Appletime Child Care

Check the MN Dept of Human Services website childcare licensing: dhs.state.mn.us/licensing. This facility has multiple, repeated state licensing violations. I have repeatedly tried to get any and all records of my child from the director and she has refused and been difficult at every single turn. Even with a court subpoena, she charged me big bucks to get records on my own child, and the records she produced were very minimal. Also, she will not disclose the names of the workers that directly cared for my child. Director of this facility is uncaring and outright rude, and after learning of the recent (4/5/2018) investigation report and correction order from DHS, I now see that proper records are not even kept on the children, and there are many very concerning violations of the state rules. My child no longer attends this facility, and anyone considering, please do your research! There are some very nice workers there, but they have their hands tied by the unorganized and haphazard way that the director runs this place. I do not recommend for anyone's child.

I've worked in daycare and saying 1 star is giving too much credit. I know quite a few unhappy families that have enrolled within the last year. This was really the only place in Elk River that was available. It NEVER fails I always see staff texting, or messing around on their phones, and they don't even put it away. Maybe 1 out of 4 times I get a "Hi" when I walk in, and it's not even busy in the room or loud. Staff is always huddled on the side chit chatting. They don't even feel the need to come over and give feedback, or make a comment about a child's day. It honestly feels like they don't care and it's very unwelcoming, and unprofessional. You think you would at least put on a good face when parents or someone is picking a child up. I've picked up someones child who had a black eye. I thought it was old cause no one said anything and there was no accident report. They are terrible when it comes to calling parents when more of a serious accident happens as well, multiple times, at least give parents a heads up call. I've also seen some kids have to share cubby buckets in multiple rooms. It's hard when someone else is picking up and they don't know who has what. The place has a smell too, like old Pepsi, and you can smell it on yourself an hour after you leave. The place seems old and could use a some updating of everything. There is never really any art work or fun stuff sent home. All of the kids always have dirty faces and runny noses in all of the rooms, and they only care to keep the kids clean when they are being picked up, and that's even sometimes! For example, I've walked into the toddler room and staff are just sitting around, no "Hi", no smile, not even one word is said to me, then all of a sudden the staff get up and start wiping one nose after the other, and all of the kids have boogers down to their mouths and beyond. Not a place I would want my kids to go.