Minnieland Academy at England Run

My only sadness about Minnieland at England Run is that my daughters are no longer there. My 13 year old was there since she was about 6 months old, and the 8 year old since she was 3 months old. They both LOVED it there. During all that time, a significant number of teachers were constant, which at a place like a daycare really says something. They are dedicated and loving at all stages, being careful to always have an appropriate teacher-​to-​student ratio and spending time each day with every child in their charge. Jennifer and Tracy are great about working with you on strange schedule issues and addressing any concerns you might have, which were few and far between. In all our years there (12+) I think I can count on one hand the times they were closed or closed early for something other than a holiday: working parents can depend on them. For the youngest kids, you get sent home a daily report, itemizing feedings and diaper changes (for infants), potty training progress, etc. Even the slightest injury is tended to and carefully reported, with action taken to address the cause. And the girls still talk about «Miss Shirley’s cooking» — often along the lines of «this is OK, but not as good as Miss Shirley“s». The food is healthy and the variety is good, with great care taken to avoid allergies and other foods that might cause concerns. I would not hesitate to recommend Minnieland Academy at England Run for child care at any age.

I could write for days about how happy I have been with Minnieland at England Run. From our very first visit on they have exceeded my expectations. I work mostly from home but needed a place for my 11 month old son to stay one day a week for the occasions where I needed to go into the office. I looked at nine different daycare centers, including a few other Minnieland locations, from Fredericksburg up to Arlington where my office is. While they all seemed competent I had an immediate comfort level at the England Run center that I hadn’t felt anywhere else. I toured with the Assistant Director, Tracy, who greeted me at the door and immediately made me feel right at home. She showed me the entire center, answering my questions along the way. She introduced me to the ladies who would be my son’s teachers, and immediately I was impressed. They were all so nice, and two of them had each been there six years or more, which says a lot. It was obvious that they truly enjoyed their jobs, enjoyed the kids. Afterward both Tracy and the Director, Jennifer, spent almost a half hour talking to me and answering more questions. My son had previously been enrolled at another center that a friend recommended and I left because I was really unhappy with them. Tracy and Jennifer were able to answer every one of my concerns. Two days after our tour I got a note from them saying how much they enjoyed meeting me and thanking me for coming in, and my son got a note from one of his future teachers, Mary, that she enjoyed meeting him and hoped he could come back soon to play.
I enrolled Sam a few days later and every day that I take him reaffirms that I made the right choice. They are always friendly. The rooms are clean and well organized. The teachers are fantastic, and even though our son only goes once a week they remember details about our family and life outside of daycare. They really go out of their way to make sure that our son still gets to participate in all of the curriculum items like art, reading, and music. It’s clear that even at that young age the teachers are focused on teaching, and not just babysitting. In fact, even at only one day a week I feel like our son is greatly benefited by attending. They really help our son to transition comfortably when I drop him off, and it’s obvious that each teacher really cares about the kids. I’m not sure how they manage it but I’ve never seen any child just left to cry, even for a few minutes, which used to happen often at our previous daycare. I have never had a single concern with this center; I know each time I drop my son off that he is in excellent hands at the most caring, competent and well-​run center anywhere in this area.