La Petite Academy of Belleville - Belleville, Illinois

Dana W.

The level of neglect at this facility is absolutely unacceptable. When I picked up my child, I was horrified to discover that her braid had been ripped from her scalp. I immediately demanded to speak with the attending director, who claimed to have no idea how or when this could have happened. Unsatisfied with her lack of accountability, I demanded to speak with her superior, a woman named Melissa.

It took Melissa a full 24 hours to return my call, even after I had called twice and left voicemails asking for an explanation. When she finally did call, she nonchalantly claimed she never received my messages. She mentioned reviewing the footage and confirmed that my daughter’s braid was intact earlier in the day but later noticed it was missing—proving this incident occurred while my child was in their care. However, when I asked to see the footage myself, she stated that I could only view a specific timeline. How could I possibly know what timeline to request when I wasn’t there?

Melissa’s attitude was dismissive and showed zero concern for my 2-year-old daughter’s well-being. Frustrated, I escalated the issue to the district manager, Brian, only to be met with the same lack of care and defensiveness toward Melissa’s actions.

This entire experience has been heartbreaking. It’s clear this facility prioritizes money over the safety and well-being of the children in their care. Signs about payment deadlines are posted everywhere, yet there’s no focus on protecting the kids. To make matters worse, they frequently switch staff without notifying parents about who is caring for their children.

Parents deserve better than this negligence, and children deserve to feel safe and cared for. This facility has failed miserably in providing that.

Shantania L.

I would never recommend this place to anyone. Neglect, lack of communication and lack of accountability are just a few of the issues that were experienced while my niece attended this daycare. It seems as there was an issue every week and when the issue was brought to the attention of the staff, there was never a resolution.

When someone trusts you enough to leave their child in your care, it is your responsibility to provide the best care for that child.That is not something my niece was provided.

Shelbria K.

UPDATE: It’s been a year and it might be time for us to move on to new care providers. I just want to say we’re going to miss this center so much! They were very considerate and kind when we were going through some difficult situations. They helped us process applications and made the processes for childcare so easy. My niece is ready for Pre-K now and every day she was so excited to get dropped off at La Petite and see her teachers. Darlene, Tosha, and all of the staff will be missed by our family tremendously!

We LOVE this daycare! My 2yo niece just started here and not only is the staff warm and inviting, but they are very attentive and accommodating! My niece is thriving and gets so excited to do the daily activities and play with her friends. I love being able to see her day through the app that they provide as well. If I could give the staff 1000/10 I would.

Raven S.

This place is a joke, if I could put negativity I would. There is no care or concerns for a child. A child was assaulted and yet no one was notified? The assailant although was taken out immediately and parents aware, this childs guardians were not notified of this assault. Why was this A child,a now victim of abuse said to have just an "accident" and given a small ice pack and "TLC" absolutely not! Parents and or guardians of ALL parties should have been notified immediately. If this child has had a troubled past and past incidents before WHY IS HE STILL ATTENDING? WHY IS HE STILL IN THE SAME CLASSROOM. You should be more concerned with the SAFETY of a child and not the MONEY.
Never referring or sending anyone or their child here ever.

Nicole B.

I am a teacher candidate specializing in Elementary Education, and consider myself to be a very hands on mother. My son's education is my top priority. I considered many preschools before I decided on La Petite, including some that were more expensive and claimed to be the best in the area. In my opinion, La Petite is a great value. I chose La Petite Academy because it was recommended to me by another mother, and am pleased with my decision. I am very please with the education my child is receiving there. My son has been attending La Petite Academy sine he was 15 months old. The staff is very friendly. They care for the children very much. My son's teacher even came to his birthday party. When my son started having behavioral issues, the staff helped me to correct these issues immediately so that it would not become a life long battle. I am confident that my child will succeed in school based on the education he has received at La Petite Academy. I recommend this school to anyone who cares about their child's education.

Rachael D.

I can not say enough nice things about this school/daycare. My 3 year old twins absolutely thrived with this team of amazing people. Miss Shirley and Miss Jennifer were so good with them. But the director Rachel Brewer was good with me and it meant more than she knew. One of my twins has Cerebral Palsy. We had been rejected from several daycares because of this. My daughter uses a walker but in all other aspects is a typical and smart 3 year old. It was heartbreaking to go through the process of finding a daycare for the twins. Discrimination is something I didnt think my sweet girl would have to deal with so young. Rachel didn't blink an eye about her disability and saw her for who she is right away! She filled out the ADA paperwork and my kiddos were in class in a weeks time. She is the best! They coordinated speech therapy with the kids preschool and took on the task without question. My daughter's balance, walking and confidence improved after a few weeks there because of them! They're language and social skills blossomed as well as thier attention span. Rachel and the staff had to teach very young children to wear masks and be safe during a pandemic. They did it with ease and now I brag about how my 3 year olds are mask trained. I always credit La Petite though. This is the best experience I could ever dreamed for.

Vanessa C.

We love La Petite and trust that both of our sons are well taken care of there. We had ventured out to a different daycare at one point in time but eventually returned realizing that we just can't find a better place for our sons. Staff and teachers here are awesome - very friendly, loving and professional.

We are sad to leave this location but b/c we had such a good experience, we decided to transfer them to another La Petite location near our new home. I think that says a lot about how much we like it here.

Miss. E.

Every parent wants the best for their child/children, and enrolling them in La Petite Academy is the best thing for them! My daughter (22 months) has been enrolled in La Petite since January of 2012 and she and I both LOVE it. I am always comfortable dropping her off knowing that she is happy and welcomed with open arms. Originally I was weary about leaving “my precious baby” in the care of someone other than myself or family but the professional staff is nurturing, polite, caring, and simply amazing and with that I was ensured that everything would be fine. I greatly appreciate the patience they had with me for the first few weeks as I called and stopped by periodically to put myself at ease. Giving the daily reports, art and craft, and pictures, La Petite helps me feel more connected with the daily activities I unfortunately have to miss while away from my child. I love that there is a healthy balance of both play and education/exploration, you see the children blossom socially and academically as they are encouraged to use their imagination, play make-believe, and engage in fun activities while being educated. They give the best care and love as if all the children were their own and I couldn’t ask for a better place to take her while I work and attend school to provide a better life for us.