Busy Bees Learning Center

I love busy bee. My son has been here since he was a few months old and I could not be happier. They are very flexible and the cameras are a great option. I searched for a while for a daycare and am happy with this one.
Only con is they don’t open until 7:30 — which is pretty late.

I’m a first time mom with a a million little worries, and Busy Bees alleviated every one of my anxieties with tact and compassion. My daughter has been with Busy Bees from right around her 2^nd birthday to just after her third, and I couldn’t be happier with her development. The teachers are intelligent, inventive and kind (but firm enough to encourage good behavior.) The facility is clean and bright in a beautiful, historic location. They have a great indoor playground and video cameras for infant and toddler rooms. The director is always willing to discuss any concerns, and was really awesome in working with me when my schedule was inconsistent. This place is a godsend. I would never leave if my job didn’t take me completely out of the way.

I must be the missing link based on other reviews, but my experience here was a mixed bag. I brought my daughter there from the age of 4.5 monrhs to 8.5 months.
On the upshot:
— The director was always available to talk through ideas and concerns
— There is a low turnover rate for the teachers
— The baby: teacher ratio is fantastic, at around 3:1, sometimes 4:1
— There are many loving teachers there who clearly take the time to know the babies personally and my daughter adored them
— The teachers did sweet art projects with the babies
— The teachers had a strong understanding of breast milk storage and handling
— Open door policy so i was able to visit at lunch and called each day to see when a good time to visit the baby would be, but could come by at any time on any day
— flexibility with part-​time through full-​time days which was tremendously helpful
— video camera helpful to check in during the day
Cons:
The challenges I ran into were operational (Vs. personal) and related to training and policies:
— the first day I arrived, my daughter did not have a crib assigned and I made her her own sign
— no one told me that i was supposed to sign my daughter in/​out each day until three weeks in when i noticed another parent doing this and began to do so
— limited understanding of basic crib safety, as one time i found my daughter in her crib with a paci and strap attached to it and the strap around her neck with spit up all over her, finding a blanket in her crib after this incident and after making clear i wanted nothing in her crib (and seeing blankets in other cribs), and learning that one time they put her in her crib in a boppy on a blanket when i asked them to keep her elevated (i had thought that they’d let her nap on the boppy on the floor, did not think they’d actually put the whole boppy into the crib, which is out of sight of the teachers for the most part and knowing my daughter is a roller)
— no ability to open windows so limited fresh air
— being held off from a nap and a bottle despite calling and requesting that she get her nap when i noticed on the camera she had not yet slept, and having suggested to me that she sleep on a cot as she transitioned to the older infant room (an 8.5 month old who has only ever slept in a crib would suddenly be able to sleep on a cot??)
— my feeling was that many babies were left to cry too long — perhaps that is just the nature of daycare, but i often found myself observing babies crying and no one interacting or acknowledging the babies while they dealt with other children — at a ratio as good as 3:1, i have to believe there were better ways to deal with this (this was not always, but definitely happened a good amount)
— cribs are a smaller size so crib sheets often too large and loose
— the owner was well intentioned but i think often attempted to appease vs. really think through strategic solutions or change based on best practice; she one time referred to me as «safety mom» which i took particular offense to.
All in all, I think this is a place that is conveniently located, good-​intentioned, and built around family principles and values/​mom and pop shop (no computers, everything hand written etc). My daughter was really happy here. However, with that down home feel comes a lack of adherence to some critical policies and protocols (at least to me) and i found myself watching the video with my heart pounding some days. We ended up taking our daughter out after a day in which she was placed into the older room where she had been in the process of transitioning, not being given her bottle or nap on schedule despite talking on the phone and requesting this twice, and having the cot offered to her as a nap option.
I am sad because I enjoyed the people very much and my daughter loved them, but the stress and worry for me over some basic things was just too much.

We sent our daughter here (now 13 months old) up until last week and the only reason we left was because we moved. Busy Bees is a professional, clean center with amazingly caring staff. My daughter was happy every day when we dropped her off, and happy when we came back at the end of the day. I never worried about the care she was receiving. Further, she became very attached to one of the infant room «teachers,» Ms. Quinn. I was EXTREMELY sad to have to leave (I nearly cried when we left for the last time), and I am hoping we have as great of an experience at our new center.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was because, while the center opens at 7:30, half the time the infant room staff person wasn’t there until shortly thereafter, causing the parents to have to wait. My recommendation would be to require the morning staff to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the opening to ensure they have sufficient coverage.

We’ve been sending our daughter here since May, and have had a great experience so far. As someone with previous experience in the childcare field, I am so impressed by how happy all of the teachers and employees are. You can really tell that they like their jobs and are committed to giving kids and families a great experience. Our daughter talks about her teachers on the weekends, and is beginning to talk about the things she does during the day. We can tell that she’s doing a lot of interactive activities with teachers and kids. She comes home singing new songs that she’s learned and talking about different things she has played with.
Great place!

We send our almost 15 month old daughter here and my nephew also went her. My daughter loves the teachers (and so do we). We feel as if they are an extension of our family and are thankful for the excellent care and teaching that they are providing our daughter. The location is ideal as it is right by Independence Hall and the Bourse. On nice days I know that my child is safe and can go outside with caring and loving people. I also love the webcams that add to our feeling of safety for our child. We looked at many other daycare centers in the city, but this is by far the best. Especially if you want that family feel from both the teachers and the other parents.

We send our 8 month old here. The staff is very attentive and caring. They have a great play area setup for infants and it is very secure.
The webcam is a nice feature — we watch it all the time!