Stepping Stone School - McNeil/Jollyville 6616 McNeil Drive, Austin, TX 78729

"Updated review as of Feb 2024: My 3.5 year old toddler still attends Stepping Stone McNeil, and now my 6 month old baby does as well. We still really love this daycare! Ms. Donna is an outstanding principal, and the new vice principal is also really great, Ms. Marissa. My baby is in Ms. Francis and Ms. Sakina's infant room, and she always is so happy to see them! I always feel very much relieved that she really enjoys them as care givers and they always make sure to go above and beyond in their care for the babies. My toddler has been in several teachers' classes now, which include Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Lorraine, and Ms. Aleyia, and they are all really exceptional. Their care and dedication to the kids is obvious in the way that my son would always ask about them even when he wasn't there. He would be upset as well if I dropped him off and his teachers weren't there yet. He also really enjoys the teacher aids he regularly interacts with, which include Ms. Melissa and Ms. Paula. I also have referred various friends and neighbors to this school, and they all ended up choosing this daycare as well. Their kids are still all attending, and say nothing but really positive things as well. Original review written sometime in Feb 2021: My 6 month old attends daycare here and we really love it! The staff are very attentive to him and Principal Cami answered all of my million questions before dropping him off for his first day once my parental leave ended. I feel like the caregivers do really care about the kids and also want to make sure my needs are met as a parent. The staff that I regularly interact with are Principal Cami, Ms. Maggie (Assistant Director), and Ms. Francis (infant room care giver). They're all really considerate and fun to talk to so I look forward to seeing them and I'm pretty sure my baby does too. For the infant room there is a window for us to watch the kids if we ever want to drop by and check on them. Also, it's cute to see all the older kids come to this daycare everyday. All of them seem super happy and look forward to coming here since I would like my child to continue coming here as he grows. One other important thing is I feel like this daycare is being very safe to prevent any potential spread of covid-19. No adults are allowed in, they do temperature screens for every kid before they enter, and all staff have to wear face masks. That makes me feel really reassured since I heard from my friends that other daycares aren't being that careful so they pulled their kids out."

"We have been at Stepping Stone McNeil for the last 3.5 years and have had a very positive experience. Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Aaliyah, and Ms. Tony were absolutely amazing, enthusiastic, and kind. They were always so warm and welcoming each day and made it easy for us to trust them with our child. The management, Ms. Donna and Ms. Jessica were always very attentive to our needs and questions. We could not ask for a better team. The building is older but well maintained and very spacious. The playgrounds are very big and separated by age group. The food served is quality and I never heard complaints from my picky eater. They have fun activities like swim day in the summer and they have visiting instructors for dance and other sports. They have a musician that comes by to play kid songs and the kids seem to really enjoy it. The facility is secure with a key code at the entry, video surveillance, and a very attentive staff. They have a great app that allows for daily updates and photos to be shared with parents. I highly recommend this day care. They are popular and rarely have openings so if you get the opportunity, take it! The low google rating is a reflection of past management, definitely not the current team."

"Proceed with caution. the care we received in a 0-12M room was great. As soon as we moved up into the 12-18M room issues started and deeper management/communication problems truly showed itself. We had 4 incidences with only 3 reported in 3 weeks with no corrective actions or taking responsibility for what is happening in the room. We were not alone in this as it was openly shared that other kids were getting bit and beaten up as well. On the day of the last incident we picked up our child and took everything with us. We left a note for the owner/manger to call us as they were no where to be found. This call never happened. We followed up with an email stating we were done, which also went unresponsive. We then continued to get billed with limited help to resolve billing errors and no recollection to when we left and why. I would not trust them with my child, but if you are ok with them coming home with bruises on their face/back/arms give them a chance."

"My 20-month-old has been going to Stepping Stone since he was 5 months old and we absolutely love it! Every teacher he has is outstanding including Ms. Francis, Ms. Sakina, Ms. Elizabeth, Ms. Melissa, Ms. Lorraine, and Ms. Paula. Everyone knows his name when we walk in and you can tell they really care about each kid. When I go to pick him up, he often doesn't want to leave because he loves playing with his friends so much. He also loves the chef-prepared snacks and lunch every day and it makes my life so much easier. He also learns so much while he is there and comes home every day knowing new words and with stronger skills like drinking out of a cup without spilling. Thank you Stepping Stone!"

"My family and most importantly my kids love this Stepping Stone on McNeil. Both of my children have been in attendance here since they were 2 months old and now one is almost 5 and the other is 2 years old. They both had Miss Francis in the infant room. She and the other ladies were like magic and got both of my kids on nice schedules. The employees treat our children like family and make accommodations for their individual needs. They helped to resolve my daughter’s biting issues and worked with her on potty training a little longer and more patiently because she went through a phase where she was scared of the toilet. They eagerly share with you something funny, smart or cute your child did during the day. They are transparent with any bumps or bruises your child may have and if the staff member you are speaking with isn’t sure what happened, they will find the teacher who knows. They are also great about keeping track of your kids clothes. In the over 4 years we have been there I don’t think we’ve lost more than maybe a sock and few hair ties. Once my son threw his shoe in the trash unbeknownst to his teacher. They searched for his shoe EVERYWHERE until they finally found it! They sanitized it and handed it to me in a closed bag. That’s dedication! I took the kids out of the school for 6 weeks when I got laid off during the covid shutdown and they made special accommodations for us financially that made our transition easier. I felt that I provided a disservice to my children for having them out of daycare. Their daycare days are full of learning opportunities and social interaction that I couldn’t provide them. As soon as I was back to work the kids went back to daycare. They love it so much here, they run inside every morning and barely look back to say bye! It is GREAT to be able to send my kids to a safe place I trust. It eases my paranoia ridden mom brain because I have one less thing to worry about. All around this Stepping Stone is a great school for our kids and I have found the staff and company very transparent and honest."