Stepping Stone School

I’m really surprised how many 5-​star ratings this daycare received. Until a very unfortunate incident, I would still have given them just 2 or 3 stars.
We transferred our child here last summer and were disappointed from the get-​go, compared to the facility we’d brought him from (a different Austin-​area chain). Here are just a few things that point to a general lack of leadership and disorganization:
1.) After a couple of weeks of communication and a message from SS that there was «no rush» to drop off the deposit for enrollment, because there were two spots available, I dropped it off one morning. That afternoon, I received a call that the Assistant was mistaken, and that those spots were spoken for (disappointment #1). I asked her how this happened, as we’d been communicating for a couple of weeks that there were two spots. Apparently, the spots were earmarked for younger siblings of currently enrolled students, and the Principal had not documented or communicated this more broadly to her staff. As I’d just dropped off the check that morning, I let the Assistant know I’d be by that day to pick up my check, but was told it was «non refundable.» On the upside, they did find a spot for my son within a couple of weeks.
2.) They park the school’s shuttle in the handicapped spots. Not frequently, but not just for drop-​off either. It’s there overnight. I find this incredibly disrespectful.
3.) My child got sick here often, at the age of 11 months+, where as he never got sick at the previous location (where he was from 3 months to 11 months). I think that the school is not very stringent when it comes to dolling out the food on high chairs. Where as the previous daycare wore a different set of gloves for each student, and used utensils, SS in Kyle would shake some Cheerios from a Styrofoam bowl onto each high chair. Also, see #4 for another reason I think my kid (and likely others) got sick here.
4.) One day, around noon, my son came down with a fever. It just so happened that I was flying out that day. They called me when I was on a flight, and so I didn’t get the message for an hour or so (and only barely, as I didn’t have much time between flights). I called my husband to let him know, and he hadn’t received a single call from the school. My son was there for a long time with a fever, not only not feeling well or receiving Tylenol, but also likely infecting other kids. Note that when my husband asked the principal about why he didn’t get a call, he was told they tried to call him (no missed calls), and also that they didn’t have his work number (though later produced it). He asked the principal to clarify the policy for reaching out to parents when kids are sick, and she said to call both parents, and if the parents couldn’t be reached, call the emergency contacts (who were not called). When my husband pressed as to why the policy was not followed, the principal then blamed me for not letting them know I was traveling. This is unacceptable — if you have a policy, follow it.
5.) The nutrition of the food here is quite terrible. Breakfasts are graham crackers or Cheerios, where as previous facilities I’ve attended include yogurt and/​or fruit. In fact, my son has spent time at a different SS, where they scoffed at the notion of giving just carbs for breakfast.
6.) I showed up daily to my kid covered from head to chest in food stains and graham cracker crumbs, sitting in the 6-​kid stroller. I’m willing to bet he sat in that stroller for 2 – 3 hours each afternoon (I picked him up as early as 3:30 and as late as 6:15 and he was in it). If one of the kids needs a diaper change, they move the stroller to the door of the class room, take one kid out to change him, and leave the rest kind-​of sort-​of attended.
7.) A really unfortunate event was the final straw. I won’t detail it here, but it can be found on the state’s website. It involved an investigation of the facility where they were ultimately found not negligible. I will say during the same inspection, the state reported they found a kid in a different class with a battery in his mouth.
In general, this facility comes down to a pretty bad principal, in my opinion. Other parents I’ve spoken with describe her as awful. She blames her staff and parents (see #4) when things go wrong. She has one of those personalities where anything you bring up as a concerned parent is practically a personal attack on her. «Well if your wife would have just told us she was traveling…,» (what, you wouldn’t have been caught not following your own policy!?) Or, «Well I told Ms. [Teacher’s name] to take care of that already» (so what… it’s not your job to follow up as that person’s direct supervisor?)
The teachers are really very good, and unfortunately seem to have to put up with poor leadership at this particular location. Anything I saw not going well in the classroom, to me, came down to poor training and practice of policies.

My family has been at Stepping Stone for a little over 3 years, and I can’t imagine us being any place else! We were at another daycare in Kyle before coming to Stepping Stone and there is absolutely no room for comparison. I’m amazed at how much my children are learning, even at the age of 13 months! The facility is always clean, and just presents a fun environment for all the children. The teachers are loving and do a fantastic job at teaching the children. Ms. Jeannette and her staff are very friendly and are very thorough in every aspect of the center. My 4 yr. old is in the kindergarten readiness program and the teachers in that program do such a great job at preparing those children for kindergarten. It’s reassuring when both of my kids are excited to go to school! Overall, this is the best daycare/​school there is for kids!

Stepping Stone 19 is a great place. My son has learned so much from the teachers. We are very happy with the progress my son has made and continues to make because of the teachers at Stepping Stone. There are several teachers that have kept us informed of my son’s progress. My son comes home every day excited about the topics they are learning about. Ms. Jeannette and her staff make this a wonderful place. I give kudos to Ms. Marnie and Ms. Terry. They definitely do a lot to prepare kids for kindergarten and I am very blessed to have found a place like this to send my son and know that he is great hands.

The decision where to place your child for care may be the hardest choice a parent has to make. I’m confident in the program, leadership, and organization that Stepping Stone Kyle has to offer every family. The preparation for elementary school thrusts children into an accelerated learning environment where they can thrive successfully. I highly recommend Stepping Stone as a teaching and learning facility at the top of the South Austin suburban list!

I have had my daughter here since she was 2. This fall she will be going to kindergarten & I must say that the teachers & curriculum have more than prepared her for kindergarten! We were so lucky to have found this place for our child to flourish. The teachers here have exceeded our expectations in every way… they treat my daughter like my own family. We already have enrolled our next child which hasn’t even been born! Word about this great place has spread, so enroll early, as class space fills up very quick in this growing town!

My children have been at Stepping Stone since they opened in Kyle. I have to say, we feel like family there! They take wonderful care of them, and teach them a good curriculum. The school is just that, not a daycare! We are so appreciative of the things our children have learned, as well as the care they have been given!

When we had our first child I thought all daycares were the same… so we shopped on price. Ended up moving her 3 times in that first year as we learned our lesson. We ended up getting her into the Child Development Center at Texas State (CDC). Well. about 3 years later, we had another daughter and during her first year I was «downsized» from my job so we had to take them out of daycare. By the time we were back on our feet, the CDC was booked solid.
I never thought I’d find a daycare that was as tuned in and interested in the progression of our kids’ development, mentally and emotionally. Well, both our children now go to Stepping Stone, and I’m as impressed with them as I was with the CDC. Maybe even more.
My oldest is now enrolled in the «after school» program and is attending the summer day camp where she’s getting to go on field trips and learn. My youngest (4) has really blossomed with Ms. Marney as her teacher. She comes home at night and tells me all about what she learned (this week they were studying sea-​life so it was «leopard sharks, hammerhead sharks, oh… and seahorses!»).
I have no worries when I drop the kids off each morning. They WANT to be there and they talk about their teachers in the nicest way.
Yes, We’ve had a few concerns over little things during the last year that we’ve been sending the kids, and every time we do, the concern is taken seriously and resolved quickly. Very professional.

We took our child here after another daycare was being mean to the children in an inappropriate way, yelling and telling kids to shut up. So we were defintely watching closely when we started about a year ago at Stepping Stone. They are nice to the kids, they learn a lot, get hot meals for lunch, and seem to care. My kid likes going there and I am comofortable taking him. Everything is always clean and the playgrounds (which there are more than one of so different age groups can play seperately) look great. Events like father-​son pumpkin carving are great and helped create memories I will aways cherish.