Prime Time Early Learning Centers

I now have my third child enrolled in Prime Time Early Learning Center in East Rutherford. My older son and daughter had such good experiences there, and were more than prepared when they went into Kindergarten. Its a big center in an old school, hard to find up off River Road, but worth it. Its always clean and fresh inside. When comparing it with other child care centers we really like the big open space, the two outside playgrounds and the inside playground. The staff here are really nice, and many have been there a long time which means a lot to us. Good people really attentive to the kids. Nothing I can really complain about, except maybe their summer camp doesn’t have a pool.

We went on a tour there before selecting our current childcare center. The Director is nice but the place is so run down and smells like urine. I just couldn’t leave my child there

My daughter has been going to PrimeTime for almost 2 years starting when she was 3 months old. She seems quite happy there and loves her teachers and classmates.
My husband and I are also very happy with the school and have recommended it to other families. When we’ve had any concerns, we felt it was addressed promptly and they’ve also been very flexible and understanding with any requests. The other parents have been great as well and also seem pleased.
Like other parents we visited other daycares as well but felt this suited us the best. A new chain daycare opened up close by and we considered switching about a year ago. I would get a significant discount there through my employer but it didn’t have the same warm feeling and it seemed too academic. Kids this young should learn but also have the time to play and explore on their own.
So here are some specific reasons why I like Prime Time:
1) The teachers are genuinely warm and caring. The staff all seem to know my daughter and she knows them too. I’ve gotten to know some of them more and have had some babysit. I like them as people and don’t feel like they fake being nice.
2) The facility is great. I like that it was once an actual school so its spacious with wide hallways, big classrooms, and there’s even a decent outdoor play space and an indoor gym. It feels like a school and is well taken care of. My nanny who helps with my newborn used to work at a daycare close by and even she commented about the facility and how much better it was than where she worked.
3). The location is very convenient if you take the bus into NYC. Both my husband and I work in the city and have 1 car. We’re able to coordinate so that he does drop off, leaves the car there, then takes the bus a block away. I do the opposite and pick up our daughter. (The same bus route is near our house.)
4) They have the longest hours (6:30am-7:00pm) and provides flexibility. Unfortunately, she’s there early and leaves late due to our work hours. Most places close before 6pm but there’s no way I can do that with my commute. Additionally, on days when there’s a commuting issue and I’m running late, I’ve given them a call and they’re always pleasant about it and say not to worry.
5) Prime Time’s learning approach seems down to earth and balanced. It’s not overly academic but still stimulating and my daughter learns. She has Spanish twice a week and comes home counting and saying other words which is cute. There’s enough structured learning, activities, and playtime.
To wrap up. I recommend Prime Time and I plan to enroll my new baby when she’s a bit older as well. I have a nanny for her now so it makes financial sense to have my daughter stay home instead of paying for both but I feel like she gets a lot out of going there. So our plan is to have her still go a few days a week until I’m ready to enroll the baby.
(We would have the baby in daycare too if it wasn’t for the fact it’s winter so if she enrolls as a 3 mo old later, she’s bound to get sick often and we’re unable to take time off of work. It’s not the fault of the daycare but the nature of there being lots of kids and germs.)

Trusting your child to be taken care of by someone other than you or family is a difficult decision to make. We reviewed several daycare centers when making this choice recently and Prime Time was by far the best.
My husband and I felt comfortable from the first time we visited. It was obvious that the school and its students are well looked after and taken care of. The first day or two was by far harder on us than on our little one. She ran right in and was engrossed in toys and activities almost immediately.
The teachers are wonderful and with structure and love run a tight ship! Our little one has picked up some great new rules and guidelines and we’re working at home to continue what she’s learning. We’ve seen her verbal skills get stronger and her vocabulary grow in just a few short weeks. This had been a bit of a concern for us as she was a late talker.
Nancy and her staff are really wonderful. And they are great at answering any questions or concerns especially for the new parents when we have no idea what we’re doing! We highly recommend Prime Time!

I was very impressed when I toured this School. It was clean, the staff were all alert the children all looked well looked after and healthy. The walls and out door area’s were all spotless. I was also impressed with the artwork.

I am so happy I switched my son into this daycare! Being a working mom is hard enough, but at least I have piece of mind while my son is there. The facility is clean and safe. All the teachers are compassionate, caring and loving toward the children. They keep you in the loop of everything that goes on.

Dropping off your child for the first time at day care is a nerve racking experience and obviously difficult. Prime Time was great assisting us in that initial transition. My daughter is in great hand here and puts a smile on my face with all the she learns. The staff is wonderful and the facility is very well maintained.

We have many choices for early childhood education in our area, so we were careful to evaluate the best fit for us and our daughter. Our daughter has been attending Prime Time for over a year now, and the experience has been a great success. We started her part time when she was almost 2, with the expectation of phasing her in full time. Now that she’s 3, she is fully immersed in Prime Time’s curriculum on a full time basis. One thing we noticed early was the rapid improvement of her speech. I would certainly attribute this in part to interaction with her teachers and well socializing with peers. As she’s grown, her teachers have provided collective care for her with many personal touches. Their approach is warm and sincere and she always comes home happy. We get daily reports about activities, learning, diaper changes/​toilet training. The front door as well as a main access door to the classrooms each require passcodes for entry. The hours are great (currently 630am-​7pm) which was also great for us since we both work in NYC. Miss Charlene and the rest of the PT staff are right up there with grandma in terms of the joy they bring to our daughter’s daily life. Thank you for the great care!

When looking for a daycare for my daughter in January, my wife and I did so much research in the Rutherford/​East Rutherford/​Wood-​Ridge area. We were looking for a place that was warm, clean, conveniently located, and priced competitively. In the end we chose primetime because the staff made us feel like our daughter would be in good hands here. Their rates are hourly and flexible so your not trapped into a mandatory rate or weekly schedule. They are also open as early as 6:30am and stay open late.
Our daughter has been going to Prime Time since she was three months old and she is now six months and we have had no problems. They give her so much attention, we get daily updates on her eating habits and milestones.
We know we made a good choice because when we drop her off in the morning she smiles and begins to kick her feet in excitement!