Lil Pumpkins Infant & Childca

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I am the owner of Li'l Pumpkin's.

In response to Sean,



I didn't eject his son from my child care. He gave a 30day notice, which I accepted. During the last 30 days his son was here Sean and I spoke on many different occasions about his son’s behavior, and even before his notice was given. In return he said, he, his wife, and his mother had the same issues at home. I felt that nothing was being done, and I was given no help in the matter. I made the choice to let him go 2 days early for the safety of the other children. Jackson was never treated differently because of a 30day notice. I was never led to believe he had concerns either.



I worked with him and his wife on many occasions regarding different issues and sometimes we may not have agreed, but that does not make either of us a bad person. I cared for their child like he was my own and any other child I've had the privilege of having attend my child care. I wish him and his family nothing but the best!

Awfully run business, Julie (daycare provider) spends too much time around children. When a 4yr old boy is ejected from daycare because he's "disruptive" is b.s. 4yr Olds are disruptive by nature. Beware if you use this daycare, if you put in a 30 day notice your child WILL be treated differently than the other children. How many daycare providers only accept a once a month payment? Only this one. If you like being treated like a child by the person whom you pay to watch your child be sure to go here. And you will pay for many days of days off. Businesses are supposed to cater to the customer, not the other way around.

As a parent, you are faced with the challenge of ensuring that you are providing your child with nurture, love, educational experiences and an overall enriching exposure to the world. I, just as every parent out there, strive to give my child only the best. While this ongoing task can be extremely daunting, I know without a doubt that the care my daughter receives from the Lil Pumpkins daycare is nothing but outstanding.



I have had my daughter enrolled in this program for almost two years and have been nothing but grateful to have found such a caring person to watch over my child. I have been so impressed with this provider’s care, level of energy, creativity and overall motivation to enrich the lives of the families she works for. My daughter has gained many skills since her time at Lil Pumpkins. She has developed a wonderful vocabulary, knowledge of shapes, songs, colors, etc., as well as a great sense of humor that comes from the playful atmosphere that this daycare provider offers.



In addition to providing my child with a wonderful "home away from home", I, as a parent, have always felt welcomed in this facility. Upon drop off and pick up, I often manage to stay for a few extra minutes to simply observe my daughter and the other children at play. Because of my profession, as a school psychologist, I tend to have a critical eye and high standard for best practices in working with children. I tend to use this time to assure myself that my daughter is indeed under great care. During these times, I have observed the provider engage whole heartedly in play activities (which often include ambitious art projects, cooking time, etc.), facilitate social play between the children that I feel is critical in their development, as well as use behavioral consequences and strategies that I often recommend to the staff and faculty with whom I work with at my elementary school sites. Lil Pumpkins is, in my opinion, a stellar daycare facility.



I feel it is important to note that my daughter’s enrollment at Lil Pumpkins did overlap with that of the individuals who offered the previous review. I would like to stress that my experience during their time of dissatisfaction was greatly different. I have and continue to feel lucky to have found this provider and to have been accepted into her extended family. I find the story of the family below/above so unfortunate, and had I not had such a varying experience, I would have pulled my child immediately. I am tempted to say that the review offered may reflect the quality of the personal relationship between provider and family and not the actual care that the child received.



For all parents reading these reviews, please know that even after reading what I have, I would still recommend Lil Pumpkins Daycare with full confidence. As a mom, I have felt proud knowing that I have put my daughter in such loving, nurturing and enriching environment. My mind is always at ease when my sweet girl is under her care.



~ A loving parent

must write this review after the very disturbing experiences we have had at this daycare recently. Three and a half years ago my husband and I were happy to discover Li'l Pumpkins. The owner seemed very outgoing. I loved the fact that she was willing to take the children on field trips, have sleepovers and invite guest speakers. The first day we met Julie she confided that she had a formal complaint in her file about using excessive force with a child but we connected with her and gave her a chance. Our son spent a happy year and a half in Li'l Pumpkins (we overlooked the corn dog, mac and cheese-type lunches and frequent misspellings) . Julie even saved our spot for the few months that we lived in Europe. Our son later outgrew the daycare but when we had our daughter a year later we thought Li'l Pumpkins would be the answer.



This time, however, the experience was very different. It began well but after our daughter celebrated her first birthday there the environment changed. The owner had several small children (babies!) and her older daughter (her assistant in the past) had a new baby (living in the home) and a full-time job out of the house. It became apparent that Julie's childcare duties no longer ended at 5 as in the past. It seemed like she was over the legal limit for the # of small children she had. She was getting less and less sleep and the stress was apparent. She was prone to mood swings and erratic behavior. The field trips were less frequent, the guest speakers no longer and the sleepovers limited to once every six months. The extra stress seems to be taking a toll on Julie and the daycare's operation. The owner's behavior has become increasingly unprofessional. Sometimes we wonder if she has untreated bipolar disorder.

The straw that broke the camel's back was a conversation my husband had with Julie two weeks ago.

Julie requires parents to pay for three weeks of (her) vacation over a twelve month period. My husband and I are both educators and we understand and support a paid vacation (especially for the people caring for our children). We also understand the importance of praise and reward. While our children were in her care we purchased generous spa packages so she could pamper herself and recharge. While Julie normally informs parents of these vacation weeks when they sign the contract, this month she gave us the new contract two weeks before her first week of vacation. My husband had a surgery scheduled for the week of her vacation and the short notice made it difficult for us to make alternative plans. An attempt to discuss this ended up in the owner lashing out at us and terminating our daughter's contract. She packaged up her belongings and sent them in the mail. It saddens me that our long relationship has ended on such terrible terms. Another child was also terminated abruptly a month or two before.

I hope that Julie is able to find her old self again. Her daycare was truly special. Now, however, I cannot recommend Li'l Pumpkins as the safe, nurturing, loving place it promises to be.