Testimonials

Parent Testimonials

Brooke
SMCCC Parent

Being a working mom is a true emotional roller coaster. You want to assure you make all the right choices to assure your babies get the childhood and upbringing you hoped for, and it certainly does take a village. When I found myself in this position, as a new mom, I felt so blessed to have St. Mary’s Child Care as part of my village. I always felt a sense of warmth and comfort when leaving my babies in their care. I developed amazing relationships with the teachers through casual conversation and the typical preface of my child’s possible melt downs…”sorry we had a rough morning, the banana broke in half…” and we all know how the rest of that goes!

As my children grew older and more curriculum was brought into the classroom, I noticed such an influx in their intellect, emotional stability, and morals. And toilet training…I felt like I had a whole team on my side, going for the win. SMCCC, was a true Godsend for us, and they became such an important part of my kid’s development and childhood.

To this day, I am blessed to continue to work with Karen and her team as they help support The Children’s Hospital of Michigan Annual Cereal Drive. This endeavor in partnership with Gleaners Food Bank, is near and dear to my heart, as a former pediatric nurse and now mother, to help bridge the hunger gap for children during the Summer months who often go without breakfast. SMCCC has participated for the last 5 years and have chosen to instill in their children at the center the beauty in helping others. I truly cannot think of a better foundation and example than those that SMCCC has embedded and embraces in their passion for the development, wellbeing, and overall care of the children in our community.

Laura
SMCCC Parent

The consistent, experienced, love-filled staff atSMCCC have not only helped take care of my son and daughter for nearly five years, but embraced them as individuals and brought them joy daily. As infants, they were expertly taken care of and teachers were patient with new parents. As young toddlers, my kids both talked about their teachers as if they were their friends and were excited to see them. When our son went on to elementary school, his teacher was impressed with his letter recognition and writing. She told us our daughter would be well-served if we kept her at SMCCC because our son was well-prepared for school and ahead of the curve. SMCCC is the right partner for parents to help care for your children while also helping shape them into well-rounded little humans.

Jessika & Michael
SMCCC Parents

Our first exposure to SMCCC was the disaster relief program during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. As essential workers in desperate need of alternative childcare, we enrolled our then1year old son. Leaving my son in a brand-new environment during the midst of a raging pandemic was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. What I didn't know at the time was we had discovered so much more than a childcare center. The family culture of SMCCC is evident from the moment you enter the front door. As a parent it is incredibly relieving to know your children are safe, loved and given the support needed to progress through the pivotal stages of infancy, toddlerhood and preschool. My now 3-year-old and 1.5-year-old sons have thrived socially, emotionally and academically under the loving care of the SMCCC teachers and staff. The way they partner with families to ensure a seamless transition between home and school is truly top notch. We highly recommend SMCCC to any family seeking excellent, family centered care.

Heather & Mark
SMCCC Parents

When we started looking for child care for our oldest son, it was overwhelming to find a place we felt comfortable to have our children at while we are at work. Fortunately, we found St. Mary's Child Care Center and couldn't be happier. The teachers and staff care deeply for the children, and you feel it as a parent. Not only do the children learn so much, but they develop emotionally and socially with their peers. Recently, our middle son was so excited that he got to grow tomatoes and make strawberry jam and butter. St.Mary also provides wonderful, age appropriate Christian and Catholic teachings. They have fun as they learn about Jesus and the Bible. The kids come home and are enthusiastic about sharing their day, what they did, and what they learned. On top of all of this, there is an incredible sense of community atSMCCC that every parent, child, and staff member feels. If someone is having a personal challenge, health issue, whatever it may be, the community comes together to support them. We are grateful for our St. Mary community and can't recommend the center enough!

Ashley
SMCCC Parent

I was very hesitant to put my child in a child care program but I fell in love with SMCCC on the first tour, and since then they have met and definitely surpassed every expectation I had for a child care center.Unfortunately, my family experienced a great tragedy that really rocked our everyday routine. The staff rallied together to support us and went above and beyond in working with us in a way that I never would have expected. In my experience all staff are very welcoming and have been very accepting and willing to work with me and my children individually on things that are important to me. I love the curriculum, and I feel very safe and confident when I drop my children off. I love the happy pictures and updates and fun activity remindersI get throughout the day. My children are excited to go to SMCCC every day, and they look forward to seeing their friends and doing fun activities with them! I really do feel like SMCCC is one big family, and I'm happy that my children andI get to be a part of it.

Teacher Testimonials

Ms. Sue
Teacher Assistant

I absolutely love coming to work at SMCCC! I love and adore the children and their families and I admire and respect my co-workers. We have a loving family atmosphere at the Center. St. Mary Child Care Center is my home away from home. I feel truly blessed to work here!

Ms. Artera
Lead Teacher

I love working at St. Mary Child Care Center because it is such an inviting and positive learning environment for young children. I have worked in childcare for over 13 years now. I have had the privilege of working in three separate centers, and I have seen the different ways they have been run. I am going on 10 months at SMCCC and so far I have to say that I am impressed in how welcoming and open the director and staff have been. It is one of the best workplaces I have worked for. We share ideas and help each other when needed. It's just great teamwork! I can show up to work surrounded by people with a positive attitude. I love knowing that the people I work with are all on the same page in their desire for educating children. I love to make learning fun for children every day, but still challenging. I hope that every child that enters my classroom, I somehow affect their life. Watching children learn something new is the most rewarding aspect of my job.

Ms. Veronica
Lead Teacher

I truly feel that we are all one BIG family at SMCCC!

Ms. Jane
Senior Assistant

I love working for SMCCC for many reasons. I enjoy working with the children in a safe, clean, fun and loving environment. I also appreciate being a part of introducing children to a sense of community with our works of charity in partnership with their parents.

Ms. Faye
(Former) Lead Teacher

SMCCC has given me a great opportunity to help children achieve and reach their goals in a supported, united atmosphere. Working at SMCCC is a very rewarding experience that I will never take for granted. I feel supported, appreciated and seen.

Ms. Bella
(Former) Teacher Assistant

It was great working at St. Mary Child Care Center as a college student. Karen, the director of SMCCC was extremely accommodating with my work schedule allowing me to be flexible when I was in school. I gained a lot of experience while working here - I learned and grew so much!

Ms. Colleen
Senior Assistant

I am SO happy to have found St. Mary Child Care Center! I enjoy working in a friendly environment where I can be creative and teach children. I love the daily interactions with the children and their parents. The Center has an amazing group of staff!

Ms. Perla
Lead Teacher

I've been a teacher for 16 years, all of them spent at 1 center prior to SMCCC. After 16 years of working at the same child care center, I was pretty nervous to walk in to a new place, but from the very first day I felt welcomed and everyone was very friendly. The center is welcoming to not only staff but families as well. We all try our best to make the center feel like a home away from home.

I was so happy working here that I felt comfortable bringing my two children to work with me (they offer employee discounts!). I love being able to see them grow and learn just a classroom or two away from mine, and I know they are well taken care of by my wonderful coworkers.