Any Recommendations for Daycare in Royal Oak?

Royal Oak Patch Facebook reader Scott Bondy wrote: "My wife and I are expecting and will be looking for a good daycare in Royal Oak. Do you and your readers have any recommendations?"

We posted the question on Facebook and here are the suggestions that followed:

• Michele: Olive Branch is the best! My son goes there. Great staff! 
• Anna: Longe IXL learning in Birmingham.
• Karen: I have friends who also go to Olive Branch and are having a great experience. I know people who have had good experiences with Sunny Skies on 11 mile in Huntington Woods also. If you are a fan of Montessori education and budget isn't as much of a concern, Gateway Montessori in Birmingham is very good.
• Todd: Staci's Daycare is the best, she loves and nurtures each child as if they were her own.
• Karen: Staci's Daycare is wonderful. Loving, safe, nurturing and fun.
• Mackenzie: Olive Branch! My daughter went there, and when we moved and she had to leave we were all so sad. They offer a very nurturing environment, a lot of parent-involvement activities (summer picnics, parties, etc), and awesome teachers. I still miss them.
• Michelle: You won't find a daycare any better than Staci Sorgatz. She is the loving mom you want when you can't be there. 
• Sherry: The Olive Branch daycare is a nice daycare but it's very expensive. It's 205 per week for an infant. However as a mom of 2, I couldn't afford 400 dollars a week for childcare for my babies.
• Michele: I find Olive Branch much less than other daycares. I pay $144 for 4 days for a preschooler. 
• Rae: Our Shepherd Lutheran Church and School in Birmingham have infant through preschool at their two campus's. There is always a waiting list but you may be early enough to get in! If you have time to visit you will see why it is always filled!
• Theresa: I used to take my grandson to Katie's Kids on Lafayette in Royal Oak. They were wonderful.
• Emily: When the baby is 2.5 send him or her to MON AMI day care & nursery! they are FABULOUS! 
• Jennifer: Olive branch! Very reasonably priced and the staff is beyond amazing!
• Rob: Both of our kids went to Olive Branch. Loving care givers and extremely economical. Do yourself a favor and look into...you won't regret it.
• Lisa: I am a licensed day care provider but currently have no openings. Go to www.greatstartconnect.org its through the states website for a list of providers in the area. It is extremely hard to find infant openings. 0-18months. There is a real shortage. Hope this helps. Good luck to you and your family.
• Melissa: The Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills (an almost straight shot up Woodward from Royal Oak) has an outstanding infant/toddler Program with certified early childhood teachers. You can find all of their information at www.ashmi.org. It's great that you're doing your research now, as finding openings at great places can be a challenge. Good luck to your family.
• J.D.:Mon Ami is the best!
• Christina: Great Lakes Child Development Center at 12 and Stephenson. Both of my girls have been going there for years. Great staff.
• Lee: I would also say Academy of the Sacred Heart daycare. They treat all of the children with so much loving care! This would be the only place I would consider (if I weren't able to stay home when my little ones were little!).
• Susan: We love Olive Branch and found it reasonable in our price comparisons. Every day I go to pick up my daughter, she's happy to see me, but doesn't want to go home!
• Maureen: Katie's Kids on Lafayette are great. Very happy with the staff and program.
• Tamara: Berkley Building Blocks through Berkley Public Schools!
• Julia: Call lots of places and ask the following questions (answers are for Sunny Skies on Grove where we take our kids):
  
  • What are your hours? 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  • How much does it cost? 2 kids full time $365/week
  • What does the cost include? two snacks for toddlers and up, wipes (we supply milk, cereal, fruit/veggies, diapers and cream for our infant and breakfast, lunch, diapers and cream for our toddler)
  • How many vacation days can we take? 10/year, with the option to switch to part time in the summer
  • Do you use email at your center? Email is just starting to take off at Sunny Skies - which has been really helpful to us
  • How are your classes divided (developmentally or age?) Infant (6 weeks - 1 year), Young Toddler (1 year to roughly 2 years), Older Toddler (2 years to potty trained), Preschool (potty trained and beyond)
  • Do kids get a chance to go to others rooms or locations or are they in one room all day? All students stay in their classrooms all day on days of inclement weather; if 32 degrees or higher, kids play outside or go on a walk in their buggies
  • What is the teacher to student ration? 4 to 1 in infant, YT, OT rooms; 6 to 1 in preschool
  • Do students every have the opportunity to work on computers or with technology? 2 computers available in Preschool room for occasional use
  • Do you provide a year-end spreadsheet for tax purposes? Not available.
  • Do you offer automatic deduction or payment by credit card? Not available.
  • Do you offer staff perks or health care coverage? Not available
• Julia: Everyone has a different idea about what they are looking for in a daycare. The best option is to do your research - ask questions, visit each location, and then go with your gut. Think about what place is most in line with your parenting philosophy.
• Susan: Ask about staff credentials, training and TURNOVER. If the staff are treated well, they will stay. This reflects directly on the atmosphere and happiness of the center. Technology is not a must as the American academy of pediatrics suggests no screens before age 2. Clean school with cheerful responsive staff.
• Erica: Garden Child Development Center is right next door in Madison Heights (11 Mile just east of I-75), I'm the owner  We offer an earth friendly and educational environment. We are the only center in Michigan that serves all organic food (whole and fresh foods, not processed packaged "food"), yet our rates are comparable to other local centers. $210 weekly for infants, $190 for toddlers, and $150 for preschool. Check us out www.facebook.com/Greengardencdc
• Nate: My baby will be starting at http://www.gatewaycds.com next month. They take infants as early as six weeks. The daycare is nicely set up. The rooms are pretty open, so you can see what is going on inside from the hall. The doors are secure, people can't just walk in. Price is something like $850/ month. There's no religious affiliation. Staff seemed very friendly and experienced. I'm excited to send my child to a daycare, because they are very hands on, more-so than most babysitters and he will have an opportunity to socialize with kids his age. It's in Clawson, we searched for something in Royal Oak, but didn't really get excited about any of them. My wife's OB recommended Gateway and we loved it. Go with your gut and make sure you're sending you baby someplace you'll feel comfortable with!
• Terry: Both my kids went to Day Care Plus in Clawson. They treated my kids as if they were their own. It was the only place my son didn't try to escape from.

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What do you recommend? Tell us in the comments section below!