Choosing a child care facility is a nerve-wracking experience, especially for first-time parents (like my wife and I) who can barely imagine leaving our baby with anyone but immediate family. But if both parents work and in-home care isn't an option, choose you must.
For those who know us, it should come as no surprise that my wife and I put considerable effort into our child care research, making half a dozen site visits and talking to parents and teachers across the spectrum of local options. In the end, we chose Cascade Children's Corner, and have been very happy with our choice.
Located in the South Lake Union neighborhood (near the flagship REI store), Cascade is built on Seattle Times property, and offers preferential admission to Times employees. Luckily for us, they generally have open slots for non-Times families, one of which we obtained after several months on a waiting list. The center takes children from 3 months up to pre--kindergarten, and has a total capacity of about 60 children.
We chose Cascade in part because we had good friends whose infants were also enrolled there, and who were very happy with the quality of care their kids were receiving. Our son has been enrolled for about two months now, and we've been consistently impressed by the warmth and professionalism of the staff, the quality and cleanliness of the facility, and - most importantly - how happy our son seems to be at both drop-off and pick-up.
If you're looking for high-quality child care in Central Seattle, I highly recommend Cascade Children's Corner. And if you're seriously considering it, definitely put your name on the waiting list, as it may be several months before a slot opens up!
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