Oak Grove Knowledge Beginnings

Reviews

• ML

  Mat Lindquist

  Sep 3, 2026
  1.0
  My kids attended here starting in 2017, we have moved on and have been gone for a year or so. So yes, this might be a little stale and things might be wildly different now. First, we met some amazing staff there and most are doing everything they can given the circumstances. It’s the circumstances that are likely to blame. Knowledge Beginnings is owned by Kindercare. Kindercare is a publicly traded company that had a marginal IPO a few years ago. It was previously privately held by a private equity company. That private equity company still owns most of the shares, but has been divesting themselves. The disclosures note that Kindercare is carrying substantial debt, close to $1B. At the same time enrollment at the company level is slipping, and in Minnesota appears to be well below the average. Likewise, while wage data is murky it is highly likely Kindercare is at the lower end of the wage scale among its peers. This was felt in the classroom. Shorter tenures for staff, longer absences when staff turnover happens, more stress on teachers to fill gaps. Higher likelihood to retain marginal staff due to difficulty recruiting qualified applicants. None of that is a reflection of the staff, this feels like a corporate problem. Company disclosures note that a stated goal is to increase tuition faster than wages. With so much debt, declining enrollment, and deferred maintenance, the company has some work to do. How this translates to the classroom, the building is structurally nice, but it is a child of the 90’s and seriously needed updates. The building felt worn and grungy, not dirty it was clean, but the kind of wear 20 years puts on a building. There had been a smattering of updates, but they were the base minimum and always appeared to be done at the lowest possible cost. While the bulk of the staff was great, there were problems, some severe. Most significant was at pickup one day my child was left alone in the bathroom in the classroom while all their peers and teachers were outside. We found them in the bathroom and took them home. No staff was aware that she had left until we called the school to inform them. This was investigated by the company and state. There were instances where months after our child was potty trained the teacher would put our child back in a diaper against company policy. This despite many attempts to work with staff and the director to address this. Our assessment in both situations was the teacher was overwhelmed and acted out of frustration. The director was trying their best, but was not properly supported by their corporate leadership. Ultimately I think this is a generally good group of people who are doing the best they can in a corporate environment that is trying to extract value to repay the private equity investors who are slowly exiting the company. Finding childcare is hard, I’m not saying don’t use this place, I’m saying be sure you understand what you are getting into.
• AM

  Alexis Martinsen

  Jun 30, 2026
  5.0
  Both our boys attend Knowledge Beginnings and we (and our boys) love the staff, activities, learning opportunities and enrichment they receive. We are grateful to have a place to bring them everyday where they are safe, cared for, known and appreciated for who they are.
• KM

  Karen Moldenhauer

  Oct 15, 2020
  5.0
  Knowledge Beginnings has been a staple in our lives since our son started going there 3 years ago. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. They know all the children and parents well. Reopening after the lock-down they've put in place excellent protocols to make everyone feel safe while not taking away from the children's experiences. The enrichment classes are part of the reason that we send our son there - they offer for enrollment phonics, music, STEM/STEAM, soccer, and a dance class. As two full-time working parents, we often don't have the time to work with our child 1-1 with letters and kindergarten prep. I love the KB family and what care they've been able to provide, especially during this pandemic.
• HL

  Heather Liedl

  Mar 21, 2019
  5.0
  We've been at Knowledge Beginnings for almost 2 years now and are thoroughly happy with our experience. I know my child is safe, cared about, always learning - structured and unstructured - and loves their teachers in each class they have been in. The teachers are always friendly and are great partners in helping raise/care for my kid. I'm always amazed by what my kid learns too. At the last pediatrician wellness check, upon hearing we go to Knowledge Beginnings, they immediately had no concerns about learning exposure. I also really like the additional activities you can sign up for (they do cost more money), including music class, soccer, STEM class, etc. And most telling of all, my kid is happy to go to daycare and happy when picked up.