Pilgrims Enrichment & Preschool Program

I’ve never written a negative Unilocal review before, but this time it’s warranted. If I can spare one parent the difficulties I have experienced today, it will be worth it.
In May, I signed up for after school care with Little Pilgrims. My son was to start there in fall when he started kidergarten, and we were both happy to try out a church program in our area.
This week, he started started kindergarten and after school care with Little Pilgrims. Although he was doing well in kindergarten, the transition to Little Pilgrims was hard for him. The pick-​ups were especially hard, and I do understand that he was challenging at pick up. Today, he was dismissed from Little Pilgrims with no notice and no attempt to help him adjust. Why? Apparently he had made inappropriate sounds and didn’t quit immediately when asked.
I acknowledge that this probably wasn’t the best fit for him, and we would have probably have moved on eventually. The difference between me and the church? I would have tried to work it out. That may not have worked, but I would have certainly given appropriate notice. It’s Friday night, and I don’t know where my son will be going when I work as a teacher on Monday afternoon despite the fact that I prepared months in advance. And my five year old feels awful.
I expected much more from my neighborhood church.

My two kids are «Little Pilgrims»! This school doesn’t have a clay kiln, organic garden or one teacher per child. Thank goodness! Pilgrims has a lot of love, discipline, diversity and the best teachers ever (Miss Shirley and Miss Linda)! At Pilgrims, my kids have learned how to behave in a community, how to be respectful of one another, and how to have fun. There is oodles of free play time, and trips to wonderful places on the BIG BLUE BUS in the Summer (with Pastor Paul at the wheel in a Hawaiian shirt). My oldest is now in first grade and was entirely prepared by his experience at Pilgrims to love kindergarten and succeed in a big OUSD elementary school. Can’t beat that!

All 3 of my kids have gone to Pilgrims since we moved into the area about 5 years ago. They are extremely reasonable in price and the staff at Pilgrims is just outstanding!!! The activities they have the young kids do is extremely beneficial for when they enter elementary school. I have absolutely nothing but good things to say. Both my girls loved their teachers.
The Director, Linda Holt is firm, but the sweetest woman I have ever met. How she manages to take care of kids all day and then handle a household of 10+ kids, it just totally amazes me. I have three at home and half the time, I go to bed exhausted.
If you are looking for a great reasonable daycare with a caring staff… this place is it!

Pilgrim really strives to embrace diversity. They literally have the color of the rainbow shown in staff, kids who go there and their own kids they have adopted! I’ve actually lost track of how many kids they have, its well into the double digits… they make the Brady Bunch look like a joke. It doesn’t end there, they have animals too! Not just a dog, but a PONY!
Pastor is the coolest laid back guy EVER. And his wife Linda has a huge heart. She has this ability to get the kids in line with one stern look. I’ve never heard her yell at a kid ever… how do moms do that… it’s like mom secret code???
What I like most are their special events. My baby sister raves about Kayaking with the pastor. A kayaking pastor, what do you think of that? The multi-​cultural pot luck is always really fun because the kids dress up in their cultural clothes. The mixed ones are the cutest to look at because they alternate year to year what they wear. Christmas is always very special because the kids work really hard on a play… its adorable watching little two year old angels, three year old wise men, 5 year old Mary and Joseph. A pony dressed up as a horse. The singing is the best.