but I will say this; I hope this person opens her own center and if she does I'll be there in a second. If she doesn't, I'll be looking for a new provider that is non-profit, like a church-affiliated center or something. Children shouldn't be seen as dollar signs. more

I took my son to the Cottage a while ago. I have to say I loved the two teachers that took care of him. They genuinely loved him and he misses them to this day. The owners were always nice it seemed, but I could tell that there was a lot of tension between the Owners and their employees. I started to notice that the rooms weren't very sanitary. My son started wetting his pants a lot, and would throw tantrums when I would leave him in the morning. I was paying a lot of money for my son to go there and I felt like I was getting ripped off. A director that worked there, started bad mouthing my son, and it got looped back to me by his teacher. I was very upset that she said anything at all that was negative about my son. I pulled him out of there that day. I respect the teachers that work very hard there, and I too see that they aren't treated well at all. I love where my son is at now, and he does too! I would not recommend sending any child to the Cottage. more

For the reviews below, we would like to take the opportunity to respond to and address some of the concerns. As management and director we are sorry you didn't feel the care met your expectations, that's always our goal. We always have an open door policy and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have. We offer a safe, loving environment to care for and educate children and are proud of what we offer. The student/teacher ratio is defined by the state of Idaho and we have absolutely no violations. At any time we have at least 1 and often as many as 4 owner/directors on duty to ensure 100% compliance. We have a full time cook and offer the finest, homemade food you could find at a childcare center. We follow USDA guidelines strictly and children are always offered nutritious meals at consistent times. While staffing decisions are an internal matter, anyone who is let go would be in the interest of maintaining standards that are required to run a quality center. We take those decisions very seriously and with great consideration. We have a fantastic staff now and are honored and blessed to have them. They are wonderful at what they do and go above and beyond in caring for the kids! All of us at The Cottage absolutely adore children and treasure the moments with them. The hugs, high fives, giggles and joy we share with the kids daily is why we do this. We care for and protect them and we're proud of that. We are here to offer the best quality childcare possible. We have fantastic things happening at The Cottage with our curriculum, teachers and programs and our facility enhancements. We would encourage anyone interested to drop by at any time and simply decide for yourself. We would love the opportunity to show you around. Thank You. more

I must say I concur with Blackbear6. The teachers are amazing at The Cottage Child Care Center, very consciences and extremely nurturing. more

The Cottage may seem like a great place to bring you children, and although the staff are very wonderful and loving to your children the owners and directors are a different story. They are short staffed and have dirty rooms. They don't take care of their employees or the parents. They over charge you for poor quality to the care of your children. The directors are known to talk badly about the children they ""dislike"" and the parents they have a problem with. Many parents are unaware of what goes on behind the closed doors. The Cottage Child care and Learning center is not a great place to bring your children. They have too many kids in one room and the ages don't match up to the room your children are suppose to be in. For instance, if you have a 2 year old who is suppose to be in Toddlers, that child will be placed either back with infants or up to preschool. The state is always being called for problems such as this. The Cottage Also FIRES employees if they do not lie to the state about the age of children in each class. The Cottage under pays their staff and has NO appreciation towards them whatsoever. Your children deserve a better place. Its hard enough going back to work and having to leave your children with anyone. The staff will love your children, but the OWNERS and DIRECTORS will not. more

My daughter attended The Cottage after years of attending a childcare facility in Liberty Lake. As you may be aware, Washington state has tougher guidelines for licensed childcare versus Idaho. When I needed to move my daughter to Post Falls for childcare, I had a difficult time finding comparable care. I tried home daycares and found them to be unreliable. I then toured nearly every childcare center in Post Falls. My search was over after visiting The Cottage. The security of the facility and the dependability of the staff are great. My daughter always loved the meals and thrived. Even though my daughter is older now and no longer enrolled at The Cottage, we still miss Jim and Dana and continue to keep in touch. more

I took my only child to The Cottage when he was about 6 months old, after an in home daycare fell through. I was dreading it. I called ahead to see if I could get a quick tour. Dana met me at the door. She showed me where Jake's class would be, I got to meet his teacher then and there. 30 minutes later I was giving them a check to have Jake enrolled for the first month. more

I highly recommend The Cottage Childcare and Learning center. I had the pleasure of visiting The Cottage while my nephews were there. I was impressed by the clean, cheery facility and the friendly and attentive staff. The safe environment they have created is wonderfully stimulating for young minds and imaginations. Seeing all the children smiling and laughing, you do get the feeling you are in a very special place. more

The absolute best center BY FAR in Post Falls and Coeur D Alene! I love it there! The facility is top notch. Large classrooms, clean. And all the kids are in individual classrooms with kids their own age, they don't group them together like other centers. I love that they practice fire drills every month and that they have video monitoring and the security codes for the locking front door. I know my kids are safe which is the most important of all! I know they are on the USDA food program and serve the best home made meals every day (I can smell the food cooking every day when we drop off)! I'm convinced no other center can come close in the quality of the food and that's so important for making sure your children are healthy. The staff is wonderful and truly care about taking care of and teaching my children. The owners and director are so passionate and helpful, it's obvious they have a passion for children. I am very happy with the care at The Cottage and highly recommend it. more

The Cottage was my first and last choice, I love the staff there. My child learns something new each day and that always brings a smile to my face. They have an amazing age appropriate curriculum, Skilled Potty trainers, and teachers who have a desire to Learn, Love and Teach. more