Description:
Sunset Academy, a licensed childcare center, opened its doors in 1994 to service the Longmont community. We accept children from the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years of age. We provide a safe, warm, caring, educational environment giving your child the opportunity to grow and learn.
“A Loving Start” – those aren’t just words for everyone here at Sunset Academy. From the warm smiles of the Director and Teachers to the healthy home-cooked meals prepared in our on-site kitchen – we have created a positive, loving and educational environment for all children.
At Sunset Academy, we pride ourselves in the quality and care we put into choosing and hiring our staff. Every person that comes in contact with our children is thoroughly background checked, and we meet with them several times during the interviewing process to make sure that all of the staff – most importantly the kids in our care – will love them! All teachers are required to complete 20 hours per year of Continuing Education, be CPR and First Aid certified, and pass an CBI background check.
During the summer months, we offer a full-time Summer Day Camp. Daily excursions featuring swimming, skating, bowling, roller skating, museums, nature hikes and more. We take weekly trips to places such as the Denver Zoo, National Parks Museum of Nature & Science and much, much more.
Our adult/child ratio is a low 1 to 10. All vans are air-conditioned and equipped with seat belts providing comfortable transportation to and from all events. A mobile phone is provided for each van to provide communication when the need arises. Our counselors are trained in first aid and CPR. We conduct background checks on all counselors. Our on-site classrooms are available for rainy day activities.
Special sports/activities include:
Soccer with St. Vrain FC
Dance with a private teacher
Stretch and Grow exercise class
Unique and Educational Field Trips
Special Needs: Social Emotional Behaviors;Respiratory Illness;Diabetes;Seizure Disorders;Physical Delays/Limitations;Food/Dietary;Medical/Special Procedures;Cognitive Delays;Speech/Communication;Willing to Support.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, as the provider may have already addressed some or all issues. Reports can also be verified with your local daycare licensing office.
| Type | Report Date | Category | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | 2020-11-04 | Supervisory | |
| Inspection | 2019-12-03 | Supervisory | |
| Complaint | 2019-08-13 | Other | Unfounded |
| Complaint | 2019-08-13 | Food/Nutrition | Unfounded |
| Complaint | 2019-08-13 | Sleep/Napping Requirements | Unfounded |
| Inspection | 2019-01-09 | Supervisory | |
| Inspection | 2018-06-22 | Limited Supervisory | |
| Inspection | 2018-05-31 | Limited Supervisory | |
| Inspection | 2018-05-09 | Limited Supervisory | |
| Inspection | 2018-02-21 | Supervisory | |
If you are a provider and you believe any information is incorrect, please contact us. We will research your concern and make corrections accordingly.
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When our son was brought into Sunset Academy for a tour we set the expectation that he might be behind socially, as well as a bit bolder or more assertive than other kids due to his size. He would also have trouble with eating on his own and naptime, especially in a new place. The director told us not to worry and helping our son along with all of this was their job, they were the experts with college degrees and training in child development.
He did have trouble sleeping, but within a handful of times spent at the center he knew to go to his cot and be quieter, he was learning to model after the other children. However when he awoke crying for mommy and daddy, a common occurrence, they sent him out into the hall alone, then called for his mother to pick him up. This taught him that crying would result in getting what he wants and this was ok, also that nobody at the center would be there for him.
The center (on their website when we had signed up) had indicated that we could be part time for the first 2 months our son was in daycare. It was brought up multiple times to the owner during the tour as well as the office Manager Nina that this was the case. our son’s first week at the center, the owner and Nina approached our son’s mother and indicated that they weren’t aware he was only part time. She made it very clear they’d stated that and the owner agreed verbally to allow 2 months to be part time.
At the end of May, the owner approached Crystal and indicated that he never said “two months” his policy was “one month” which had at that point changed on the website as well. He told her that she could start June 7th as full time and we adhered to that and started him full time on June 7th. That day, we showed up as planned on Monday and after 1 hour, our son was sent home because they were “understaffed” and unaware that he had been switched to full time (despite the owner being the one who insisted on it, we did not). This was the same monday of the week he was kicked out on Wednesday.
Two days before our son being kicked out of Sunset Academy (the day after the above incident), our son’s mother was sent home in the morning with a series of ‘Incident Reports’ from Sunset about our son’s trouble sleeping, eating at the appropriate times, and not “interacting” with other children. This is a clear violation of the “Parent’s Handbook” that is provided on the Sunset Academy website that indicates they will make every effort to work with the child and their family before forcibly removing them. Two days is not a reasonable amount of time, especially since there were no real details or plans for how we could help improve, just problems we were aware of now. The only thing that was offered was that our son should have his occupational therapist come into the building, which we immediately (that day) arranged with the occupational therapist to find the best day that would work for all parties. In addition, these “incident reports” were handed to us all at once and there was only one with a date on it, which was from a previous week. We were suddenly expected to solve all of these problems in 2 days (with literally only that amount of notice). To be clear, these were not brought up in any official capacity prior to this situation (our son’s teacher had indicated he had problems sleeping and adapting but they were working on it, they had reached out asking for some ideas, and we provided them and it seemed to be improving, the teacher even said as such).
Before we get into the date he was kicked out, we’re like to provide additional incite into the center and how they treated our son during the time he was there. Our son was sent home early from Sunset 2 out of the 3 days he was enrolled . There were a variety of reasons that they provided to us: they had meetings to conduct during our paid time, our son did something they didn't like, or they had some staffing issue. One time in particular one of their faculty was sent in while already injured and they asked for volunteers to come pick up their children-- which we complied with despite it causing us additional stress and our son having had little time in the center.
Often when our son came home after being at Sunset, he would be extremely hungry and thirsty. When we would watch on the video, they would place him in front of his food, he would wander off, and occasionally they’d put him back but in most cases that we saw, they did not. In many cases (since the app they provide tells us what our children eat in a day) they said he had eaten, but he came home so hungry that it seemed like that may not be the truth. Later after we’d mentioned this to the teacher they only then started indicating that he was not eating all or any of the food they provided, and did not indicate that they tried more than once. There were days where he did not eat anything at all, and from what we can tell, he was not offered other opportunities to eat when he was hungry (when he would cry after waking up). They indicated that water was provided all day long, but we could never see the water cups on the video and our son often came home and literally chucked 6 or more ounces of water so he was obviously not just thirsty but dehydrated.
When we mentioned to the teacher that we’d noticed our son not being fed by Sunset (which we approached as asking if there was anything we could do at home to help with transitioning to that), we saw the opposite problem the next day (the day he was removed). We watched the classroom camera for a while to see how he was doing and to see how he was behaving during mealtime at Sunset, a time we’re normally working. A teacher force fed our son so quickly that he vomited (not just spit up). Seeing this on the classroom camera made me and my spouse furious.
Other things to note - When our son was playing outside they complained that he would often try to open the gate to the playpen and escape. He is two and is exploring his boundaries which is natural. How a daycare center doesn’t have a locking mechanism (baby proofing) on their gates is quite perplexing.
On his last day there (the same day the teacher force fed him until he threw up) our son was accused of peeling paint off the wall and eating it. He’s never done this at home, and when we saw the wall in question there were a few paint holes on the wall several inches in diameter. This clearly had started a while ago and was neglected by the facility. Also clearly our son couldn’t have done all of this damage himself in a small amount of time. In addition, we have attempted to “peel paint” off walls to try this and it’s pretty much impossible. For this to even be possible, the pain underneath would have had to have been wet or not fully dry, which is a health hazard.
After the center kicked our son out from Sunset and we were collecting his things, the director commented that it was odd our son was behaving so since his brothers and sisters were fine. our son is an only child. He mentioned several times to our son’s mother that she had two other children, and she’d corrected him multiple times stating that she did not. It was clear the owner, although he’d met her in person multiple times, and she clearly expressed our son was their only child, that he did not actually know who she or her son were. In addition, on the date our son was kicked out, the director stated to his mother that he was not interacting with students, and when she once again reminded him that our son had never been around children due to the pandemic, he acted like this was the first time hearing about it, which was not the case. It had been brought up multiple times.
Sunset Academy is NOT accreditated.
Totaly agree about the director. Owner not to sure of. Teachers are awesome!!! Only rated 4 star because of teacher staff!!!!!
Sunset Academy is a great school the staff members are great! They are always very professional and help each family with any needs they may have. The school holds events every year such as a Christmas Program, a Fall Festival, and an Easter Egg Hunt. The staff is always putting in many hours not only getting prepared for the events but working them as well. I appreciate their hard work. The Director of the center on the other hand is anything but professional. There are many times that parents and staff members have gone to talk to her and she is not there. During the events the I have mention above she seems stressed and makes inappropriate comments to the parents and treats her staff as if they are inferior slaves. I honestly do not know how some of them have stayed as long as they have but I am glad they do because I can't imagine my kids experience there with out them. It is because of the staff and other families that I have not left it is because of the Director I would like to leave.