Sunny Ridge Kids Childcare

"My 4 kids were all raised by the staff at Sunny Ridge Kids (Bethesda when we were there). I was a single mom and was so overwhelmed when they were younger, I am not sure where we would be as a family if it wasn't for the leadership and staff that not only took care of my kids by loving them, but they loved me unconditionally. I had a frightening experience with an in-home provider when my oldest child was 2 years old. I walked into Bethesda the following morning and my son was enrolled immediately and I was able to continue to work without having to worry about his well being. My 2nd son had many anger issues through elementary school. I always had the support of the staff at Bethesda and the constant reminder how much they loved him. I moved my kids out of the Madison school district 5 years ago, which also meant I had to take them away from their other family at Bethesda. This was the hardest decision I had to make. My 2 kids were so upset at the fact that they would not be able to be there every day. Every time we are near Sunny Ridge Kids during business hours, I am "ordered" by my kids to stop so they can see everybody. Still today, my oldest 2 tell me how much they love Ms. Trina and the rest of the staff. We have been so incredibly blessed to still be able to walk through the doors and know that we are welcomed with open arms, but most importantly open hearts through the entire building. When I get complimented about how well mannered and polite my kids are to adults and kids alike, I give credit where credit is due.....the staff at Bethesda had a HUGE part in that. They instilled values in my kids and myself. I cannot say enough good things about our experience there. Whenever I have somebody ask about child care on the East side of Madison, I immediately share my experience with them. There is no kind of love imaginable then the love that is given there."

"I'm very surprised to read the two negative reviews because my children have been going to Sunny Ridge Kids for over 10 years and it has been nothing but a positive experience. I have a 10 year old and 8 year old and we enrolled the eldest when he was 3 months old. The nursery teachers are so caring, dedicated, loving, and knowledgable. Some have been working in the nursery for over 20 years and there were countless times when, with their years of experience, they gave me invaluable advice (still thankful for the Dr. Brown's bottle suggestion...). My youngest needed Birth to Three for speech therapy and the nursery teachers were so open to having the therapist come to Sunny Ridge to show them the techniques she was teaching my son so that they could also work with him to make the therapy more effective. They have always been so patient, flexible, and their communication with the parents was excellent. I never saw any of the teachers without a baby or toddler in their arms. And, it sounds unbelievable, but it was rare for me to hear any babies crying since they received so much individual attention. As the kids grew, the teachers for the older classes made every effort to work with the kids through their many (sometimes challenging) stages with dedication, persistence, patience, and creativity. The teachers are genuinely thrilled with my kids' accomplishments and I really feel that my kids are loved. I was frankly shocked to read any negative statements about the directors, Trina and Debbie. They are two of the reasons that we have continued with Sunny Ridge for so many years. I can honestly say, without any exaggeration, that Trina is the most skilled teacher I have ever met. I almost wish I could come up with some criticism of her to make this review more credible but the truth is that she has such as special way of working with all the kids. I have never heard her angry or raising her voice. So many times I've walked in on her teaching two fighting kids how to talk through their problems and come to a peaceful resolution - skills they can use for a lifetime. She understands child development and has a way of finding and developing each child's strengths. She has boundless patience and her love of kids and the joy she brings to her job are evident in all she does. And Debbie has been nothing but supportive and flexible in working with my family. She has worked to accommodate my needs. She has been extremely responsive on an occasion when my kids weren't getting along with some other children - was so willing to work with me to find effective solutions. I am Jewish and was a little concerned about taking my kids to a Christian day care but any religious teaching is wholly focused on positive moral messages, like treating others with kindness and respect. I never felt ostracized in any way - on the contrary, Debbie and Trina embraced my culture and encouraged my family to share our religious and cultural traditions with the other kids. It's a cliche but I really do feel like the teachers at Sunny Ridge are an extended family. In a sense, they helped raise my children, during their formative years, with plenty of attention, affection, love, consistency, and teaching them invaluable skills. My kids consider it a second home and my eldest has already decided he wants to return there as a teacher when he's older. :)"

"No one loves your child like you do. In fact, I believe that most women (given the opportunity) would choose to stay with their children during their first few years of life, instead of leaving them to be cared for by others. This was certainly the case for me after 12 weeks of maternity leave. I felt like I had barely gotten to know my little girl, and it was already time to leave her to go back to work. I put a lot of time and research into selecting a daycare provider for my daughter. I pulled public reports, checked into policies, visited a lot of places, and asked a lot of questions. It was important to me that I found a place that could provide consistent and predictable care, a place that had a good reputation within the community, fair prices, and most importantly a place that had warm and responsive caregivers. For those reasons and more, I chose Sunny Ridge Kids to care for my daughter Eden. During her first day at the center, Debbie (one of the directors) took time out of her day to send me updates and pictures showing that my daughter was safe and happy. She knew how hard that first day was for me, and she made it her priority to put my mind at ease. Not only are the Directors kind women, but they have a keen sense for business and a heart for the Madison community. That is why this center has thrived for over 40 years. Martha, the office administrator is very well-organized, friendly and willing to go above and beyond for the families. Then you have the teachers, who are the unsung heroes. They give so much of themselves each and every day for our children. I can’t say enough about what I’ve observed. They are gentle, patient, and selfless. Some have been teaching for over 20 years, so it’s fair to say they’ve made it their mission in life to serve and help shape who our children will become. They really have become like family to us. I can’t say enough about Sunny Ridge kids and would recommend them to anyone I know. In a city with a lot of daycare providers, they are indeed without equal."

"I attended Bethesda Child Care as a child. I remembered it being such a positive experience that I decided to work there as well. I have been working at Sunny Ridge Kids (previously Bethesda Child Care) for over 10 years now, and all three of my children have attended daycare there. I felt so comfortable with the nursery staff especially, since two of the three teachers (Diane and Theresa) have been working there for over 20 years. They are amazing women who love what they do and are passionate about caring for other people's most prized possessions. Two of my children have gone off to school now and they have excelled in school. They were so well prepared both academically and socially. Trina does a phenomenal job as both the 4K teacher and the co-director. I can say what I like about Sunny Ridge Kids until I'm blue in the face, but the most important thing is that my children love Sunny Ridge Kids and they have loved all of their teachers. My two school-age children look forward to days off of school so that they can come for the school-age program and see all of their old teachers. They feel comfortable and accepted there, and that is really the reason I would recommend Sunny Ridge Kids."

"My experience with Bethesda/ Sunny Ridge Kids has been excellent these past 21 months. When I was pregnant i started looking for quality childcare early. I found Sunny Ridge and when I called, Trina offered to give me a tour the same day. I enrolled my 10 year old into their summer camp weeks later, and he enjoyed their youth programming. My baby started when he was 3.5 months old. One of the things that I love about Sunmy Ridge is that I feel like they work with my preferences as a parent. I exclusively breastfed my baby, and they welcomed me to bring milk daily and keep a small frozen supply there as back up. I was so worried, because prior to him starting, I was unable to successfully get him to accept a bottle. But the staff is well educated, trained and experienced. They were able to successfully feed my baby from a bottle in no time. Like most parents, I think about my baby often, and miss him while I am at work. He has been in attendance now for almost 2 years. When he started, I lived in Sun Prairie. Since then I got a new job, and moved to Madison. I specifically searched for a place to live that was near the daycare. It took me 4 months to find a place that I liked that was near the daycare. I have to travel the beltline everyday to work, but the fact that in the 21 months that my son has attended so far, he has never cried one single day at drop off, and at pickup he is always happy, and in a great mood, and his teacher can always tell me how his day went totally makes my day and makes the beltline travel worth it. I drop him off to the same people, and pick him up from the same people every single day. The staff, (not just his teachers) the staff love him, and he loves them as well. I feel good knowing that my baby neing cared for by people who love him, I can't leave him with just anyone. I can always call and someone will answer, I haven't had any billing issues ever, and they will work with families who go through hard times. My sister has enrolled her three children there since I found Sunny Ridge. (11 months, 4yo and 5yo) I pickup and drop off my neices and nephew some days, and talk with their teachers as well. The experience is always positive and consistent. My son is transitioning to the 2 year old classroom soon, and the staff has been taking him to spend time with the older kids a few times a week to get him adjusted to the new class. When we discussed potty training, they happily support what I want to do. It feels more like family than just daycare, and they also send home some really adorable artwork."