The Learning Experience - Downingtown PA Child Care Center

We enrolled out son early summer and from start to finish it was a shaky, disorganized and weird experience that ended in disgrace. Over the 4 months he was enrolled TLE Downingtown had 3 different directors. RED FLAG. We received minimal communication our 1st 2 months except through the Parent TLE App but with Covid, we thought this was normal. Towards his 4th birthday(end of 2nd month) we started getting feedback & communication but it wasn’t the kind you wanted to get. Our son has a LOT of energy. He has outbursts and gets physical, hits and throw toys etc. This became a problem at TLE, and we understood why. They don’t want any child “exhibiting behavior deemed unsafe” and we totally agree 100%. We reached out to on our own to have him evaluated (CCIU), we wanted to work with TLE to find him the help he needed. This process began in August, it is still on going. We began doing anything we could to do so, research, diet you name it. We saw an uptick in ‘papers’ we had to sign in August with his behavior, a few a week led to a few a day which led to a phone call warning us we might need to pick him up, which led to us having to pick him up on a few occasions. This wasn’t easy, both of us working full time jobs but we tried to understand and just were being a patient as possible with this evaluation process to figure out what help he needs. FINALLY! We were called in for our first parent meeting… except it wasn’t the one we were hoping for. It was a “2 week Corrective Action Plan” which was supposed to be a mutual action plan were both parties were working to help him. We walked out of there feeling like they wanted him out, that they didn’t have any genuine interest in helping him, it was a bad feeling. They didn’t have one positive thing to say about him. After that it felt like he had a target on his back. We felt like were fighting a battle that was already over. As a customer & parent it didn’t feel like they were reciprocating. We felt like his classroom teacher was the only one to connect with him but she was one person in a classroom of kids, we understood it was probably overwhelming to take the time to attend to his outbursts etc. but to have the only other option to send him home every time became overwhelming, frustrating and heartbreaking. 2 weeks after the “Action Plan” I was a greeted by a new Director (3rd director in 4 months) We were handed a letter informing us of the abrupt change. I introduced myself as well and said “I’m sure you are aware of our situation” thinking maybe she would want to bring me in and talk about it so we can get on the same page but she didn’t, just said it was nice to meet you etc. and that was it. Early October our son was finally getting evaluated at his school from CCIU! We felt it was finally a step towards getting him help. Then I got a call from the director, our son was having a rough morning and I had to pick him up. She called 15 minutes after they left. That night my phone rang at 6:30pm from the director, unfortunately they were going to have to terminate his enrollment. When? Effective immediately. 12 HOURS NOTICE. As a parent, a mother, a teacher, a director, as a HUMAN BEING how do you do that to a child. He never got to say goodbye to his teacher, his friends. We had 12 hours to scramble and find help. This place says they care about kids but they care about $$$ and probably attending to their wait list. They are overwhelmed and understaffed, and underpaid. Covid probably played a hand in a lot of this but there is NO excuse the way this was handled. We are trying to get him help. Our son loved his school. He loved his teachers. He loved his friends. He doesn’t understand why he can’t go back and see them. This is hard but this is a blessing in disguise. That organization doesn’t deserve his joy. He will THRIVE somewhere else. I hope those teachers find new homes for them to show their love because they are underpaid and under appreciated. It’s not them we are upset with.