Reviews:

No reviews found with the keywords: infant

Reviews:

Author: Dayanira Cruz Rating: 1/5 Date: 1/22/2025, 9:52:38 PM Review: My experience with Golden Bear Academy has been the most upsetting and frustrating ordeal I’ve ever faced in a daycare. After recently relocating from Lakeland to Orlando for work, I was in search of a new daycare for my 3-year-old son. During the application process, I was open about my son's recent autism diagnosis, explaining that he was in the process of receiving the necessary support, though we were still waiting for services. The staff assured me that they had therapists who could assist him and that they could help guide us in securing the proper resources. Despite these reassurances, I began to notice numerous issues once I submitted my application. The unprofessionalism of the staff, especially the director, was immediately apparent. When I asked if there were cameras in the facility, the director became upset and told me only the owner had access to them. During my tour, I witnessed teachers yelling at children in an abusive manner, which immediately raised red flags for me. On my son’s first day, the therapist was involved to evaluate him, but since it was his first time, he was understandably upset and defensive. I also inquired about the student-to-teacher ratio and was told there were 15 children to one teacher, which seemed concerning to me, especially given my son's needs. I was also alarmed when I learned they had placed my 3-year-old with older children. I was told this was standard practice, but it didn't sit right with me, considering my son’s condition. Things escalated quickly when, just on his second day, I received a call from the daycare director telling me they could no longer accommodate my son. She claimed he was “too much” for them—allegedly biting other children and not listening to the teacher—but refused to provide any specific details. On top of that, the director informed me that the daycare could not accept children with autism because the staff wasn't properly trained to handle such needs. If this is true, why did they accept him in the first place, especially after I made them fully aware of his diagnosis? When I asked for the owner's contact information, the director refused to provide it. In a separate conversation, my son’s father confronted the director about their unprofessional behavior, and another parent overheard and pointed out that the way the director described my son was inappropriate and hurtful. The entire experience was traumatic for me and my family. Thankfully, my son is now in a much better environment where he is receiving the support and care he deserves. I am currently in the process of consulting with an attorney regarding potential discrimination and will also be sharing this experience on my podcast to warn other parents about Golden Bear Academy. This experience has been a nightmare, and no parent should have to go through something like this. I hope that by sharing my story, others will avoid this daycare and make more informed decisions for their children. ----- Author: Joyce Di Pardi Rating: 1/5 Date: 2/2/2022, 1:23:25 PM Review: My daughters stayed more than 1 year in this daycare, I gave them every chance to show me that it would be worth it, but unfortunately don't spend your money leaving your son in this place. They always lost my daughters' personal items (clothes, cups, pacifiers), even though everything was marked with their names. Tireless times I complained that something hadn't come home on the last day of the week. And they just disappeared as if they never existed, the answer was always the same "the teacher didn't come this week, next week we'll talk to her and we'll get back to you" and that return never happened. The last time something from one of my daughters was missing, we spoke to the teacher, who was rude to me and my husband, saying that it was not her problem that the items were missing and that she would pay for them. Finally, she raised her voice when talking to me and when I yelled at her, she just turned her back and left us talking to ourselves. My daughters were always beaten by other children and every time I questioned them, they answered me saying that it was an "accident" while the children were playing, but that was always a lie. Yesterday when I went to pick them up, I was waiting for my oldest daughter's jacket (because they always deliver the child without the jacket, even when it's cold), my youngest daughter was sitting and a much bigger child arrived and hit her in the face her, in front of me. The child's mother was there and did nothing, she didn't even ask the child to apologize to my daughter. Nobody saw what I saw, as I was the only person in front of the two children. I argued with the mother and all the teachers who arrived later said they saw the child playing with my daughter. What is not true!!!! I was the only person who saw what happened and came out a liar. The teachers didn't do anything, they pretended not to see that something was happening and then even said I was lying. The person at the reception wrote a text for me to sign and in the text it said that my daughter was playing with this child, I refused to sign this big lie. So I understood that every time my daughters were beaten in this place, that's what happened, they didn't see, they didn't know what was happening and they pretended to be okay, then they created some lie. My husband and I asked for the images from the cameras and they didn't want to show us. They are very disorganized, with totally unprepared teachers and attendants. My oldest daughter was also bullied by other children and when we went to complain they said that our daughter was lying. They are always the liars, don't believe anything they tell you. Don't leave your child there!