The care at Carriage House has sadly and dramatically declined in the last year, and I have pulled my children out as a result. Where the owners used to be kind and involved, and encouraged the same from their employees, they are now impatient, quick to punish, and no longer take the time to understand the children. Crafts are a thing of the past; children from infant on up are parked in front of the TV every afternoon. The staff is anxious to get out the door at night and they make sure the kids know it, leaving children feeling sad and forgotten about if parents aren't there by about 4:30, when Carriage House is open until 5:30. The loving, fun, educational atmosphere of years past has been replaced by yelling, video games, and an owner who calls children disparaging names to their face ("liar" "bad" "your fault" etc.). They also have started charging additional fees for days when the public schools are closed, but they do not offer any sort of compensation or discount on days when the day care is closed, nor do they offer any vacation weeks - you pay 52 weeks a year whether your kids are there or not.
Something has changed significantly -- maybe the owners are having financial or health troubles, but whatever it is, they are taking it out on the kids, on the parents, and on their employees. No matter how convenient it is to Rhodes, I no longer feel safe leaving my children in their care.