Open Arms Christian Preschool

When my wife and I moved to Richmond from Raleigh in 2010 in some ways it was like starting over. We had both lived in North Carolina for 17 & 14 years respectively and the change while welcomed presented many challenges, especially with 2 young children.
One of the first things we did when we arrived was to seek out recommendations for a good pediatrician. From that point we had the amazing fortune of being given the contact information for Joan at Open Arms Christian Preschool by our children’s new doctor. The pediatrician we ended up seeing knew that with a diagnosis of autism and being on the spectrum our son would be in great hands and care at Open Arms Christian Preschool.
The nervousness we felt while driving to meet with Joan for an initial tour of the preschool was immediately forgotten as we were greeted with the kindest most genuine energy and welcome. Within 5 minutes of touring Open Arms we knew we had found the right place.
In our time spent at Open Arms we had both of our kids enrolled. Even when we moved to Glen Allen after the first year I fixed my work schedule to be able to drive 40 minutes back and forth for drop off and pick up.
Our oldest child is on the spectrum and has been diagnosed with autism. He is high functioning but to this day has sensory issues as well as social issues. Joan went above and beyond to work with us day in and day out, gave us guidance, put us in touch with different professionals and organizations and always made herself available. She was always a phone call away and as with any situation involving children the communication factor was key. There was even a point where an additional staff member was brought in to help. For all of these reasons my wife and I will forever be grateful.
I could really go on and on raving about this preschool as we had a 4 year run there. There is not one negative thing I can say about our experience at Open Arms. If there was I would be honest and post it. There were times when we had reports come home about our oldest and quite frankly a few times where we thought, ‘that’s it they are going to ask us to leave’… but that never happened. And I believe the communication between the school and us was a vital part of our unique situation. Communication is always key.
The tuition is very reasonable for what each family receives. Activities, special trips and guest ‘speakers’ just to name a few of the things which go on. Art comes home regularly and the kids are also in a true learning environment which is such a plus as they get ready to make the transition to elementary school.
If I could give this preschool 10 stars I would. If I could give Joan and her amazing staff 10 stars I would. I have given Joan permission to give out my phone number to anyone who has parent to parent questions.
We will be forever grateful for the foundation which Open Arms Christian Preschool has given both of our kids. And we will especially be forever grateful for the added support we received to help us set our first born and only son on the path to being able to deal with his autism related issues. While Open Arms was just one piece of the support chain we received it was a vital part which helped us truly make the difficult and important decisions about our situation without added stress. Without the positive reinforcement and guidance this would have been a much more difficult road for us.
Reach out to Joan with any questions about this program. She is always eager and happy to meet and welcome new faces and families.
Cheers! And thank you for reading my first novel! (sorry I got carried away…)
–Michael Soekawa (yes my full name)

I must agree wholeheartedly with the comments of Cassandra E. The feeling you have as a parent when trying to find a preschool for your child is hard to describe. After finding Open Arms, I can say it is one of relief and gratitude. My son is in his second year at Open Arms and I cannot imagine him anywhere else. Our hope when searching for a preschool went well beyond finding a nurturing place for him learn. A big focus was on the social and emotional development that would take place. Our son needs encouragement to connect with peers, use language, and try new things. The staff and families at Open Arms have proved to be the very best advocates for our son. A strong partnership has been formed here. We have sought speech and OT therapies for our son and the teachers at Open Arms have communicated directly with his therapists and even welcomed them into the classroom. It is truly a team effort. I cannot imagine where we would be without the support of the families and staff at this school. We are thrilled to be sending our youngest here next fall as well!

The post previously made is inaccurate and incorrect. We toured several schools and chose Open Arms last September because of the attentiveness, love and professionalism of the teachers and Director.
In January of last year, our son began having seizures — the first in his young 2 year old life. We were terrified and concerned about the present and future health, well-​being and development of our child. Not only did the team at Open Arms show their love and support for us, but the families surround us with friendship and prayer! Our son Eli had a rough 4 months; spending over 80% of the time in the hospital. During that time, we received weekly emails and texts from the Director, Eli’s teachers and parents checking in and asking how they could help.
When Eli was stable enough to return, the entire team at Open Arms worked with us to give Eli a chance to come back to school — even part-​time. I met with the Director, Joan Brennan, and his teachers regularly to discuss his development, areas of challenge and prognosis. They worked diligently to ensure that Eli had a supportive environment where he, and the other children, could thrive. They took care of our son and our entire family during one of the most traumatic times in our life.
Eli has now been seizure free for several months and returned back to school full-​time this year. Before starting the year, Joan and the teachers worked with my husband and I to determine where Eli might best thrive (in the older 2 or younger 3 classroom). They have walked with us over the last several months as we have evaluated his growth and development.
During parent teacher conferences this week, his teachers shared with us areas of challenge for Eli and some options to help him thrive. While it is always tough to hear that your child may not be thriving and may need additional evaluation, the way that they lovingly and supportively discussed the challenges with me made me quickly aware that they were on our team. They wanted what was best for Eli’s development and wanted to provide the right opportunities for he and the other children in the school. As a parent who is diligently involved in the well being of her child, I feel like I have a team of support at Open Arms. It is a community!
I learned about Open Arms from a friend that entrusted the development of her two children to the school. Having now experienced the great support and student-​to-​teacher ratios she encountered, I have openly recommended the school to other families. Including families that have been dealing with issues such as epilepsy. While the school is not a school for children needing one-​on-​one shadowing or those with aggression and anger issues, it is a school for families that need a little extra support or those that simply want the best environment and greatest opportunity for the growth of their children.
I love Open Arms and am saddened by the libelous comment below.