Creative Kids Learning Center, Ankeny IA

I find it very telling that so many of these 1 star reviews seem to have been hastily created, rife with grammar and mechanics issues, and may as well be carbon copies in intent.

The way this place treats their employees is disgusting. There is no respect in the work place at all. Always constant drama. I’m honestly glad my sister isn’t suffering there anymore the only thing that got her through her days was the kids, so Please think twice before bringing your kids to a place that made my sister cry daily not because the kids are bad, but cause the people watching your kids can’t keep it professional in the workplace.

My daughter has been going to Creative kids for almost two years now. She loves going to daycare and all of her teachers. The staff is amazing and they let you know if there is anything they are concerned about. She has learned so much since starting there and I love to watch her continue to learn and grow while she is there. They have an app that makes it easy to communicate with staff and even send you pictures of activities they are doing. I know she is in great hands when I drop her off. At the end of the day she goes around and gives hugs to her teachers! I love Creative Kids learning center and I am so glad I found a great daycare!

Creative Kids has such a fun and welcoming environment! As an employee, I felt very welcomed starting out, all of the staff are amazing at their jobs, and the kids always have a blast! Compared to other daycares I have been employed at, Creative Kids has been the best to me! The owner, Shelley, as been an amazing boss & has been understanding any time I can’t make it in to work, I always get paid on time, and my schedule stays consistent. Jenn is also amazing at her job, all of the kids adore her and she has been so kind to me since I started working here. She always makes sure the kids are having fun, learning something new, and being kind to one another.

I am someone who use to work for creative kids and someone who sends her kids here. I will first talk about my work experience
I started working there while pregnant due to not being able to continue my welding while pregnant.and I was going through a very very difficult time in my life.every single person I met and worked with were and are some of the most loving people I have met in a very long time.the owner (Shelly) was and has always been understanding, respectful and professional when I was employed by her.and to this day I still enjoy the talks I have with her and other members of the staff who I consider friends since working there. I only left due to having my son and going back to my welding career.but from an employee stand point she is probably one of the better bosses I have ever had the privilege of working under.

And as someone who sends her child/children there I can say this is one of the best childcare places my children have ever attended. I know that every day when they go they are in beyond good hands and I can half relief in the fact my kids are someone safe with people I can rely on for their safety.my oldest absolute loves the connections he’s made with his new friends there along with having his favorite staff members. I have had really hard time as a single mother and struggle more times then most, Shelly has been beyond understanding and respectful non the less through it all.she is an upfront and honest person who you can talk to how hours if possible lol my children will continue to go to creative kids until they age out. I wouldn’t trust sending them anywhere else.our kids always come first and you would want your kids to go somewhere you can count on when they aren’t in your care. I can honestly say mine are safe and are twine well care of while in creative kids and the staffs care

Thank you for being amazing! The employees actually care and my kiddo always loves going every day!

My name is Julie and I have taken my all my children to Creative Kids! This spans a 9 ½ years (and still counting) with Creative Kids for my four children. I am a mom who is pretty flexible and understanding but when it comes to my children, I want to know that their needs are meant. I want to know that they are cared for emotionally when I am not there. I want them to be happy, learn, play with others, and love being a kid! I also want to take my kids to a place that is clean and follows state guidelines. In the 9 ½ years our family has been with Creative Kids ALL these concerns of mine have been met!

Now, in 9 ½ years there are going to be some concerns that come up from time to time. There were not many but when something came up, I went and talked about the concern with either Shelley or Jenn. Both listened intently to my concern and worked with me to problem solve. They took immediate action, and the concern never came up again.

In 9 ½ (still counting) years there is going to be some turnover. My children have had amazing, kind, caring, and loving teachers. Many of these teachers have left to pursue career choices they were working towards!

Shelley is a very loving and supportive person. Her passion is to make sure the children at her center are well cared for and loved! She does have high expectations for her staff, which I greatly appreciate because it is important to me that state guidelines are being followed and my children are being cared for in the best way possible. This also includes hiring loving, kind, caring, and supportive teachers who are willing to do the work! Besides Shelley making sure she is hiring the best quality staff and providing a safe and loving environment for children to thrive in she is also very personable. Over the span of 9 ½ years Shelley and I have learned a lot about each other. She has always been there for me, even in situations that are personal. I have also met her family. Her husband and children are wonderful people. They are responsible, kind, and amazing with the parents and children at Creative Kids!

As far as tuition rates go, Creative Kids is very reasonable! Shelley takes pride (which she should) in providing the best quality care at a descent rate. In the 9 ½ years we have been there I can only recall her raising tuition rates once and that was just recently. Raising tuition is never something people enjoy but she still did not raise the tuition that much. Having an affordable place for kids to thrive in is her desire for all families!

Overall, we have invested a lot of time and money into Creative Kids, and we are so happy here! I know that my children are loved, their emotional, social, and academic needs are being met. All my children have loved coming here and have talked (some of my kids are older) or are currently talking about their teachers and the kids in their classroom all the time at home! That is a definite sign that they are happy and in the right place! I highly recommend Creative Kids for anyone looking for a safe and loving place to send their child (ren)!

I have worked at Creative kids for almost three years. I have loved every bit working here from being an assistant teacher to being a lead teacher. I enjoy being around the kids because they bring their laughter and smiles. I enjoy my coworkers cause we can talk to one another to figure out the next step and we can lean on one another. Shelley has been nothing but supportive and helpful. I would never change my job because this is where I have grown so much

I've been working here for years. With first hand experience I can truly say this is a great place to send your kids! The staff take great care of the children and really give it their all.

I absolutely love this center! My son has been going here for 4 years now and we’ve never had any problems with any of the staff and he absolutely loves it here! I actually recently started working here back in September and ever since it’s been amazing, Shelly and Jen are great! It’s a great working environment and I highly suggest bringing your kiddos here and working here!

On and off employee since it opened. Owner and staff have maintained their child care first priorities since the beginning. This included accommodating special requirements during the pandemic, working with families on desired child activities (curriculum based, homework, developmental needs, etc.), and engaging with families on a personal level. Lucky to have gotten to work with many kids I used to watch. Always impressed by the dedication and commitment from both the front office, and more importantly, by the staff. This is a small business with the correct priorities, and an owner with the experience and compassion that I would want in a childcare provider.

My daughter has had a great experience with all staff there I love the owner she is super sweet and very understanding in all situations! 10/10 recommend

Absolute best daycare I’ve had my daughter in. They go above and beyond to help us, the staff is beyond caring and has treated us very well the past 2 years we’ve been with them. You can’t beat the prices here! I’m glad I was recommended this daycare and don’t plan on changing anytime soon! If you’re looking for a place that’s going to treat your children like their own family with reasonable pricing, you’ve found the right place!

My son has been going here since the beginning of school and they’ve been nothing but great. The teachers especially Brooke have always been so caring and listens to the concerns along with the director. Incidents are handle as soon as they come up. My son has absolutely loved his time here and has even asked to come to daycare on his stay home days. Recommend them to everyone.

Horrible place, dont take your kids here if you want them to be in a kind and nurturing environment.

I’ve worked at creative kids for 12 years and I don’t see myself going anywhere else! The director works hard for each family to give their child an amazing experience as well as educational. Call today to set up a tour, you will be glad you did

I cannot say enough positive things about this center! I started working at Creative Kids back in October and I couldn’t love my job more! I left a very toxic work environment when I came to work for Creative Kids, and I absolutely made the right choice! Jenn and Shelley go above and beyond for the kiddos and us staff! I speak for all of my coworkers and myself when I say we love and care for all of our kids like they were our own!

Honestly this place sucks. The owner is crazy and needs help.possibly consider seeking a therapist.overall 0-10.go walk into the bathroom n tell me how it smells.

I didn’t really see myself leaving a comment onto why I put 1 star when honestly if I could have, I would give it 0. Let’s just start with the treatment of the staff there in general. I personally was pulled into a separate room (the office) By the owner to be yelled at and she brought up things that did not revolve around the work place to attack me more. Not just by her, but by her husband (through the office window). As all the issue was with miss communication. Next it when to came to her yelling at a staff for not changing the trash when it wasn’t even half full with only paper in it. Note every single time this happened it caused lots of emotions and made someone less comfortable in their work environment which is sickening. Especially to watch it happen right in front of me. Now to my last, but BIGGEST issue here. I was working from open to (almost) close everyday for almost 2 months and they cut my hours. They refused to pay overtime, so instead they cut out MULTIPLE hours out of my check.which was a few hundred dollars from me. Very illegal.
HAHA.now I laugh at the fact that some of you are going out of your way to collect your 50 dollars to give a five star review when there are so many reasons for the awful reviews. There are other options I promise.

I used to rave about how much I loved this center but as time went on it became clear that what I loved were the specific teachers who made our experience pleasant. After my child came home with what appeared to be a chemical burn and me questioning the situation, I was returned with a very defensive, highly unprofessional demeanor from the director that resulted in her telling us we had to find new care. After we got our child and belongings, I even had a teacher confirm what a possible cause of the burn could have been, but God forbid I mention it to the director. The doctor we took our daughter to even recommended we call the state on them.