Preschool Insider Report: Under $1,000/month full time

There are great options for preschools/daycares in our area which are under $1,000 a month. If you suspect your child has a speech delay you can also get him/her tested to see if they qualify to get their pre-k covered at local schools. 

Take My Hand. 181 Fort Lee Road; Leonia, NJ. My daughter went here when she was 2yrs. It is located inside a church with large rooms and the preK is upstairs in classroom settings. The outdoor area for the older kids is large and provides lots of toys to play with. The staff is warm and the faciities are pretty clean. They were remodeling to introduce air conditioning a few years ago so that would be nice for the summer! The only downside to this school was the traffic on Fort Lee Road made it a headache to get in and out of the school sometimes. There are backroads you can take to avoid it, though. The administrator of the school could also be a stickler for things and I did have a few disagreements with her. (pricing to come)  Link here. 

Prime Time Learning Center. 40 Edgewater Place; Edgewater. My daughter attended this school when she was three years old (last year). The education at this school was one of the best for the price range. They do various activities like art, science, Spanish, cooking, etc. Her teachers, the Debbies, were awesome and totally energetic and loving. Her class was one of the most ethnically diverse I've ever seen. The classrooms are bright and engaging with lots of color and projects on display. I loved getting daily reports on what she did and whether she napped (on a sheet of paper). She was moved midyear, though to a pre preK class and I wasn't so thrilled with that class. I would overhear the teacher barking lessons to the kids, randomly calling on kids to answer from the window as I was leaving. Definitely not "child-directed" learning. Each class is different, so I would highly recommend meeting your child's teacher. Link here. On their site you can print out a coupon for free registration and insurance. They charge by the hour, so a Full day PreK from 9 to 3pm would be 30 hours: $826.87. Twenty five hours would be: $705.65. 

The staff is wonderfully accommodating to changes in schedule and really work with you on your needs. They even increased sibling discounts and reduced tuition because of the recession. Two things they need to work on are cleanliness and security. There is a keypad at the front door and video cameras but many parents complain that people can wander in and out. If they addressed these issues I think it would be a great, affordable option. 

All About Me. 555 Palisade Ave, Cliffside Park. 201-945-0266. This school has a very tight security system. The classes also look bright and engaging. The curriculum is pretty basic--science, math, social studies, physical fitness, etc. The only thing that bothered me was that the classrooms were lacking in natural light. It is sort of in a basement level of a church. There were nice indoor and outdoor play areas, though. There is also a daycare location for infants/toddlers at 225 Edgewater Road. Cliffside Park, NJ. Full time 7am to 6pm. $175/week. (about $700/month) part time: 5 days; 9-12pm: $130/week. 

Rainbow Kids Learning Center. 9035 Barr Place. North Bergen, NJ. 201-295-1255. If your child is one who would get lost in a big class consider this school. That's because they have small classrooms so their ratios are very good--around 6 kids to one caregiver. The security looks tight and the curriculum looks good as well. They incorporate yoga, dance classes, computer classes and music lessons (based on Music Together) into the program (no extra fee). I visited during the school naptime so I can't comment on the lighting but each room had nice toys and decorations (though the rooms were on the small side). They serve breakfast, lunch and snacks to the students. The outdoor area is nice and big in an area with trees. The neighborhood is probably the only detractor for me--it is not as quiet or pleasant as some others I've seen. This would be a good school for an infant since the room is small and the ratio is so good. I've seen daycares where there were just too many infants in one room. And infants need a lot of touch and tlc! Five full day preK (7:30 am to 6pm) is $675. 

Trinity Lutheran School. 167 Palisade Ave, Bogota, NJ. I have friends who put their children in this school and loved it. There are many classrooms and there is a good teacher/student ratio. The school was being cleaned out so I can't really comment on the stations. The building is an older one (it is across the street from the church) but the rooms are in good condition. The indoor play area is very nice and the outdoor area is pretty large as well. There is some religious teaching incorporated into the lessons. It is located on quiet, residential street. The 5 day full day program 8:30 am to 2:30pm is $609/month. Until 4pm is $737/month. Link here. 

Learn and Grow Academy. 440 4th Street, Palisades Park, NJ. This is only a preschool (not a daycare). Five full days (9am to 3:30pm) is $750/month. Right now it is booked up. This is a really small school but it is very bright and new inside. The backyard is a bit cramped (one of my pet peeves). It is located on a quiet residential street.  Link here. 

All Saint's Child Care Center. 150 Park Avenue, Leonia. 201-947-1288. Held in an Episcopal church this school is non-sectarian. They maintain great child/teacher ratios: 3-4 babies per provider (limit of 7) for older kids it is 6 kids per teacher and limit of 20 in a class. There is a large indoor gym with a stage and a great outdoor play area. It is on a very quiet and nice residential street--away from traffic congestion. I remember the school being obsessively clean--in a good way! The classrooms are good sized and cheery. The schedule was a bit too rigid for me at that time--I needed more flexibility in drop off/pick up times. But it is a great option.  Link here. 5 full days is 7am to 6pm (you can drop off/pick up anytime within that frame) $850/month. 

First Step Day Care Center. 2 Executive Drive; Fort Lee, NJ. 201-944-9642. This daycare is set in an office building location. I don't remember seeing an indoor gym but the outdoor gym is large. However, it is not set in the woods or natural setting--it is right next to the parking lot. The preK was in a large room with partitions sectioning off the different classes--it was a very open layout. The curriculum looked very rich and engaging. Full time is from 7:30 am to 6pm. and costs $205/week (around $820/month) 

Fr. Justin Learning Center. Palisades Park.  201-944-1376. This school is on the opposite side (shared building) with Les Enfants (see my other review). They are not open now so I didn't get to do a tour. Check out their web site, though, for pictures and more information. Link here. 

If you would like to recommend a school for me to review or towns to cover, please email me at: mirabest@live.com. Good luck on school hunting! I recommend you start looking at PreK programs when they are 2-3 yrs old. 

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My husband and I work in the city and would like to look for Daycare/Preschool that provides late pick up service (say till 7pm). Any good suggestions?

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