Description: BARBARA MLODZIK FAMILY DAY CARE is a Family Child Care Home in PITTSBURGH PA, with a maximum capacity of 6 children. The home-based daycare service helps with children in the age range of Infant and up. The provider also participates in a subsidized child care program.
For the last 6+ years my children have been in Barbara's care. We wanted our children to be home with us but Barbara's daycare was the next best thing. There isn't a revolving door of employees or kids, and my children feel right at home. She goes above and beyond to make everyone feel special and has toys for each developmental age. I will be sad the day we no longer need our children to be in daycare. Barbara would do anything for my children and that is exactly what a parent want's for someone who spends so much time with their children.
Barbara seemed so nice when our son started receiving care at her home daycare. Little by little things started changing. The first thing we noticed was the cigarette smell in the house. She won't admit to smoking but the smell is hard to miss.
The children watched Fox News daily and my son would come home describing frightening things he saw on there.
She constantly pressured us to pick him up earlier than the time we originally agreed on. She claimed my fiance just "sat around the house waiting until 5" and continued to accuse him of not having a job. We worked things out so my son could be picked up 30 minutes earlier, but she contined to pressure and accuse us.
My son came home one day describing the personal questions she was asking him about us. I called her that evening hoping to figure out exactly what was being said and told her those questions should really be directed to myself or my fiance. She refused to see how those questions were inappropriate to ask my son. She tried to say I should apologize for upsetting her by calling and even questioning what was going on. During this phone call, she implied that my son is not picked up earlier because we do not love him or want to spend time with him.
One day she asked if I could get pain medications for her since I work in healthcare and she claimed her back was hurting.
She often has the older kids help take care of the younger kids. I get the impression sometimes this goes beyond just help so that the older kids are actually watching the younger ones without much supervision from her.
I am really glad I removed my son from her care. She is nothing but drama and headaches.
Barbara has been my daughters daycare provider for 3 years. I have nothing but praise and gratitude towards her. Not only does she go above and beyond making each child feel special(holiday parties, birthdays, cookie exchanges, PJ day etc). She has noticed my daughters desire to learn and has taught her all her ABC's, all the months of the year, counting to 20+, how to spell her name, coloring correctly in the lines, and this was all before her third birthday. I wanted my daughter to go to a daycare that she felt at home, loved and not just another number in a list of 30 kids. Barbara has become like family to us, she has on numerous occasions helped with unforeseen late pick ups, extra weekend and night childcare all because she wants to help. She is an amazing person who honestly would do anything in her power to help her daycare kids and their families. I highly recommend her! My daughter walked into her daycare at just 10 weeks old and I have never regretted bringing her there once.
Be careful. Our children went here for several years. We trusted this woman and invited her in to our lives. It wasn't until the kids got older that I realized how manipulative and passive/aggressive she really was. When my children came home crying because they felt bad that they were going to be home with me one day and that "Barbara would be sad" did I realize that she was laying on the guilt very heavily on my kids. I only found out recently that my one child "HAD" to call Barbara every weekend; if the call wasn't made, Barbara would make sure that my child was questioned about it. On several occasions I had to console my children (crying themselves to bed at night) because they wouldn't see Barbara and she would be lonely because they weren't going to her house for a few days. She is now calling my kids "her kids" on social media. It's creepy. If she's in a bad mood, she will shut the door in your face as soon as you pick up your kids. There is no joy surrounding this woman. Also beware of her smoking. She will deny it, but I finally got sick of my kids getting in the car smelling like cigarettes. My one child just confessed to me that Barbara was a heavy smoker and would go in her kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom to smoke. It's a small house, so the smell permeates everything.