Wood Horse Early Learning

To any parent(s) considering Woodhorse: Do yourself/yourselves and your child (and the grandparents) a favor and just get on the waitlist and stay put. The only reason we ended our care arrangements was because we are moving out of state to be closer to family. I visited a couple of other places and no place truly compares. The owners/caregivers (Cassandra and Emmet) are so patient so loving, completely capable and beyond well equipped for any situation. I found them to be professional and impartial. They do all things with the kids’ best interest at heart and it always work out. I am a first time parent and it made me very uncomfortable to seek childcare but all my worries went away pretty soon. Here is a short list of some worries and some of many highlights. 1. I was wondering what the menu looked like. They had a sample menu but not a set menu. Turns out it doesn’t matter. They provide plenty of exposure for the kids. My son was offered: raspberries, blackberries (everyberry basically), hummus, cucumbers, bean tacos, avocado, tomatoes, literally this list doesn’t end, think of fresh fruits and vegetables plus cheese and crackers. I never saw chicken nuggets on the menu or Mac and cheese. He gets plenty of that at home…all this to say: After a couple of weeks I could say I don’t care for a menu not because I don’t care but because I had nothing to worry about. 2. I had to provide a blanket and a water bottle to stay at the center. I never brought them home until the last day. That’s because the water bottles got washed daily and the blankets weekly! And any clothes that had to get changed also got laundered there! If you are new to daycares…that’s not how it goes. They send you home with stuff, and that is ok too but this is such a nice perk. 3. I used to be scared of the price because, remember, I’m a first time parent and had no clue what child care cost to begin with. I realized FAST…it’s a steal. There is SOOO much value in this place. My son is speech delayed, well they use sign language with him! Cassandra would play the guitar! My son LOVES the acoustic guitar as a result. They are SO CLEAN. They sweep/mop/vacuum multiple times a day and shoes off at the door. But I will say they have plenty of reason to clean as much as they do. They have a really good sized sand pit. They have pea gravel, they have chalk, a water table…the sensory activities and opportunities are pretty endless and my son’s carseat and my car have a small mountain of sand and little collection of pebbles plus chalk residue to prove that these kids have FUN—but you’d never notice it from the facility because they keep it so clean. 4. They’re (with a balanced view) eco friendly. This is just observational, I actually don’t know what their stance. They don’t use anything disposable except for rubber gloves during diaper changes from what I can tell. They use washclothes to clean up spills and wipe the kids faces and hands post meals and snacks and after hand washing. (OH THE HAND WASHING.) I’d see them take a bin of used wash clothes out to wash at the end of the day or I’d see them folding these in the mornings a couple of times. 5. This couple are SAPL patrons. This means your kid won’t have the same books over and over again. They get fresh batches regularly. They do this on their spare time. How dedicated?! 6. As I have mentioned, my son has a speech delay. So he’d be visited by a speech therapist and and ECI specialist 6 times a month. And these therapists have seen MANY child care facilities and they all confirmed this place is gold. It felt good to leave my son here. Even on the days he’d cry at drop off, it still felt like a great place. Within minutes I’d have a photo waiting on their app to show how quickly he’d recovered. I don’t WANT to believe that there should be anyone better than a parent to raise a kid for us it does take a village. Woodhorse was that village for us while in San Antonio and it’s with a grateful heart that we recommend this place and these people. Positive Responsiveness, Reliability, Quality, Professionalism, Value

My child has attended Wood Horse for ten months as their first daycare center, starting when they were 18 months. I am still thrilled with Cassandra and Emmett's professional skills and engagement in building a stimulating yet kind and comforting daily routine, and especially their experience and skills other handling conflicts and occasions when several children need attention at the same time. I have seen them handle shoving and toy stealing immediately and successfully (few or no tears, clear messaging to offending child that the behavior was not okay because it violated another child's rights, clear communication to offending child that they are still loved) as they outline in the written guidance plan. When I pick up my child, they are happy to see me but basically calm. The children are playing, no one is tired or cranky, the atmosphere is happy. When I drop my child off, there is an adult lap to plop down in for them to settle in, and either adult-guided play with other children to join or an offer of any book of their choice to be read to them (because Cassandra and Emmett know my child's favorite activity is reading). Generally, all six kids get to plop down in an adult lap to fill up on closeness first thing in the morning, which is wonderful. Activities are well-organized. When turns have to be taken (to wash hands before meals, to paint at the easel, etc), how the turns will be taken is clear and each child's fair turn is protected while comfort and alternate activities offered children struggling with waiting or to avoid "waiters" getting too focused on wanting their turn immediately. In addition, Cassandra and Emmett generously offer their entertainment skills to the children - singing, guitar playing, nose flute playing, mouth harp playing, marionettes, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and probably more I haven't happened to walk in on or hear about. They cook for them from scratch every day. A little community has sprung up around Wood Horse, and Cassandra and Emmett are invited to the children's birthday parties and sometimes parents', too. Last time, Cassandra and Emmett arrived after all the children had, and Cassandra was greeted by a sequence of hugging children when she sat down on the floor. The children often alternate between us parents and Cassandra and/or Emmett as they play at the parties. Wood Horse is a very special place to leave your child in warm and competent hands!

I met Emmett and Cassandra shortly after they moved here from Colorado. I knew they had both worked in early childhood development and said they wanted to open their own center behind their home here in San Antonio. I thought to myself, "Oh great, babysitting in a garage". Over the next few months I watched as they transformed their space into a top notch learning and play space that rivals any I've ever seen. It's bright, fresh and clean inside and out with all new fixtures, cabinets, lighting, and air conditioning. There are colorful rugs for playtime and sturdy new furniture and bookcases, all finished by Emmett and Cassandra. You can feel the patience and loving care they've taken with their new venture. Knowing they put the same into their students makes me wish I was a kid again!