State College KinderCare

Reviews

• BD

  Becky DePodwin

  Feb 16, 2026
  1.0
  Do NOT recommend! Not safe, lack of consistent teachers, parents asked to keep kids home due to staffing shortages. Our 3-year-old daughter was enrolled in the State College, PA KinderCare from September 2025 until early February, 2026. When we joined KinderCare, the director and assistant director at the time were wonderful and made us feel confident that our daughter was safe and that her classroom had experienced leadership/teachers. Unfortunately, both the director and assistant director left at the end of October, and the quality of care significantly decreased thereafter. Starting in November, parents were consistently asked to volunteer to keep their kids home due to staffing challenges, otherwise certain rooms would have to close. Additionally, there were a handful of times where a message was sent after 8am that certain classrooms or the school entirely could no longer accept kids. We have documentation of at this type of request from at least 8 times and have heard it is continuing since our departure. The teachers in the multi-age classroom were very inconsistent. Aside from Ms. Shirley (who is/was wonderful), there were no other consistent, experienced teachers in that room after the end of October. This lack of consistency and leadership led to the multi-age room becoming dysfunctional and chaotic, especially in the afternoons. Older kids would be yelling and running around, totally uncontrolled or managed, resulting in the younger kids being knocked over, run into, and generally very uncomfortable with the noise and chaos. Our daughter had her hair pulled, was hit, kicked, knocked over, and, unfortunately, on her last day, scratched quite badly in the face, including around her eye. We rarely received injury reports, and in fact, I had to message and ask for one on the face scratch incident. When the director who came in last fall abruptly left in January, the management of the school was unfairly placed onto the assistant director. This was an incredibly stressful and untenable position for her, and we do not want our complaints to reflect negatively on her. She was communicative and tried her best to address our concerns, but without better support and more experienced teachers, we believe she is not set up to succeed. Lastly, we provided regular feedback, asked questions, and even spoke with the regional director, Kami Rupright. Unfortunately, the response was disappointing and, in some cases, put the blame on the previous director for the current challenges. This approach of blaming previous leadership is not professional and is an abdication of ownership. It's very clear that despite being a national level organization, KinderCare does not provide adequate support to the centers, nor do they take parent concerns seriously. Incomprehensibly, they are still taking in new kids, despite not having enough staff to meet required ratios, forcing parents to keep their kids home.
• MH

  Melinda Hicks

  Oct 1, 2025
  5.0
  All of the staff are extremely friendly and very helpful.
• AM

  Angela Miles

  Oct 1, 2025
  5.0
  My son has been coming here for over a year now and I only have good things to say about them. The facility is safe and clean. The staff is qualified, competent and caring. They are very strict following the laws regarding teacher/child ratios making sure no child “falls through the cracks”. My son loves KinderCare and so do I!
• MP

  Martina Phillips

  May 8, 2025
  5.0
  The team there is amazing. They go above and beyond to make sure kids and parents feel safe and heard. They take lots of pictures to make sure you feel apart of your students day.
• AI

  Amber Irwin

  Jan 8, 2023
  5.0
  State College KinderCare has been absolutely amazing - the classroom, the teachers, the directors, their communication, the curriculum. I am always informed, get quick responses when I send notes through the app, I get updates throughout the day that always make me smile - I love seeing what my youngest is up to. The teachers know each and every kid well as well as the parents, they have events for the families and take the time to talk with you about how your child's day was. Any of my concerns were immediately addressed and taken seriously. I had was very worried about my daughter starting solids due to several potential food allergies. They took everything EXTREMELY seriously. The director was even kind enough to put me in contact with another allergy mom. Another director takes the time to highlight specifically what my daughter can eat safely each week. We've never had a scare while she's been in their care and that peace of mind is priceless. They are caring, go above and beyond, and are an amazing center. I would recommend to anyone looking for childcare.

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