Chesterbrook Academy Preschool

Writing this review is beyond disappointing. I have been with Chesterbrook in Limerick, PA on Lewis Rd since it was originally privately owned as Country Tyme. We LOVED it then. This facility has acres of land, an in-​ground pool, and multiple buildings. Each class had its own playground, was immaculate, and it had a nice, homey feel. The teachers were dedicated, loved the kids, and worked well with administration. As a first time mom, I knew I could trust his teachers to care for him when my husband and I had to work.
Then Country Tyme was sold to Chesterbrook and we saw minor changes. Things became more «corporate» but it was expected; it’s part of business. When the well-​being of my child is affected though, I have concerns. These all occurred under current administration as of 6÷8÷2015:
1. My youngest got C-​diff, a very serious bacterial infection that lives in the gut of a child. It is resistant to antibiotic treatment, hand sanitizers, cleansers, etc. It has the ability to form spores and live on surfaces up to 7 yrs. It is highly contagious & while some carriers are unaffected, most become violently ill. Once you have it, it reoccurs in about 20% of patients. I told the principal of this, pulled my child from school (while the original sick classmate continued to attend). NO LETTER WAS EVER GIVEN TO PARENTS.
2. They never provide letters when a child is sick with anything. Instead, the principal sticks an informational brochure about what appears to be a random sickness in your child’s folder. It is done to look like an informational packet. NO WHERE is there ANY indication to any parent that there is a child sick with that specific illness in the room.
3. My youngest then contracted MRSA. When I called the school to tell them, I was told, «Well, how can you be SURE he got it here?» Really?!? It came from unhealthy diaper changing practices at their facility. I kept my child out for extra time out of consideration for other families, & offered preventative measures that I received from the pediatrician to keep it from spreading. I said they could even give out my email & phone # to parents so I could answer any questions they had. I was not concerned over anonymity; I was concerned for the other kids. Again, NO LETTER WAS EVER GIVEN TO PARENTS. I specifically asked if a letter would be given, & was assured it would. In a meeting with myself, my husband, teachers, & the principal, I again asked if a letter was sent home, and was told it was. I clarified that I was NOT referring to an informational brochure, but an actual letter that explained someone in the class was sick with MRSA (I know they technically can’t say who). She insisted yes. When I asked her to produce it, she came back with the brochure and called it a «communication error». No letter existed. She flat out lied & got caught. Later they used an easel at the opposite end of the building where infants/​toddlers are, where nobody sees it.
4. I was told they aren’t required to wear gloves during diaper changes if they wash hands before & after each diaper. OK, no problem. Upon my child’s return from being sick w/​MRSA, I watched a teacher change a child & NOT wipe down the table w/​bleach. She then failed to wash her hands, picked up another child & proceeded to change them. She was also not wearing gloves.
5. I picked up my child. He was wet so I changed him. When I checked, there was an empty bottle of bleach, no paper towels and nobody realized it. That means they were not using the bleach, wiping down the changing table, or washing all day. The principal, said she would look into it. The following day she said she found a bottle of bleach solution in the trash and asked if I put it in there! Can you believe the nerve? I noted the bottle of bleach solution wasn’t «missing» the day before; it was empty. Again, she insisted she «found» it. I guess the empty bottle & empty paper towel holders were figments of my imagination.
6. There is a rotting, wooden playhouse that has a hole in the roof, exposed, jagged edges, and is very unsafe. I cannot believe they leave it on the property and allow children to play in it.
7. I picked my child up from school at around 4:45 PM and noticed he had no socks on. I was told, «He took them off at nap time.» I came home and his feet were covered in blisters from wearing shoes w/​out socks half the day.
8. Today I picked him up at 5:15; his paper said he was changed at 5 PM. His diaper was so soaked it was full all the way up the BACK & sagging. I changed him myself. He also pooped. It was so long since he was changed, it drifted out of the diaper, down his leg and was DRIED and CRUSTED onto his skin. It was not even remotely loose. And that happened in a 15 minute window? Yeah right! I literally had to scrub feces off of my child’s genitals while he whimpered bc it was dried on him. Even the sub agreed there was no way he could have been changed at 5. He will not return next year.

As a first time mother I hated the thought of putting my infant into day care. Our tentative Nanny failed her background check and day care became my only option. I looked at a lot of schools and was very discouraged until I toured Chesterbrook. My daughter started Chesterbrook at 5 months old and I have been absolutely thrilled with the care that she has received there. She has adapted so well and loves seeing her teachers each day. Miss Bonnie, Miss Monica, and Miss Raquel are all phenomenal. They sing, play, and do crafts with the babies and often send home pictures that are taken throughout the day. The teachers helped my daughter master solid foods and every time I picked her up she seemed to have learned something new – waving good-​bye or clapping. We moved to a new town and, unfortunately, had to switch schools, but I would recommend Chesterbrook, especially the Infant Room, to anyone!!!