Monarch Academy for Young Children, Valencia | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

My family had a terrible experience with this childcare facility earlier this year. However, I have waited a long time before posting a review to ensure that we had the right perspective. I waited until our child was in a NEW preschool to compare. I waited until I spoke with the school district & experts in the childcare field to make sure that it wasn’t just me that was floored by this school’s practices & procedures (or lack thereof!). So know in advance that this is a carefully and thoughtfully constructed review.

With that said……

Do NOT send your child to this poor excuse for a preschool. I hear they used to be great (which is why I sent my child there) but in the last year or two something must have gone terribly awry. The complete lack of professionalism demonstrated by the upper management of this facility is absolutely staggering. There is a teacher in one of the 3-year-old classes that is SO cold and shrill that it is truly a wonder that she works with children….truthfully we couldn’t tell if she even LIKED children. For example – one day, I sat in on circle time and she kept rolling her eyes and sighing heavily while singing the daily songs. Truly “going through the motions”…right in front of a PARENT. There is ZERO follow-up from parent-teacher conferences. There’s zero communication from teachers to parents on a daily, or even WEEKLY basis on how your child is progressing (or not). They boast a small teacher-to-student ratio but can never seem to handle the number of children they have. The extra-curricular activities are lacking….and the tuition is on the higher end in comparison to others in the SCV!

I will not go into detail about what happened with my child, but I WILL say that I learned that at least 2 other families had the same experience with Monarch in the span of two to three weeks that we did! My family…..but most importantly, my child, is scarred from this experience…. For a LONG time, if we even said the word “school” around him…or if he saw a school, he’d shut down. After months of heavy research and soul-searching, we’ve slowly put our child in another preschool and the difference is just NIGHT and DAY. He’s excited to go. He is surrounded by warmth, encouragement and love….and THAT, has made all the difference in the world.

In our situation, the problem was with the preschool…..not with the child. I strongly advise you to keep looking if you are looking for a preschool for your child.

I cannot say enough good things about this school! All three of my children have or are attending Monarch, and the warm nurturing environment is exactly the sort of place that a parent would want for their child in preparation for grammar school. My oldest, who is a 3rd grader at SCVi, entered kindergarten FAR ahead of the rest of her peers in both academics and social-emotional readiness. While I attribute this preparation to the fact that I myself am an educator, I also feel that it is due in large part to the education she received in her years at Monarch. Furthermore, my two youngest (who are much more reserved than their older sibling) have blossomed there. The teachers are kind, the curriculum engaging and appropriate, and the directors are professional and supportive. I cannot say enough good things about this preschool and cannot recommend it highly enough to others who are searching for a preschool for their son or daughter. My husband and I have two more years at Monarch before our son will be in kinder himself, and I am already sad at the thought of not having a child there anymore!!!

THANK YOU, Monarch, for everything you have done for my children!!!