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Play and Learn Children's Center

Ames, IA · Story County
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1.0 (1 review)
301 Alexander AVE STE A, Ames, IA 50010
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Quick Facts

Capacity
94 children
Rate Range
Infant (up to 24 months) Half-Day/30.50| Infant (up to 24 months) Half-Day/30.50| Infant (up to 36 months) Half-Day/30.50| Infant (up to 36 months) Half-Day/30.50| Preschool (24 to Kindergarten) Half-Day/30.50| Preschool (24 to Kindergarten) Half-Day/30.50| Preschool (36 to Kindergarten) Half-Day/30.50| Preschool (36 to Kindergarten) Half-Day/30.50| School Age (K and up) Half-Day/30.50| School Age (K and up) Half-Day/30.50
Subsidized Program
Participates
Food Program
Does not participate
Quality Rating System (QSR) Level
3

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Contact Information

📞 (515) 233-4431
301 Alexander AVE STE A
Ames, IA 50010
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Licensed Licensed Center
Active License
License Number
16857
License Issued
Feb 1, 2023
Expired
Jan 31, 2025
Issued By
Iowa Department of Human Services
District Office
Iowa Department of Human Services - Child Care Assistance Unit

Reviews

1.0
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
1 review
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1★
1
Mom of 2 litlle ones
2016-06-16 16:42:26
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I have toured this provider's facility, but have not used its services

I toured the infant and older infant rooms of this center and the infant room was where I was looking to place my son who is 6 months old. There is no way that I would ever let him attend there after the tour. First off, when you enter the center, it is not secured at all. We waited by the front counter for a few minutes with no one to help us, and we could have went anywhere we wanted in the center without being questioned at that point. Finally the assistant director came up, a young girl with a bull type nose ring, different than what I would be expecting from a child care director, but we decided to go with the tour. The first impression of the center was unfortunately the horrible smell. It was a terrible smell that you could not miss. My 7 yr old accompanied us and decided to wait at the desk area while we looked at the infant room down the hall. The door of the infant room has a sign asking everyone to please remove your shoes, so I did, which left me barefoot. The assistant director however, just walked right on in with her tennis shoes on. I asked her if people coming in need to remove there shoes or do they use shoes covers, right at the door, she answered that everyone has to take their shoes off, and then walked right into the room with her shoes on! I was shocked, but not as much as I was with the state of that room. It was FILTHY!! The floors felt dirty and damp to my feet on the carpeted area. The tiny kitchen area was much, much worse! The floors were littered with crumbs and dirt. It was about 11am when we toured, and none of the four 6 month old babies in the room eat in the kitchen area I was told, so therefore those crumbs and mess were not from a busy day of baby feeding! The floors were gross and the walls were filthy with visible food and other things stuck to them. There were missing baseboards in the kitchen area and play area. The highchairs, which according to the director are not where the current babies are being fed, I guess they are lucky! The highchairs have had the padding from them completely removed, and not replaced, they were dirty and sticky. They didn't look as if they had even been wiped down in a very long time. There were four 6 month old babies there when I came. Three of them were in bouncers/swings, one was being held by the "teacher" with having a bottle. The teacher's bowl of food was sitting next to her on the floor as she was clearly eating her lunch while trying to take care of the four babies. The toys, which looked old and not very clean were all piled into a round thing in the middle of the carpet. No toys were out for the kids to play with, no boppy pillows out for them to sit with, they were all stacked up behind the rocking chair. The three kids in the bouncers/swing were just basically vegged out in their containment devices. It was very sad. They were all of age to be able to engage and play with toys, explore on the floor, practice sitting, etc. However, with the filthy floors, they were probably better off where they were. After viewing the infant room, my 7 year old came to join me, he said because he could not stand the smell that was by the front entrance anymore. I couldn't blame him. I asked the assistant director about the smell, and she said she couldn't smell anything. That was even worse, she didn't even realize the center smelled absolutely horrendous. It was time for us to go. There was no point in wasting anymore time on a tour of a place I would never, ever take my baby to. I am not a nitpicking person...I am a clean person, and expect a daycare center to be clean. You expect children to make messes throughout the day, but this place was just gross, this was not from a fun filled day of play. This was long time cleaning neglect!

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About the Provider

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Additional Information: QRS RATING: 3 Stars. QRS Level: 3;

Hours of Operation

  • Monday 6:00AM - 6:00PM
  • Tuesday 6:00AM - 6:00PM
  • Wednesday 6:00AM - 6:00PM
  • Thursday 6:00AM - 6:00PM
  • Friday 6:00AM - 6:00PM
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed

Inspection/Report History

Where possible, ChildcareCenter provides inspection reports as a service to families. This information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. We encourage families to contact the daycare provider directly with any questions or concerns. Reports can also be verified with your local daycare licensing office.

Report Date Report Type
2024-01-23 Compliance Report
2023-02-15 Compliance Report
2022-02-10 Compliance Report
2021-03-05 Compliance Report
2020-02-11 Compliance Report
2019-01-22 Compliance Report
2018-01-25 Compliance Report
2017-01-18 Compliance Report

If you are a provider and believe any information is incorrect, please contact us. We will research your concern and make corrections accordingly.

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