Anne, Iowa City

We have two children enrolled at Apple Tree and have been very happy with the care they have received. They use a portfolio system in their preschool rooms to track your child's development and have parent-teacher conferences for all ages. I was surprised to have parent-teacher conferences at a daycare, but they have been really nice because you get focused time to meet with your child's teacher (much better then the quick updates at drop-off and pick-up time). They do seem to have a fair amount of turnover with their teachers, but I suspect this is typical of most daycare centers. As my kids have progressed through the rooms there they have had some really great teachers, with an occasional "so so" teacher. Overall, we would (and have) recommended Apple Tree to other parents we know.

Sarah, Iowa City, Iowa

My son attended Apple Tree in downtown Iowa City until he was ten months old. I was very happy with the teachers and the care he received. His only problem was that the had a hard time sleeping because the infants all sleep in one room. I eventually moved him to a daycare home where he has his own room to sleep in. Apple Tree was very clean, but also pretty expensive.

Hours: 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Ages: 6 weeks to 5 years

Our mission is to provide center-based developmental child care services that favorably differentiates us from other providers. This will be accomplished by:

• Creating a strong sense of confidence and pride among our parents in their choice of Apple Tree Children's Centers.
• Offering programs that stress the individual educational and social needs of a child.
• Meeting the highest health and safety standards.
• Hiring, developing, and motivating qualified teachers and center managers.
• Continually questioning, evaluating and upgrading established procedures and systems.