Portsmouth KinderCare

Reviews

• ST

  Sherri Tarleton

  Aug 29, 2025
  2.0
  My daughter has been in the care of Kindercare since she was 3 months old. She just completed her last day and is moving on to kindergarten, so I feel well-qualified to share my perspective on the quality of care provided here. To put it simply, I am relieved that our time with this center has come to an end. Over the course of five years, my biggest takeaway is that they somehow managed to keep my child alive. Beyond that, the level of care has been consistently disappointing, and at times, shockingly unsafe. In separate incidents, my daughter (who is generally a calm, rule-following child) chipped a tooth and even required an emergency room visit. Too often, teachers were disengaged, heads down in iPads or chatting with each other rather than supervising children. On several occasions, I entered the classroom in the morning without staff even noticing me. Worse, I witnessed children in clear distress, sobbing and calling for their parents, being completely ignored by the adults in the room. Luckily there is a combination code to the center’s front door, because there have also been times that I have picked up my daughter with zero interaction to indicate that they would even realize she’s missing. I have raised multiple concerns with both the center director and once the regional director. While these issues were acknowledged in the moment, they were never addressed in a meaningful or lasting way. For example, I discovered teachers using personal phones to take pictures of my child and even showing her videos — clear violations of Kindercare policy that occurred repeatedly, often immediately after the matter was supposedly addressed, demonstrating a complete lack of follow-through and disregard for policy. On another occasion, my husband and I witnessed teachers handing out lollipops to children on the playground while they were running, climbing, and jumping off structures with the candy in their mouths (an obvious safety hazard). I confronted the staff member on the playground directly and later raised the issue with the director. Shockingly, the same thing happened again the very next day, and then yet again, despite three separate conversations about it. Most troubling of all, my daughter once came home with bruises in the shape of hands on both sides of her torso, which we discovered at bathtime. We photographed the injuries and immediately reported them to the director. The individual responsible was made to awkwardly apologize but offered no explanation, and shockingly, was later promoted into a leadership role at the center. The pattern is unmistakable: parents’ concerns are met with polite words but never with real action. Time and again, serious issues were brushed aside, leaving us feeling dismissed, disregarded, and deeply uneasy about the care our child was receiving. Any talented teachers who seemed passionate about early childhood education rarely stay for any significant length of time and they are smart to leave. We did encounter a few gems along the way, and they are deeply missed. Those who remain generally appear uninterested, sitting passively and offering minimal interaction (even those that have been there several years), leaving the children in an environment that feels inconsistent, inattentive, and wholly unprofessional. I am not exaggerating when I say that one of my greatest regrets as a parent is not moving her sooner — I have immense guilt about this. The only reason she managed to get through this experience was because she is fairly self-sufficient. For children who require any level of extra attention, care, or support, I cannot recommend this center. Really, any child deserves better. Your child deserves an environment where they are not only safe, but also nurtured, supported, and truly cared for. For that, I encourage you to look elsewhere.
• AC

  Astrid Czrz

  May 20, 2024
  5.0
  I cannot express enough how grateful we are for the exceptional care and dedication Kindercare has shown towards our daughter. The teachers genuinely care, and it's evident in every interaction we've had. We truly appreciate their attentiveness and the way they always go above and beyond to ensure our daughter's well-being and learning experience. In particular, Mr. Aidan and Miss Sarah, their passion for teaching shines through in everything they do, and it's heartwarming to see how they engage and nurture our daughter's growth. We're constantly impressed by their commitment and creativity in making learning enjoyable and meaningful. Furthermore, we'd like to express our gratitude to Caroline, the director, and Becca, the assistant, for their invaluable support. They have consistently gone above and beyond to assist our family whenever needed, demonstrating a genuine care and dedication that is truly exceptional. Thank you, Kindercare, for providing such a nurturing environment where our daughter can thrive. We feel fortunate to have found such dedicated educators who genuinely care about her development."
• KL

  Kristy St. Louis

  Apr 18, 2024
  5.0
  As a mom, it can be hard to trust just anyone with your child and I couldn't ask for better caretakers for our daughter. We cannot thank the staff at KinderCare in Portsmouth enough for the amazing care that they have provided. Ms. Jenna, Ms. Haley & Ms. Nicole (we can’t leave out Ms. Caroline and Ms. Becca) truly love our daughter and treat her as their own. Their communication is fabulous and they are always there to help with any questions you may have. Our daughter has learned so much from them- from sensory painting, to animals, songs, sitting up and rolling over… there are even special events and celebrations throughout the month- the staff is always creating a memorable learning environment. We would highly recommend this daycare as a great place for your child, it’s easily the best child care facility in town.
• EH

  Erika Hartmann

  Jan 15, 2024
  4.0
  Our four month old has been attending Kindercare for the last month and we’re very happy with the care she’s receiving. I was nervous about leaving her to go back to work, but Miss Jenna, Miss Aneta, Miss Jess, and all of the other teachers we’ve met in the infant B classroom have put our minds at ease with the updates and photos they provide throughout the day. The only downside is that it is more expensive than other programs in the area.
• DS

  Desiree S

  Dec 20, 2023
  1.0
  This is an official complaint against The KinderCare in Portsmouth NH. I am appalled by the lack of care, urgency & professionalism pertaining to two incidents involving my son. The first incident occurred on October 20th 2023. After picked up my son from the facility, I noticed he had two large scratches on his forehead that drew blood. Upon pick up, his teachers did not acknowledge the scratches on his forehead, and when I inquired about them, I was not provided with an incident report or proper explanation as to what happened to my child. Additionally, I was not provided with what actions would be taken to prevent this type of incident from occurring again. On December 18 2023, my sons father picked him up from daycare, and unfortunately we noticed that he had another scratch half an inch away from his eye that drew blood. Instead of his teachers informing us immediately upon pickup about what happened, we had to ask the teachers what happened to my son. This time, the school provided an incident report, but the report lacked important details regarding what actually occurred. Further, the report simply documented a “friend” scratched my son. After being notified that my son was now attacked twice at daycare with vague explanations to what actually happened, like any concerned parent, I contacted the project manager Caroline, the Director Stephanie, and my son's teacher, Denise. The unprofessionalism, and lack of care demonstrated during all three of these conversations solidified my choice to take my son out of the daycare. Denise admitted to not performing the proper procedures the first time my son was scratched by not writing an incident report. But what is more concerning is that she simply said that she “did not remember” what happened to my son. Denise also admitted that the child who scratched my son was non verbal, but then proceeded to say that revealing information to disclosed if this was the same child who scratched my son was confidential. What was equally concerning and a blatant disregard for my son’s well being, was Caroline’s response to not providing an incident report. Upon hearing that I did not receive an incident report for the first incident, Caroline said” maybe it blew away in the wind”. After I informed Stephanie that we would be taking my son out of the program, her response was “ok, have a good day, goodbye”. I am disgusted with the way these staff members treated my son after I fully entrusting them with providing a safe learning environment for him. Especially after paying upwards of $400 dollars a week for this program. I am appalled by the way KinderCare has responded to my son’s abuse. They have demonstrated lack of care and importance to my son’s wellbeing. I fully expect a formal response to this.

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