I enrolled my son in a KinderCare day care center when he was 13 months old. I interviewed approximately 20 child care programs. The process of elimination began with the first phone call. Not only was the first phone call to KinderCare pleasant and inviting, but once I entered the building I noticed all of the teachers greeting each child in the hallway by name, with attention given to each child.

The Assistant Director answered all of my many questions and once we did drop him off the first day, she was there, with tissues in hand, assuring us that our baby would be OK and that we could call her anytime to see how he was doing. And, she meant it. Anytime I called, she would check in on him and let me know how he was doing, and what he was doing – that extra bit of information gave it that special touch. She took that extra step.

Words cannot express the thanks that my family has for each and every KinderCare early childhood teacher and staff person that has been a part of our family for almost nine years.

We enrolled at KinderCare in 2001 when Steven was six weeks old. Since then he has grown and matured into an amazing, intelligent young man.

As a parent, I entrust my greatest blessing to the staff at KinderCare every day, and I am grateful for the loving care and guidance he receives. The teachers and director look at each child as an individual, with their own strengths and needs. My son has been blessed with awesome teachers who understand his challenges, and handle him with grace. My child has learned so much and continues to share with me the great activities that go on each day at "school!" Thank you to the KinderCare child care organization for an incredible early childhood curriculum that engages and teaches at all steps of the day, and a special thanks to Karen and her staff; they continue to do amazing works of "heart" with all children.

My daughter loves to go to "school." They make learning fun. She talks fondly of her teachers. In fact, she even said that one of her teachers "loves me" when she was two. Even at three, I still receive daily reports, which tell me how she eats, sleeps and plays. That can tell me a lot about any changes in her moods in the evenings.

I could say more about the office staff, extra activities, etc. But in short, I recommend KinderCare to all of my neighbors. I will be sad when she leaves there.

Thank you so much for your responsiveness, attention to detail and support over the years. We cannot imagine how we could have coped without knowing that our older son Eddie was and now Ryan is in a safe, fun place every day. What they have learned at KinderCare, as well as the warmth and respect that they were and are shown, has enabled my boys to be outgoing, independent and respectful of others. We are so proud of them and thankful to KinderCare's teachers and directors for their continual help and guidance over the years.

Our children have been fortunate enough to have spent the last three years at KinderCare. We feel that KinderCare has given them the opportunity to experience that learning is fun at an early age. This is important as a baseline for their success as they continue their academic careers. We thank everyone again at KinderCare for the memories and taking care of our children.

I love seeing the children progress through the year. Watching children learn something new is the most rewarding aspect of my job, whether it's learning how to tie a shoelace or read a new word. I love watching the children's eyes light up and how excited they get when they realize they have accomplished something new! I absolutely love my job and find it to be challenging and rewarding each and every day. There is always something new to look forward to and I truly enjoy coming to work each day.

In teaching for more than 20 years, it is always memorable when the children come back all 'grown up' to visit and share their successes. I enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding each child's daily needs, watching the children's complete their goals – especially the firsts with the infants, and knowing what I am doing every day is making a difference in the lives of the children.

A memorable moment that means a lot to me is when I overheard a small group of children discussing a theme that we were learning. I stood back and thought 'they really are listening' and 'I really did get through to them.' That is a moment that makes me feel like I had a positive impact on their early education and why I chose teaching in the first place.

I love to make learning fun for children everyday but still challenging. Children give me energy and make me feel so much more alive. I hope that every child that enters my classroom, I somehow affect their life.

The children are the best part of being a teacher! I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I have worked hard to ensure the children have a great learning environment to complement the curriculum, and then I see the children repeating things they've learned to their parents – or anyone else who will listen.