Monarch Children's Academy, Llc - Springfield MO CHILD CARE CENTER

I pulled my daughter and we won't go back. If there's staffing issues, my daughter is suddenly "sick" and needs to be picked up, despite being perfectly fine once I get there. I've been keeping track and in the past 3 months, my daughter has not attended a full week at school. This was extremely stressful and my constant missing work for made-up illnesses almost cost me my job. I've talked with a couple other parents who have said similar things have happened to them during their time at Monarch. I also find it very odd that I had almost no communication with my daughters teacher. Anytime there was an issue or concern and I asked to speak with the teacher, the directors would intervene. It almost feels like they don't want us talking to their staff. So many red flags.

If your child has any delays or disabilities (my son is mildly autistic and non-verbal), they will do absolutely nothing to help your child. I got constant complaints about how difficult and unmanageable my child was (ex: scratching, biting, mild tantrums, normal toddler problems/phases that all kids go through in some capacity) but when I asked what they were doing to help work with my kiddo, I was met with blank stares. I repeatedly asked to be contacted by the directors to come up with a game plan to work with my kiddo, and alleviate his stress/inability to communicate verbally, and was overwhelmingly ignored. Their solution was to send him home early every single day, which I repeatedly told them a) wont work with my schedule and b) does nothing to teach him to cope with emotions. I genuinely feel like they just didn't want to deal with him. I got tired of the director making vague threats to remove my kid from the school because I wouldn't agree to a shortened schedule and moved him elsewhere. I also want to note that I have seen negative reviews of this place on other boards (ie Google) disappear, and I struggle to find reviews that aren't several years old. All of which, strikes me as suspicious.

Just look at the complaint investigation on Health and Senior Services. The owner's husband (Jake) is the "cook". The kitchen was found extremely nasty. There was a ton of turnover after this report. The assistant director and other employees started leaving. New employees even made comments about how this place sucked in comparison to the other daycare(s) they had worked at. I had an employee tell me that the director/owner (Courtney) would call parents with phony excuses saying the child(ren) is sick when they weren't so that they could meet their staff:children ratio (I had my 1 yo child kicked out several times for BS illnesses like a "rash" that miraculously disappeared in the 30 minutes it took me to come pick her up, or her eye was swollen and had puss (there was no puss - she got bit by a mosquito thisclose to her eye). The day my daughter turned 2 and could attend her new daycare I withdrew her. I wouldn't go back here. The director/owner may have the credentials, but she and her husband are only in the business for the money. Both are incompetent and cheap. It's obvious they are terrible to work for based on the state's June 2019 complaint investigation and the heavy turnover.

This place is crap!! They treat the kids and employees horribly. They don't tell the employees until after 7 months to get certain tests done or else they will fire them. They ask them to get the tests done during the time they should be at work at this same job and they ask the employees to pay for the tests that they have to take in order to not get fired. So far, it's been over $100 out of pocket just to work here at minimum wage in order to avoid getting fired. The kids are amazing. But the management is not.

The care for my child AND my family at Monarch is second to none. They really go above and beyond what we'd come to expect from daycare. My children look forward to going each day, and my 1st grader looks forward to days when"big school" is out so she can go back and visit her favorite teachers. They don't close on snow days, they make their food from scratch. They will pray with you if you want. It's just good and great and everything.

I was a intern there, and I absolutely loved it. I learned so much from a class room there. I think the schedule was super structured. I enjoyed it there. 

My kids are really excelling in Kindergarten thanks to the amazing teachers at Monarch. We were treated like family from the time our oldest started as an infant until or youngest graduated last year. The family that owns the place had told us time after time how they see it as a ministry and not just a business, and it's obvious on a daily basis that they mean it. Also, they have a full time cook that makes almost everything from scratch instead of the cheap frozen processed meals that most places serve. I cannot stress enough how lucky we feel to have found this place.

Try other place if you really care for your children's education and well being.I am a teacher and I can't say anything good about this place. I feel bad for the parents who doesn't have another choice. Children are not taken care at anytime, they have over 4 different " teachers" who don't know nothing about educating anyone, the 4-5 year old class is a mess, they never follow the schedule, don't have procedures, my son unlearn to write the letters, to draw and to work in general. The owner got irated when I gave my 2 week notice. She didn't even asked what was the problem, I tried to tell her in a very educative way so she could take charge and action , I told her that all of her staff who I talked to before agreed with me on how disorganized and the lack of education the place offers , instead of caring for the problems and concerns me and her own staff has or have ,she asked me the names of her employees and was mad about it. The owner has no educational background or at least she does not excercise it at all. Now my son is at the St. Agnes preschool for 4/5 years old which is almost the same price and it is the best place ever. He knows songs in 1 week, he tells me his procedures for the day, he loves the kids and his teacher. I asked him if he missed Monarch's and he yelled " no way Jose" those kids are mean. So sad he had to be there 1 month and a half. Before this place I never had a problem with any of his childcare, was just the age and location the reasons to moved him.I should have looked better but it was convenient location. Now I learn that I have to be more conscious of where my children are.

This is a horrible place! If you don't believe me then read the state records on the place. They play favorites with both kids and parents. They stalk parents social media sites and harass the parents over sharing thier opinions. They are very unprofessional. They don't adequately watch the children. My daughter came home countless time with unexplained marks, scratches,and bruises. I had to take my daughter to urgent care on more than one occasion when I picked her up from daycare. They don't fill out accident reports like they should and they very rarely call the parent to let them know about the report when they do fill them out. My daughter came home just last week with a bleeding elbow and no one knew what happened. If the teachers watched the new like they should then they would know what happened. My child was neglected just because monarch doesn't like me. They kicked my child out of care over my voicemail just because I said that I wasn't happy with them. Monarch won't let my child attend her own preschool graduation. Monarch also failed to follow doctors odds even with an official written letter from the doctor. This is a VERY bad place. Do not send your child here.