The Learning Experience - Ronkonkoma

"This place is horrible, they charge a $50 PER DAY "Parent Fee" more like a scam to me. My child doesn't do anything, i might as well pay for a babysitter and save my money. Be warned this place is the worst of the worst. Also Marie is very rude and could care less."

"PSA: Lots to say here. Just an FYI most of the good reviews for this place are from former staff members. With that being said… here I go. I had enrolled my 3 children roughly 8 months ago. Unfortunately this place has to be judged as a WHOLE but there are some AMAZING people that work here. When the pre K class lost two good teachers due to them quitting the program went down hill. A week ago I walked into my 4 year old son screaming while being held down FORCEFULLY in the corner away from the main windows because he was “misbehaving”. The fill in person from their “Plainview” office who weighs about 450 pounds had nothing to say but “I am not hurting him” while nearly on top of my son. He was bright red and terrified screaming to please let him go. Rather than call me that morning when my son was clearly having a bad day and was in a bad mood, they kept him all day. God only knows what he really went through all day! This was the SECOND time someone in this place put hands on my son and scared him. The other teacher who grabbed him by his wrists in the hallway was supposedly let go and then two days later she was there again. I was told at the end of the day that my son was running out of the classroom screaming and wanting to leave yet they never called me to come get him because they “didn’t want to bother me”. The new director decided to call me after 4:00 pm when I was already on my way. They have teenagers with slim to NO experience working here. There isn’t enough staff. They don’t make sure the kids drink enough water. The old rumors I have heard are TRUE. The curriculum is non existent. They have a clean facility and newer technology but that is useless when these kids are preparing for elementary school and are learning NOTHING. My son’s behavior in the past 3 months had taken a turn for the worst due to them allowing all the kids to simply do whatever they want say whatever they want and basically just act up all day. The director tries to sound smart and tell you what you want to hear. I just reported them and thankfully the state agreed that this teacher was out of line and should have never restrained my son like he was being detained! HES 4. I have a 2 and 3 year old as well but they seemed to be taken good care of. Regardless, 2 out of 3 babies being ok is NOT good enough for me. The teacher is being cited and per CPS this place has many problems within the facility. Beware. Don’t be fooled by how “pretty” they make it appear. They don’t give you the updates on their app that you are promised upon enrollment. I have befriended 6 former employees here 4 of which had their own children in this HELL and they all left and confirmed it’s not a good place to be. Let’s not forget the 3 albuteral prescriptions I had handed in with the completed medication management form stating my kids have asthma that they “lost” —> I mean threw out. When I said it was our last day the new director advised she didn’t know where they were. WHAT A JOKE. You guys are clowns and this place should be shut down and taken over by someone who knows what they’re doing as Marie is USELESS. So is the owner Brooke. STAY AWAY!!! Please watch out for your kids. Don’t waste your money here. It’s overpriced and they don’t take care of the kids like they should. Don’t end up where I did with a kid who has a lot of repairing to do now. Thanks for all the stress you have put on my baby! Abusive behavior is an understatement. They’ve already been in trouble for leaving a child on the playground 6 months ago. They don’t pay attention to these kids and it makes me SICK. Rant over. Good luck to any newcomers interested in this place. Don’t do it."

"Best daycare around! The staff is friendly, welcoming, and truly care for each and every child. They put their best effort in ensuring the children are learning in a safe and positive environment. The children learn arts and crafts along with social and emotional learning. Music, fitness, literacy, math, you name it!!! The children are always learning and making friends while having fun. They have awesome events throughout the school year as well! I highly recommend this daycare for anyone looking for childcare! You will not be disappointed."

"My son has been going here since he was 2, and honestly, I wish we started sooner! The staff are so good to me and my son. He has loved all of his teachers, the front end staff always keep me in the loop, and the director and ares director will always make time for me if I need. The daily updates on what my son is doing, how he’s doing, pictures and whst he’s eating is s huge comfort. Even better when they share with me even more details of his progress when I get there. They always have fun events for him to go to and he is slwdys talking about his friends and teachers and staff. As a Mom, I cannot imagine a better place."

"I brought my 3 yr old son to this daycare in the early fall of 2022, and I absolutely regret this decision. He was only there for 2-3 weeks. The first week we experienced no issues, he was happy to be around kids his own age, and everything was going fine. When he returned the following week, things seemed off. My son constantly wailed, cried, and begged me not to leave him at the daycare. I couldn't understand why he was suddenly acting like this; I assumed that because he was not used to being away from home, he just needed time to get used to the new environment. Still, as days continued, and he was not getting better, my alarm bells rang, and I began questioning the staff. They assured me it was nothing, and he just wasn't used to being away from his mother; I believed them, although my kid is very outgoing and loves meeting new people. Then one day, I came to the classroom to find him in the corner of the room, snot running down his nose, diaper unchanged, in complete distress. I asked the staff, "What happened to my kid?" The staff replied that another kid "may" have pushed him; this was really strange to me because if another kid pushed my kid, why did it take for me to voice my concerns about my kid's behavior for the staff to let me know this? Eventually, after constant mornings of struggling to calm my child down before entering the daycare, constant afternoons of coming to pick him up and finding him in complete utter distress, snot running down his nose, and unchanged diapers, I decided we would not return to the daycare. My child now goes to another daycare, and although he finds his teacher strict, he loves it there and loves her. We have never had issues at this new daycare, and he is always excited to go there and shows me all the new things he has learned and all the new friends he has made. I know this review is long, but I'm specifically talking about my child's experience at The Learning Experience Center in Ronkonkoma because recently, I was getting my clothes altered in the store next door to the center. This week I took my son with me to get a dress fixed and had pointed at the daycare and asked him if he remembered it. When he saw the daycare, he instantly began crying, yelling, "Please, no daycare, I don't want to go to daycare." My child is TRAUMATIZED. I'm unsure what he experienced at this daycare and may never know since he can't properly voice why he does not like the center. I'm just glad I took in what little he could express to me and removed him from this daycare as soon as possible"